Molson Coors Beverage Company Acquires Blue Run Spirits, Further Expanding Its Portfolio Beyond the Beer Aisle

Molson Coors Beverage Company ("MCBC" or "Molson Coors") (NYSE: TAP, TAP.A) has reached an agreement to acquire Blue Run Spirits (“Blue Run”), a visionary and award-winning producer of finely crafted bourbon and rye whiskies. The deal represents another step in Molson Coors’ evolution as a total beverage company while providing Blue Run with resources to continue its growth.

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Based in Georgetown, Kentucky, Blue Run is one of the whiskey industry’s most compelling new entrants since the brand’s launch in October 2020. The company has won numerous awards, including Best Small Batch Bourbon - 11 Years Old & Older and Best Single Barrel Bourbon - 11 Years Old & Older at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and most recently was awarded Best High Rye Bourbon at the 2023 New Orleans Spirits Competition. It has also gained international acclaim among whiskey experts and branding aficionados who laud Blue Run’s divergence from traditional industry norms, which Forbes has called “sneakerizing the bourbon industry,” with premium whiskies that generate intense interest with each release.

As Molson Coors’ first spirits acquisition, the addition of Blue Run boosts the company’s footprint in spirits as it continues to evolve from its storied history as a beer company and premiumize its portfolio. In tandem with the acquisition, Molson Coors has established Coors Spirits Co., an expansion of its existing spirits business, which will house Blue Run, Five Trail Blended American Whiskey, Barmen 1873 Bourbon and future innovation. This acquisition will more than double the size of Molson Coors’ spirits team, further supporting the company’s premiumization strategy.

Molson Coors entered the whiskey space with the 2021 launch of Five Trail Blended American Whiskey (which won double gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition) and the 2022 introduction of Barmen 1873 Bourbon.

“Molson Coors has been on a journey to broaden beyond our beer roots and build powerful brands in growing categories, and Blue Run joining us is an exciting next step as we establish Coors Spirits Co.,” Molson Coors’ Chief Commercial Officer Michelle St. Jacques said. “Blue Run has accomplished in three years what many brands hope to do in a generation and has done it at the luxury end of the whiskey category. Importantly, we are committed to maintaining Blue Run’s well-known quality, design and innovation as we continue to grow our spirits portfolio.”