Popular NC brewer bucks the beer trend and buys itself back from Anheuser Busch

In a possible first for craft beer, a North Carolina brewery has bought itself back from Anheuser Busch, the world’s largest brewer.

The founders of Boone-based Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber, announced in May that they had repurchased the brewery they first founded in 2011.

The founders, who also happen to be cousins, said being owned by Anheuser Busch was largely out of their control.

The pair sold a stake in AMB to West Coast beer umbrella Craft Beer Alliance in 2014, joining brands like Red Hook and Kona. Then in 2018 Craft Beer Alliance bought all of AMB, while Kelischek and Zieber continued to manage operations at the brewery. Three years later, Craft Beer Alliance, which was previously partly owned by Anheuser Busch, was sold entirely to the beer giant.

This year Kelischek and Zieber wondered if it was possible to reset the clock and get their brewery back.

“Going to (Anheuser Busch) was kind of the path the company took and not a direct choice that Chris and I made,” Nathan Kelischek said in a phone interview. “Now we’re looking towards the future; we’re excited for the future.”

Bucking the big beer trend

For several decades now, craft beer has enjoyed a surge in popularity and market share against the giants of American beer. But in the last decade, brewery consolidation has been the trend, with the world’s largest brewers buying up notable craft breweries and even the largest independent brewers joining even larger global brands.

Perhaps the greatest seismic shift in North Carolina beer was in 2017 when acclaimed Asheville brewer Wicked Weed was sold to Anheuser Busch.

Appalachian Mountain’s buyback very much bucks the trend in beer.

Kelishek said he and Zieber initiated the sale conversation with Anheiser Busch. He declined to disclose purchase details.

“We went through a lot of really productive conversations and met at a fair way to amicably separate,” Kelishek said. “From day one, we’ve been really focused on community building and philanthropic efforts. I think in terms of creating a legacy and building a legacy for the future, the best way to move forward was under our control. Our blood was on the line and our well-being was on the line.”

The fate of Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea

Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s most recent claim to fame was the creation of the new Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea.

Kelishek said that project will continue but won’t be brewed by AMB going forward.

“I think the Bojangles project is going fantastically well, but that’s no longer part of AMB,” Kelishek said.

Satellite taproom to come

In recent years, small breweries have focused more of their efforts on building taprooms instead of making space for themselves in crowded grocery store aisles. Appalachian Mountain Brewery is opening its first satellite taproom this summer in Mills River near Asheville, about two hours from Boone.

Mills River is perhaps best known as the location for craft beer giant Sierra Nevada’s North Carolina operations.

For Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Kelishek said independence means reclaiming the brand’s experience in the community. Part of that is asking beer fans who may have been turned off by conglomerate ownership to give AMB another taste.

“The best definition of what a brand is is highlighted by the experience there,” Kelishek said. “It’s the staff, the space, a lot of time breweries pop up in communities and become hubs and centers....Right now we’re trying to digest and look at the business now that we have the reigns back. If anyone had trepidation about us in the past, I would say give us a try. We appreciate all the support.”