Family from Yakima brought news of this for Thanksgiving. Yakima Brewing and Malting is going to make a public offering for its Mandarin Hefeweisen, which is its newest and best seller.
This seems in stark contrast to the former owner and namesake Bert Grant’s possessive nature. I may be pessimistic here, but it give me the feeling of a Red Hook or Widmer type business deal. Its not to say that they don’t make good beers (they do, mostly), but their production is dominated by a single, bland beer. I suppose this is good for them, and provides the economic backing for bigger and better things, but a certain AB owns large percentages of each company. That certain AB company, though tireless in their pursuit of quality control, seems to be more interested in market share than damn fine products.
Time will tell. I wish Grant’s the best; Their cask Scottish is amazing, and the pub is one of the few remaining pieces of architecture in Yakima that has been emptied and moved to the sucker-fish of a city called Union Gap.
I didn’t know that Grant’s had been sold…that kind of sucks but was expected since Bert’s death.
I guess selling the sahre is good for them, I just hope, like Andy said, that there quality doesn’t eventually suffer.
Bert actually sold to a vintner back in the 90’s to releive himself of the burden of management. It also helped with an influx of cash. Apparently it then sold to bear or whoever the Florida based comanpy is. I wasn’t aware that it had changed hands again.