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(Courtesy Firestone Walker / SLO Brewing)
On April 15, Firestone Walker, the 25-year old craft brewing veteran, and SLO Brewing Co. announced that they’d signed a definitive agreement for the Paso Robles-headquartered brewer to acquire SLO Brewing Co.’s Cali-Squeeze brand.
Founded as a small brewpub in 1988, SLO Brewing Co. is a California brewery with a history of crafting gold-medal-winning beers and earning the honor of “Brew Pub of the Year” at The Great American Beer Festival.
After the brewpub was purchased by Rodney Cegelski and Hamish Marshall in 2010, the company rapidly expanded into a drinks innovation hub that is now home to numerous brands including SLO Brew craft beers, Tio Rodrigo craft micheladas, Porch Pounder premium canned wine, Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills craft whiskey, and the Cali-Squeeze brand that Firestone Walker just acquired.
Cali-Squeeze is primarily a line of Wheat Beers flavored with real fruit juices. Launched in 2017, the brand took off and its rapid growth caught the attention of Firestone Walker co-founders, Adam Firestone and David Walker.
“We have been close friends with Hamish and Rod for 20-plus years, and we’ve remained impressed with their commitment to innovation and the way they bring their brands to life,” said David Walker.
“Cali-Squeeze presents a unique beer style for us to explore through what we like to call ‘Fruits with Benefits.’ As a traditional hop-forward craft brewer, we have watched these styles evolve and we see Cali-Squeeze as the beer to help with that discovery.”
And Firestone Walker hopes that its state-of-the-art brewing facility and distribution platform will help propel Cali-Squeeze to the next level.
Cali-Squeeze will retain its own identity while bringing a new beer style and brand into the Firestone Walker family.
No details of the transaction was disclosed other than to say that the deal is expected to close by July 1st 2021, pending customary closing conditions.
SLO Brewing Co will continue to produce Cali-Squeeze during the transition to keep shelves stocked throughout the western US.
