{"id":"TBU-ANSWER-00000049","questionId":"TQ-002","questionSlug":"is-independent","entityTuid":"TB-J7530ZF3","entitySlug":"bell-s-brewery","entityType":"brewery","question":"Is this brewery independent?","answerType":"INDEPENDENCE","effectiveFrom":"2021-12-31","effectiveTo":null,"publicCitations":[{"sourceId":"src-answers-pass03-0003","whatItProves":"The sale of Bell's to Lion and Larry Bell's exit","accessedDate":"2026-09-07","public":true,"title":"Bell's Brewery and New Belgium Brewing join forces to form a new American craft beer leader","url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bells-brewery-and-new-belgium-brewing-join-forces-to-form-a-new-american-craft-beer-leader-301421356.html","publisher":"PR Newswire","publicationDate":"2021-11-10"},{"sourceId":"src-answers-pass03-0005","whatItProves":"That the transaction closed on 31 December 2021","accessedDate":"2026-09-07","public":true,"title":"With sale finalized, Bell's Brewery starts 2022 focused on integration","url":"https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/food-agribusiness/with-sale-finalized-bell-s-brewery-starts-2022-focused-on-integration/","publisher":"Crain's Grand Rapids Business","publicationDate":"2022-01"}],"timeline":[],"researchGaps":[],"uncertaintyNote":null,"relatedAnswerIds":[],"revision":2,"previousRevisionId":"TBU-ANSWER-00000049","createdAt":"2026-09-06T00:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-07T00:00:00Z","canonicalAnswer":"No. Bell's has not been independent since the Lion transaction closed on 31 December 2021.","answerStatus":"YES","verification":"VERIFIED","lastVerified":"2026-09-07","evidenceStrength":"B","howTallyKnows":"Larry Bell sold the brewery to Lion in a transaction announced on 10 November 2021 and closed on 31 December 2021, and made a full exit. Bell's has sat inside the Kirin group since, and inside New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc. since the 2023 merger. Independence here is a fact about ownership, not about how the beer is made or marketed.","publicationStatus":"PUBLIC","publicationReason":"YES + VERIFIED, all named entities resolve","entityResolution":{"resolved":[],"unresolved":[]},"directOwner":null,"ultimateParent":null,"claims":[{"claimId":"TBU-CLAIM-00000208","subject":{"tuid":"TB-J7530ZF3","name":"bell-s-brewery","type":"brewery"},"predicate":"IS_INDEPENDENT","object":{"name":"false","type":"value"},"validFrom":"2021-12-31","validTo":null,"verification":"VERIFIED","evidenceStrength":"B","citationIds":["src-answers-pass03-0003","src-answers-pass03-0005"],"note":"Ownership, not branding. Bell's continues to brew in Kalamazoo under its own name.","archiveClaimRef":null}],"hasInternalEvidence":false,"indexing":{"index":true,"reason":"YES + VERIFIED"},"canonicalRoute":"/answers/is-independent/bell-s-brewery","apiRoute":"/api/answers/is-independent/bell-s-brewery","relatedQuestions":[{"questionSlug":"who-owns","question":"Who owns this brewery?","status":"PARTIALLY","answered":true,"canonicalRoute":"/answers/who-owns/bell-s-brewery","apiRoute":"/api/answers/who-owns/bell-s-brewery"},{"questionSlug":"who-founded","question":"Who founded this brewery?","status":"NOT_YET","answered":false,"canonicalRoute":null,"apiRoute":null},{"questionSlug":"when-founded","question":"When was this brewery founded?","status":"NOT_YET","answered":false,"canonicalRoute":null,"apiRoute":null},{"questionSlug":"lifecycle-status","question":"What is this brewery's current lifecycle status?","status":"NOT_YET","answered":false,"canonicalRoute":null,"apiRoute":null},{"questionSlug":"operator","question":"Who operates this brewery or site?","status":"NOT_YET","answered":false,"canonicalRoute":null,"apiRoute":null},{"questionSlug":"ultimate-owner","question":"Who ultimately owns this brewery?","status":"YES","answered":true,"canonicalRoute":"/answers/ultimate-owner/bell-s-brewery","apiRoute":"/api/answers/ultimate-owner/bell-s-brewery"}]}