Conglomerate

Mahou San Miguel

Madrid, Spain

Dossier

Who they are

Spain's largest brewer, still family-controlled. Bought a 30% stake in Founders Brewing in 2014 and a controlling ~90% by 2019 — so the Michigan 'craft' icon is now majority Spanish-owned.

The Umbrella

Breweries in the archive (1)

Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Founders Brewing Co.

1997

The white whale — with an ownership twist. CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout) began as a taproom-only experiment aged in bourbon barrels that had previously held maple syrup, and became one of the most legendary 'whale' beers in the world. Worth flagging for transparency: despite the craft image, Founders is now majority-owned by Spanish brewer Mahou San Miguel (a 30% stake in 2014, controlling ~90% by 2019).

Macro-ownedCanadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) · 11.7%