Molson Coors Division Purchases Michigan’s Atwater Brewery

Tenth and Blake Beer Co., a division of Molson Coors Beverage Company, announced today it’s purchasing Atwater Brewery, a veteran brewery in the Michigan beer scene.

Atwater was founded in 1997 as Atwater Block Brewery in Detroit’s Rivertown district. The brewery’s core beer lineup includes Dirty Blonde and Vanilla Java Porter. The Michigan brewery operates locations in Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park and Grand Rapids.

The Tenth and Blake division of Molson Coors includes Leinenkugel (WI), Saint Archer Brewing Co. (CA), Terrapin (GA), Hop Valley Brewing Co. (OR) and Revolver (TX).

Here’s more from the news release:

CHICAGO & DETROIT–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the U.S. craft division of Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE: TAP, TSX: TPX), announced today an agreement to acquire Detroit-based Atwater Brewery. Atwater Brewery is highly regarded in the Michigan craft beer community for its traditional German-style lagers and unique ales.

“Our priority is to make sure their beer is enjoyed by consumers throughout their core markets and eventually across the Great Lakes region.”

Founded in 1997, Atwater Block Brewery revived Detroit’s proud brewing tradition from its location in the historic Rivertown district. After investing in the brewery in 2002, Mark Rieth purchased the brewery outright in 2005, setting off several years of booming growth. Led by top-selling beers Dirty Blonde and Vanilla Java Porter, Atwater became a cornerstone of Michigan’s brewing scene. Other brands, such as Better Life Choices (an American IPA that was named a top-10 IPA by Beer Connoisseur magazine), and Decadent Dark Chocolate (which won bronze in the World Beer Cup), augment Atwater’s portfolio.

The brewer, which also produces hard seltzers and craft spirits, also operates three unique taphouse and biergarden locations in Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park and Grand Rapids.

“Atwater has been a staple and a leader in the Michigan craft community for more than two decades, and we’re thrilled to have them join Tenth and Blake,” said Paul Verdu, vice president of Tenth and Blake. “Our priority is to make sure their beer is enjoyed by consumers throughout their core markets and eventually across the Great Lakes region.”

Atwater Brewery broke to the news to their fans on Facebook Wednesday morning. You can read the full release here.

Jess Baker

Jess Baker walked into a beer fest in 2010 and realized beer had come a long way from what her dad had been drinking since the 70s. She served as editor-in-chief of CraftBeer.com from spring 2016 to spring 2020, bringing you stories about the people who are the heartbeat behind U.S. craft brewing. She's a runner, a die-hard Springsteen fan, a mom who is always scouting family-friendly breweries, and always in search of a darn good porter.