Founders Brewing of Grand Rapids, Michigan has announced new majority ownership by Mahou Group and that the 2019 fall release of CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout) will be it's last. CBS is the breweries highly sought after  imperial coffee chocolate stout aged in maple bourbon barrels. Earlier in 2019, Mahou San Miguel purchased a majority ownership of Boulder, Colorado-based Avery Brewing Co. in a deal that meant Founder's Brewing beers may be brewed in Colorado.

Founders Brewing's relationship with Mahou San Miguel is not new, in 2014 the Spanish brewing company (founded in 1890 in Madrid) purchased a 30% stake in Founders. Since that time the breweries investment has paid dividends with Founder's Brewing quickly expanding to national distribution in the last few years and becoming one of the top craft breweries in the world. The news last week was that Mahou Group will be buying out all existing Founders shareholders except for the founders of the brewery, Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers. As a result, Mahou Group will become majority owners in the company with 90% stake.

According to the Founders, the brewery will remain autonomous in managing its business, products and teams. Engbers and Stevens will continue to be shareholders in Founders and have no intention of leaving.

Canadian Breakfast Stout

“This will be the last year I plan on making CBS, so get it while you can,” said Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki. “Our barrel program has grown a lot since the first time we released CBS, so it’s been fun seeing an entire new audience become introduced to CBS over the past couple of years. It’ll be missed in 2020, but I’m looking forward to bringing out some new barrel-aged releases.”

The highly anticipated beer was first brewed after Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki stumbled upon bourbon barrels that had previously housed maple syrup. Adding the same base beer as Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), CBS was born. Rich maple syrup, roasted coffee and velvety chocolate meld together in this barrel-aged beer to create a transcendental drinking experience.

CBS (11.3% ABV) is the fifth and final release in the brewery’s 2019 Barrel-Aged Series, preceded by Más Agave, KBS, Backwoods Bastard and Underground Mountain Brown. General Admission CBS ticket sales begin on September 13 at 10am EST. Current Detroit and Grand Rapids Mug Club Members should check their email for member-exclusive bottle ticket pre-sale details. Pickup from both taproom locations begins on October 25 and goes through October 27. CBS will be available in all markets on draft and in bottles beginning November 1.Please note that price will vary by market. Visit the brewery’s website for more details regarding bottle ticket sales: foundersbrewing.com.

About the Barrel-Aged Series

Crafting legendary barrel-aged beers is an exercise in patience. We start by brewing complex, world-class beer worthy of time in a barrel. Then, our experience and years spent mastering our craft means we know exactly when it’s been aged to perfection. After one sip, you’ll know – it was worth the wait.

About Founders Brewing Co.

Established in 1997 by two craft beer enthusiasts—Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens—with day jobs and a dream, Founders Brewing Co. brews complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics and tons of flavor. Founders ranks among the top 10 largest craft breweries in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing. The brewery has received numerous awards from the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival and RateBeer and BeerAdvocate users often rate its beers among the best in the world. A proud sponsor of chasing the American dream, Founders launched the Chase Your What If campaign in January 2019 to inspire all beer fans to live life to its fullest. Located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders is a member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. For more information, visit foundersbrewing.com or follow Founders onTwitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.