Reyes Beverage Buys Windy City Distribution
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Dec 16, 2012 4:00PM
Huge news from the local craft beer scene: Windy City Distribution, one of the most respected beer distributors in Chicago, is being acquired by Reyes Beverage Group in what is believed to be a $50 million deal.
Reyes is the largest beer distributor in the country by volume, with 93 million cases shipped and $1.9 billion in dollar sales, and is the parent company of Chicago Beverage Systems, which distributes the MillerCoors portfolio, Sierra Nevada, Samuel Adams and New Belgium brewing. Windy City Distribution was created by Two Brothers Brewing co-founders Jason Ebel in 1998 after he couldn't persuade a distributor to carry their brews. Since then Windy City's portfolio has grown to include Stone, Lagunitas, Allagash, Metropolitan and a host of other craft beer brands.
According to Beerpulse.com, a formal announcement is expected to be announced this week and Beer Business Daily (via Crain's) writes the company will operate separately from Chicago Beverage Systems. If the purchase price is correct, Windy City would be valued at $38 million, the price Anheuser-Busch/InBev paid to buy Goose Island in 2011.