Anderson Valley Brewing Company sold after 22 years

The North Bay Business Journal broke the news today that the Anderson Valley Brewing Company, now in its 23rd year, was sold to HMB Holdings, LLC. A year ago I interviewed AVBC founder Ken Allen regarding family-owned breweries and he revealed he was already in discussions to unload his brewery. “The problem is that I’m getting to be an old man,” said Allen. “I don’t have the ambition I used to have. In fact, I’ve kind of announced the brewery’s for sale. In another few months I’m going to be 70 years old and it’s getting to where I don’t like the stress anymore.”

Allen is one of the handful of craft brewing pioneers from Northern California among the likes of Anchor’s Fritz Maytag, Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman, and Triple Rock’s John Martin. Ken Allen now joins San Francisco Brewing Company’s Allan Paul as brewery founders who, after well over 20 years trailblazing the brewing industry, are going to find out what it’s like to be retired craft brewers. Maytag, at 72 a year Allen’s elder, is still hard at work with his brewery, distillery, and winery.

In 1988, AVBC’s first full year of operation, they brewed 700 barrels. Last year they brewed over 25,000 barrels of beer distributed to over half of all states, mostly the western half. In that time, Allen claims it was the first brewery to bottle in 22-ounce bombers, having previously used champagne bottles. He was also among the first to offer 5-ounce tasters and flights at the brewery based in the town of Boonville in the pastoral Anderson Valley where visitors never once stop at a traffic light or shop at a chain store. The annual Boonville Beer Festival which has grown annually and now pours beers from around 70 craft breweries hosts over 7,000 fest-goers, more than doubling the area’s population.

HMB owner Trey White has 15 years experience in the adult beverages world, so it is hoped he will continue to fine quality and innovation that AVBC is known for. Having begun with four brands—Paleeko Gold Pale Ale, Boont Amber, Dark Porter, Highroller Wheat Beer—the brewery now offers 11 styles including Brother David’s Dubbel and Triple Abbey-style ales in honor of Toronado founder Dave Keene as well as seasonals such as Winter Solstice. Additionally, AVBC installed almost a million dollars worth of photovoltaic panels to brew beer powered by the sun. And then there is the 18-hole Frisbee disc golf course on the brewery’s grounds. Under HMB will that stay? In a comment Mr. White left on a Draft Magazine post, he said, “Yes, absolutely.”

Allen, a father of 3 and grandfather of 8, said the company grew beyond his expectations. Regretably, his son who had worked there left in 2000. “If I’d had my druthers, yeah, it would’ve been a family business and stayed that way. It just didn’t work out that way.”

The 14th annual Boonville Beer Fest will take place Saturday, May 8.

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©2010 by Brian Yaeger