Anheuser-Busch Buys Seattle-Based Elysian Brewing

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV said Friday it is acquiring Seattle-based Elysian Brewing Co. It is the fourth craft brewery acquisition by the world’s largest beer company in the last five years.

Terms weren’t disclosed.

Elysian is one of the Pacific Northwest region’s fastest-growing brewers. It went from selling about 5,000 barrels to 50,000 barrels in five years, according to the Brewers Association, which represents craft brewers. AB InBev said Elysian’s flagship Immortal IPA accounted for more than a quarter of that volume.

Recent brewery acquisitions have priced craft brewers at more than $1,000 a barrel. The majority of the more than 3,000 craft brewers in the U.S. remain privately owned.

AB InBev said it expects to close on the deal by the end of the first quarter. In addition to the brewery, AB InBev also is acquiring the company’s four Seattle brewpubs…CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY AT WSJ.COM.