Stone Brewing, a fixture of San Diego’s craft beer identity, is changing hands again. Firestone Walker and Duvel Moortgat USA have struck a deal to take control of the Stone brand from Sapporo Holdings, in a move announced today, that will reshuffle where the beer is brewed and how it gets to store shelves and tap handles. Company leaders say the goal is to keep much of Stone’s San Diego presence intact, with the sale expected to close this summer.
What the deal covers
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Firestone Walker will oversee Stone’s distribution west of the Rocky Mountains, while Duvel Moortgat USA will manage the brand east of the Rockies. The transaction, for an undisclosed price, shifts a series of Stone taprooms, including Liberty Station and the Little Italy location, into the new owners’ portfolios.
Sapporo's notice and production reshuffle
In a formal filing published today, Sapporo Holdings said it will transfer intellectual property rights in the Stone brand and hospitality assets and will restructure its U.S. production footprint, with the Richmond plant positioned as the central site for Sapporo output. The disclosure states that the Escondido brewery is slated to stop manufacturing Sapporo and Stone-branded beer by the end of 2026 and that the company expects to book roughly 23 million dollars in gains on the transfer while taking about 80 million dollars in impairments and related costs as it reassesses the Escondido assets, according to Sapporo Holdings.
Local operations and reaction
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Escondido brewing complex and its on-site bistro are not included in the asset transfer. The plan, as described in the report, aims to preserve roughly 300 local jobs, about 160 at the brewery and around 140 at the bistro. Stone CEO Zachary Keeling told the paper he is confident in Stone's future under new ownership, while Firestone Walker’s Nick Firestone framed the deal as a response to mounting industry pressures that have already pushed some California brewers to consolidate production into larger campuses.
Where Stone beer will be brewed
Regional coverage in Virginia indicates that the Richmond facility will no longer brew Stone labels as Sapporo focuses its own production there, a shift that could ripple through East Coast packaging and taproom lineups. Local reporting highlighted the operational pivot and the broader production reshuffle as the companies realign brewing and distribution across existing campuses, according to WTVR.
Timeline and financials
Sapporo’s filing notes that the parties executed the transfer agreement today, that the asset transfer is expected to take effect in May, and that the transaction is slated to close this summer. The same filing is the source for the company’s projected gains and impairment figures. This marks Stone’s second ownership change since 2022, when Sapporo announced its acquisition of the brewery for about 165 million dollars, according to Business Wire.
What San Diego drinkers should expect
For now, San Diego drinkers can expect to see familiar Stone taprooms running under new operators while draft lists and packaged offerings are tweaked to fit the buyers’ distribution networks. City officials, workers, and industry watchers will be keeping an eye on any changes to recipes, packaging, or staffing as the companies move from announcement to closing over the coming months.
