Japanese brewer Sapporo expands US operations with acquisition of Stone Brewing

Sapporo Breweries Ltd. gained a couple of bases to expand in the US following its $168 million acquisition of California-based craft beer producer Stone Brewing Co.

Sapporo’s subsidiary, Sapporo U.S.A. Inc., bought Stone Brewing in August.

Currently, Sapporo produces beer in Canada and Vietnam that it sells in the US.

With its acquisition of Stone Brewing, which operates on both the US Pacific and Atlantic coasts, Sapporo has secured US production bases that can help reduce logistics costs.

Sapporo’s US sales have been increasing, except for 2020 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and hit a record $71 million in 2021.

The company set a goal of increasing its overseas sales by at least 1.7 times in 2026 compared to 2021.