According to the email, the purchase does not include the Bear Republic brewing facility in Cloverdale, above.
Bear Republic Brewing Company, one of Sonoma County’s most recognizable local beverage brands, is being acquired by San Leandro-based Drake’s Brewing Co., according to craft-beer newssite The Full Pint.
The Full Pint on Wednesday posted what it said was an email the site obtained showing communication from Drake’s to its suppliers announcing the purchase of the Bear Republic brand.
“This acquisition represents a significant step forward in our company’s future growth and our mission to bring people together over craft beer,” Drake’s officials reportedly wrote in the email.
The email said Bear Republic CEO Richard Norgrove “will become a team member in the Drake’s organization.”
Bear Republic was founded by the Norgrove family in Healdsburg in 1995; its signature brand is Racer 5 IPA. The company moved its headquarters to Cloverdale in 2005.
In 2019, Bear Republic closed its Healdsburg brewery; this past December, the company shuttered its Rohnert Park taproom, citing low winter traffic. As The Full Pint reports, “Bear Republic has seen market share and market presen(ce) shrink over the past 10 years.”
In the email obtained by The Full Pint, Drake’s officials express confidence in their ability to integrate the Bear Republic brands into their own facilities, “and deliver even more delicious and innovative beers to customers to California and beyond.”
