There has been a murmur of rumors surrounding the possible sale of Boston Beer Company in recent months and those rumors took on a new life last Friday after they hit the mainstream media, sending shares of the company up 22%.
The stock price has corrected a bit today, but excitement was obvious on Friday when the Wall Street Journal published a story saying that Boston Beer was in early talks to be acquired by Japanese whiskey maker Suntory.
According to an article in The Drinks Business, neither side has totally denied the rumors but both sides have played down the speculation.
The two companies have an existing relationship, which adds credibility to the rumors. Suntory and Boston Beer put together a strategic partnership in 2021 Suntory spirits in Boston Beer’s RTDs which included co-branding.
With its superb distribution channel and diversified product base, Boston Beer would make a good acquisition for any global alcohol beverage company looking to expand its business in the US. But any sale of the publicly traded company would require the approval of Jim Koch owns 100% of the of the voting rights on the company’s Class B shares.