Hi, there. 

Welcome to the final installment in our Acquired series, examining all things brewery acquisitions. 

Click here to review our previous issues: 

Part 1: M&A Mania: Why Craft Beer Acquisitions Are Everywhere Right Now

Part 2: So You Bought a Brewery. Now What?

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In our last issue, we gave you a few examples of the types of problems you’ll run into as you purchase other breweries, businesses and brands. 

Today, we're rolling up our sleeves to work through the messy, complicated, real-world challenges that come up during these deals. These aren't theoretical problems — everything we’re sharing here is pulled directly from our creative briefs and Brand Strategy documents from over the past year.

We'll start with a sampling of the questions we're helping clients work through and then dig into a handful of the most common scenarios to show you how you might think through them yourself.

Let's get to it.

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Note: This is a long issue. Long, even by BBT standards (lol). By all means, read the entire thing, but here’s a quick TOC in case you want to skip around:

– A Snapshot of What You’ll Actually Face During This Process

– Branding & Brand Architecture Challenges

– Portfolio & Product Challenges

– Taproom & Experience Challenges

– Digital & Marketing Challenges

– Scenario 1: Portfolio and Positioning Integration

– Scenario 2: Do I Need to Form a Hospitality Group?

– Scenario 3: The Taproom Dilemma

– Scenario 4: To Rebrand or Not to Rebrand

– Scenario 5: The Digital Integration Puzzle

– Think Long Term (Integration that works)

– Final Wrap

With that, let’s take a look at what these kinds of challenges actually look like once you’re in the thick of an acquisition.

(Above): Last chance to save $20 on The Beyond Beer Handbook. If you'd like to grab a copy (or copies) for your team, use code: Acquired 


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A snapshot at what you’ll actually face during this process 

Here's the thing about brewery acquisitions — no matter how much strategic planning you do upfront, you're going to run into problems you didn't anticipate after the deal is done. The key is having frameworks for thinking through them when they pop up.

Note: I'm grouping these loosely around similar challenges, though these sorts of issues usually don't fit into tidy boxes. They tend to overlap and compound each other, which is why they need to be solved thoughtfully and soon after you've completed the acquisition.

Branding & Brand Architecture Challenges

– We want to keep this acquired brand separate and operating as-is, but we still want to rebrand it. What should we be cautious about?

– We love this taproom location, but we're not keen on their beers. Can we keep their existing identity but drop most of their beer and start pouring ours instead?

– The acquired brand is a specialist (known for great lagers) and we're generalists. How do we merge without diluting what they're known for?

– If we keep the acquired brand in place, what does that do to our parent brand's architecture? Are we a House of Brands now by default? 

– The acquired brand has a strong presence in their market. How do we leverage this without losing their established customer base?

Portfolio & Product Challenges

– What do we do about overlapping products? Do we really need three hazy IPAs? Or three lagers? Two hard ciders?

– This acquisition has a few brands that sell well, and we want to keep them. Can we drop the acquired brand's parent identity from the packaging and sell them more as standalone brands?

– Our flagships have individual fanciful names, but the acquired brand uses a descriptive, Monolithic Branded House naming convention. If we keep their popular beers, should we rename them to fit our system?"

Taproom & Experience Challenges

– Should we standardize the taproom experience across all locations, or maintain unique elements at each site?

– How do we communicate the acquisition to regulars in a way that reassures them about quality and character?

– Should we introduce our flagship merchandise alongside theirs, or phase one out?

Digital & Marketing Challenges

– Should we maintain separate websites or create a unified digital presence? And how will this impact SEO?

– How should we manage email lists? Merge them, keep them separate, or let customers opt in or out in some way?

– Should we maintain separate social media accounts or consolidate everything?

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Phew. 

I can keep going here, but this should give you a decent range of what we’re seeing behind the scenes in these engagements.

Now that you’ve got an idea of broad themes, let's work through some specific scenarios.

(Above): Mission Brewing has expanded their footprint with a few taproom acquisitions over the last year. If you're positioned correctly, this can be a much faster way of getting a foothold in a new market than starting from scratch.  

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Scenario 1:

Portfolio and positioning integration

Our acquisition has a few brands that sell well, and we plan to keep them. Should we drop the [acquired brand's] parent brand identity from the packaging and make these stand more on their own? Or should we bring them under our parent brand itself somehow?

Also, the acquired brand is a specialist (known for brewing great lager) and we're more of a generalist. Is there a way to merge our brands without diluting what they're known for out in the market?

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This is really two related questions about how acquired products fit into your broader portfolio — both from a branding perspective and a positioning perspective. Let's work through both.

First, the portfolio question:

You need to think through these products’ main purchasing driver. Or more specifically, what you would like to be the main purchasing driver moving forward.

A main purchasing driver is simply why a consumer purchases a product. 

Are they buying something because it is from your brewery? They know and trust your brand, so anything you put your name on should be good to go in their eyes? 

Firestone Walker has never let me down, so I’ll give this new XPA a shot.

Or are they buying something based on the product’s brand itself. 

I drink Voodoo Ranger because I love the brand. Wait, who’s New Belgium??? 

If the acquired brewery brand is the purchasing driver, you'll likely want to retain that presence through the transition. You could keep this brand separate and running as-is, or lend a token endorsement from your parent brand to denote the new ownership. 

If people are buying the acquired brand's products based on their own merits and individual brands themselves, then you can likely drop the existing acquired parent brand identity altogether. From there, you can either reposition these products as standalone brands or possibly with a small endorsement from your parent brand. In either case, the acquired brand's parent brand goes away.

Now, the positioning question:

This goes back to our first issue on this topic where we asked: What are you buying?

Option 1: If you bought this brewery explicitly because of its brand — so its reputation as (specialist) lager brewery, its portfolio (including well performing brands), its existing accounts and distribution network — then you’ll want to preserve their positioning as much as possible through this transition. Especially if this doesn't align with your parent brand's positioning.

Option 2: If you bought this business more for its tangible assets — their brewery system, real estate, a great taproom with a patio, etc. — and you don't really care about their brand, then you can keep what you like (e.g. beer names/recipes) and jettison everything else as needed.

The key insight for both questions: Be honest about what's actually driving sales and what made the acquisition attractive in the first place, not what you hope is driving sales.

A more nuanced answer is that if your parent brand and this acquired brand's positioning don't mesh well, then you'll likely want to keep them separated. You could consider bringing them under your parent brand with an Endorsement, but even that might not make sense depending on how far apart both brands are.

You may be able to fit a square peg in a round hole, but be careful that you don't dilute either brand's positioning along the way. You risk losing the very thing that made the acquisition attractive in the first place.

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Learn more about these concepts here:

> Role of your parent brand in Brand Architecture

> Sub / Endorsed Brands 

(Above): Work out your Brand Architecture Map now. It’ll make this (and your next) acquisition a lot easier to plan.

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These portfolio decisions often create a domino effect. Once you've figured out how individual products and brands fit together, you'll likely face a bigger question about your overall brand structure, such as…

Scenario 2:

When 1 + 1 = 3 (Do I need to form a hospitality group as part of this acquisition?)

If we decide to keep the acquired brand in place, what does that do to our parent brand’s Architecture? Are we a House of Brands now? Do we need to form a behind-the-scenes holding company (“HoldCo”), or should we create a public-facing hospitality group? And do we need to brand that?

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This question comes up more than you think, especially as soon as you start stringing a few brands together.

Here’s the thing: The minute you buy another brand, you’ve created a mini-portfolio. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you’re now operating some form of more complex Brand Architecture — so it’s best to get intentional about this before things get messy.

First, think about the level of separation you want:

1. Are these brands staying highly distinct, each with their own market presence? Then you’re likely drifting toward a House of Brands model.

2. Are they all going to share some visible connection to your parent brand? Then you’re probably looking at an Endorsed Brand and/or Hybrid model.

3. Are you fully absorbing them into your parent brand? Then you’re building a Branded House (and this just got way simpler. Nice.). 

Now, on the HoldCo vs. Hospitality Group question:

1. A HoldCo is a quiet back-end entity. It’s useful for structuring ownership, taxes, and governance — but most customers will never see this. They’ll see your DBA or individual brand identities. (We call these “Corporate Brands” in The Beyond Beer Handbook.)

2. A Hospitality Group is public-facing. If you want to market this portfolio intentionally — think shared loyalty programs, gift cards, community impact work (or a nonprofit arm), a shared website hub — then branding your group is worth considering. (Even if this comes through as a Shadow Endorsement.)

Neither of these are mandatory, but both can help give you clarity — and they signal different things to the market. Just know that whatever you do here can set precedent for your future deals.

(Above): When does it make sense to form / brand a public facing hospitality group? Our general recommendation here is that this approach makes sense if you want to connect multiple brands under one umbrella (whether expressly or in more trade marketing channels), unify loyalty programs or showcase shared values across taprooms and restaurants. It also gives you a strong platform to build broader public and charitable relationships, creating new ways to engage communities beyond beer. Just remember: You’re no longer just selling beer — you’re now curating experiences across a broader network. Move intentionally so each piece strengthens (rather than dilutes) your parent brand and sets the foundation for future growth.

And on a more tactical level — branding your hospitality group makes you more attractive to potential acquisition targets by giving them a clear path into your portfolio (even if that creates more inbound than you want to handle). Down the road, this also gives you a cleaner story to roll up for investors or eventually sell as a cohesive group.

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Scenario 3:

The taproom dilemma 

We view this acquisition primarily as a great taproom location. Other than a few fan favorite beers, they don’t have much of brand identity. Knowing that, should we try to bring this acquisition under our parent brand somehow? And what do we do with those fan favorites? 

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On the taproom identity 

In cases like this, it often makes sense to fully rebrand the taproom under your parent brand — especially if there’s little existing equity to preserve.

This can be a great opportunity to expand your footprint and bring the new location into the fold. But make sure this doesn’t conflict with any of your current taprooms. If it’s too close geographically or conceptually to an existing site, that could cause confusion or cannibalization.

There’s another angle to consider here: Audience segmentation. If this acquired taproom serves a meaningfully different crowd — say, a raucous college town vs. a family-heavy suburb — that may be a reason to preserve a bit more of its original character, even if you rebrand. Brand Architecture isn’t just how your brands all work together — it’s about the role each brand and space plays in your broader experience.

One more note: If this is your first acquisition and you’re planning for more down the road, consider how you’ll name these locations over time. Will they be directional (e.g. XYZ Brewing North), neighborhood-based (e.g. XYZ Brewing South Side), or city-specific (e.g. XYZ Brewing Bloomington)?

Now’s the time to think ahead.

On the fan favorite beers 

A few options here:

1. Keep pouring them

If they’re selling well and don’t directly clash with your parent brand’s positioning, there’s no harm in keeping them around. This can help retain regulars and ease the transition.

2. Retool them under a new taproom exclusive

If these beers don’t fit your broader brand, consider introducing a “Heritage Line” or another house series. This can honor the old identity while signaling the transition. It also shows existing customers that you’re not here to bulldoze what they love.

Over time, you can decide whether these beers deserve a broader audience or if they were more about place than product.

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The real question is how tightly those beers are tied to the acquired brand itself. If customers order them by name — not by brewery — you have more flexibility to absorb them into your own portfolio without much disruption.

And if the taproom was never really about the brand, but more about convenience, community or experience? Then you’ve got even more freedom to shape it into something new.

Just make sure you bring the regulars along for the ride.

(Above): Part of our Brand Architecture work for Malibu Brewing included making recommendations for how to integrate a few taproom acquisitions into their overall portfolio. Specifically, "if we buy another taproom in Malibu proper, how do we name that so it doesn't conflict with our main brewery taproom?" So, how do we name and position these future locations?

Read a deep dive case study here and listen to Ryan and Jill Ahrens talk about why they wanted to work through this Architecture ahead of these moves on our podcast. 

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Not every acquisition needs dramatic changes, but many buyers feel compelled to put their stamp on things. This next scenario explores when that instinct serves you — and when it doesn’t.

Scenario 4:

To rebrand or not to rebrand 

We intend to keep this acquired brand separated from our parent brand and operating as-is, but we still want to rebrand it. Is there anything we need to be cautious of here?

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Fun question — and another one we hear all the time.

We get it: You’ve just acquired a new brand and you’re eager to make it your own. The instinct to put your fingerprints on this thing is totally natural.

But before you charge ahead with a rebrand, it’s worth slowing down and asking one critical question:

Why did you buy this brand in the first place?

Even if you’re keeping it separate, chances are you bought it because it already has something valuable — customer loyalty, product traction, community goodwill, visual recognition — that you didn’t want to lose.

And often, that value lives in the brand itself. Maybe it’s certain packaging elements customers recognize. Maybe it’s a beloved beer name. Maybe it’s the tone of voice that fans love. Maybe it’s the taproom experience.

So — before you redesign anything, make sure you’re not about to throw away Brand Equity that you just paid good money to acquire.

A few things to think through before you start redesigning:

– Why are you rebranding? (Clarity here will save you time and money.)

– What Brand Equity is worth keeping? (Packaging elements, beer names, visual/verbal tone, taproom experience.) LINK(S)

– What level of change is appropriate? (Full rebrand, brand refresh, packaging refresh — very different degrees of risk and impact.)

The goal is not to rebrand just for the sake of change — it’s to make intentional moves that strengthen the value of what you just brought into your portfolio.

(Above): Wachusett had loads of Brand Equity, but not much visual equity when Barrel One Collective acquired the business. This meant we were free to create something unique and geared towards retail without worrying about losing any important iconography.

Read a deep dive case study on this project here.

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Scenario 5:

The digital integration puzzle

Should we maintain separate websites for each brand or create a unified digital presence? How will this impact SEO and discoverability?

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This decision should flow from your Brand Architecture choices, not drive them.

If you're keeping brands separate, you’ll want to maintain separate digital presences. This preserves the distinct brand experiences and SEO equity each brand has built.

If you're integrating brands under a unified strategy, then consolidate the digital presence — but do it thoughtfully. Consider creating distinct landing pages or sections that preserve some of the acquired brand's digital equity while supporting your overall architecture.

The middle ground approach involves creating a unified backend system (easier to manage) with distinct frontend experiences. Think of it as one platform powering multiple brand experiences.

The key is not to let the tail wag the dog. Make your strategic branding decisions first, then align your digital presence to support those choices.

(Above): As you start adding new locations and/or acquisitions to your overall business, you'll run into a bunch of cascading decisions to work through — how do we best display menus, specials and tap lists between different locations, how can we give varying levels of admin capability to GMs, how can we use SEO to best serve up a specific taproom based on your geography?

We helped Karl Strauss with a major website overhaul to bring their nine taproom locations together, and address questions like this, in one easy to use (on the front and backend) site.

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These scenarios represent just a fraction of what you'll encounter, but they illustrate the central challenge: Every decision in an acquisition creates ripple effects. 

Change your Brand Architecture, and you impact digital strategy. Modify the product portfolio, and you affect taproom operations. Add a popular beer to your portfolio, and you might create redundancies.

The key is making these decisions deliberately and in sequence, not reactively as problems pop up.


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The Long Game

Successful acquisitions are measured in years, not quarters.

The breweries that thrive post-acquisition treat integration as an ongoing process. They stay curious. They listen to what’s working. They adapt when the facts change. And they don’t let ego get in the way of adjusting their strategy.

Most importantly, they remember that behind every acquisition are real people — employees who built something they’re proud of, customers with emotional ties to the brand, and communities that see these places as their own. The best integrations honor that while moving the business forward.


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Final Wrap 

The craft beer industry is evolving — and these sorts of partnerships and acquisitions are only going to become more common. The breweries that approach them strategically, with clear Brand Architecture and thoughtful integration plans, will be the ones that thrive. 

Get your house in order, think carefully about what you’re building and remember: These deals aren’t just about combining operations — they’re about creating something better than the sum of the parts.

Thank you so much for being there and for reading BBT.

I’m glad you’re here. 

Thinking about acquiring another business?

CODO has helped dozens of breweries work through the Brand Strategy, Architecture and integration challenges we’ve explored in this series. If you’d like help thinking through your next acquisition, drop me a line — we’d love to talk.