On Jan. 10, Molson Coors Beverage Co. announced it will cease production of the Saint Archer brand, and will be selling its San Diego facilities to Kings and Convicts Brewing Co., which purchased Ballast Point from Constellation Brands in 2019.
According to Kings and Convicts CEO Brendan Watters, the Saint Archer brewing facilities — including a 100,000-barrel capacity brewery with taproom in Miramar, and a second taproom in Leucadia, Calif. — are better equipped for small-batch brewing than high production volume. The facility also gives Kings and Convicts an improved canning line, Watters told Brewbound on Monday afternoon. The facilities will allow both the Saint Archer and Ballast Point brands to expand into different alcoholic offerings, Watters continued.
Saint Archer Brewing founder Josh Landan also told Brewbound that he was “devastated” that the brand will no longer be produced, hinting that he may be interested in reacquiring Saint Archer in the future. Molson Coors is currently retaining the rights to Saint Archer, but packaging and distribution will cease effective immediately.
Saint Archer seems to be another victim of Molson Coors’ series of large cuts in the past year, including Coors Seltzer and a dozen other economy brands.
Saint Archer was founded in 2013, and acquired by Molson Coors in 2015. The brand had significant financial backing and had been distributed nationwide with a high-profile release of a new light lager. However, Molson Coors says the brand faltered due to a “decline in San Diego’s craft market” and pandemic-related shortcomings.
“We tried to do everything we could to keep the brand going, but it just wasn’t financially viable to continue operating,” Paul Verdu, vice president of Molson Coors’ U.S. Craft Division, Tenth and Blake, said in a press release. “That isn’t a reflection on how great Saint Archer beer is, or the passion or the efforts of our team in California. The beer is awesome, the brand is awesome, but it was just hit with a series of challenges we weren’t able to overcome.”
