Foley & Lardner LLP represented Blue Run Spirits (“Blue Run”), an award-winning producer of finely crafted bourbon and rye whiskies, in its agreement to be acquired by Molson Coors Beverage Company (Molson Coors). The deal represents another step in Molson Coors’ evolution as a total beverage company while providing Blue Run with resources to continue its growth.
Based in Georgetown, Kentucky, Blue Run launched in October 2020 and has won numerous awards, including Best Small Batch Bourbon – 11 Years & Older and Best Single Barrel Bourbon – 11 Years & Older at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Currently available in 31 states, Blue Run can be found at retail and on-premise accounts in every region of the U.S. and online. In March 2023, Blue Run announced plans to build a distillery in Kentucky, and those plans will continue as part of the Molson Coors family.
As Molson Coors’ first spirits acquisition, the addition of Blue Run boosts the company’s footprint in spirits as it continues to evolve from its storied history as a beer company and premiumize its portfolio. In tandem with the acquisition, Molson Coors has established Coors Spirits Co., an expansion of its existing spirits business, which will house Blue Run, Five Trail Blended American Whiskey, Barmen 1873 Bourbon, and future innovation. This acquisition will more than double the size of Molson Coors’ spirits team, further supporting the company’s premiumization strategy.
The Foley deal team was led by partner Steven Barth and included senior counsel Craig Roush and associate Christopher Terris, with assistance from partner Timothy Voigtman, of counsel Kathleen Dreyfus Bardunias, senior counsel Kelsey O’Gorman, associate Jacob Davis, and law graduate Bryn Allen.
