Molson Coors has rejected an offer by Jake and Dick Leinenkugel to buy the Chippewa Falls Brewery. Molson Coors is closing the iconic brewery and moving production to their main brewery in Milwaukee, yet declined the brothers offer to buy the brewery.
The brewery is set to close this Friday. Fifty-six employees will be affected by this closure. Jake and Dick Leinenkugel have both retired from the company within the past few years.
The brothers released a statement detailing their efforts to buy the brewery from Molson Coors.
“We are profoundly saddened by Molson Coors’ decision to close the Chippewa Falls brewery, a place that has been the heart and soul of Leinenkugel’s for more than 157 years. For six generations, our family has taken pride in brewing exceptional beers and building lasting connections with loyal fans in Wisconsin and across the nation,” the brothers said in the statement.
“On January 6, we received a response from Molson Coors’ CEO, Gavin Hattersley, who declined to pursue an NDA. He stated that Molson Coors remains “fully committed to the Leinenkugel’s brand.” While we appreciate Gavin’s affirmation of the brand’s importance, we believe that true commitment must include preserving the Chippewa Falls brewery and the livelihoods of those who depend on it,” the statement said.
“On January 8, we followed up with Mr. Hattersley to emphasize that our long-standing relationship over the past 23 years could serve as the foundation for an open and transparent conversation, even without an NDA. We reiterated our willingness to discuss acquiring the brewery’s assets and preserving its operations in Chippewa Falls. As of today, January 15, we have not received a response to our follow-up email. Despite this, we remain optimistic that Molson Coors’ leadership will reconsider our proposal and engage in meaningful discussions about safeguarding this important part of our heritage.”
The brand is available throughout all 50 states. The company is the seventh oldest brewery in the United States. The brewery was co-founded in Chippewa Falls in May 1867 by Prussian immigrant Jacob Mathias Leinenkugel and John Miller.