Wicked Weed Brewing’s 2017 Funkatorium Invitational has been moved to Sept. 17 after more than two-thirds of the attending breweries have pulled out of the Invitational following Wicked Weed’s announcement it was acquired by AB InBev on May 3.
In emails and Facebook messages, 52 of the 74 breweries scheduled to attend have confirmed they will dropping out:
- 4 Hands Brewing Co.
- Allagash Brewing Co.
- Almanac Beer Co.
- Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
- Avery Brewing Co.
- Beachwood BBQ & Brewing
- Birds Fly South Ale Project
- Black Project Brewing
- Brew By Numbers
- Brewery Vivant
- Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
- Casa Agria Specialty Ales
- Cascade Brewing Barrel House
- Creature Comforts Brewing Co.
- Crooked Stave
- de Garde Brewing
- Dry River Brewing
- Ecliptic Brewing
- Funk Factory Geuzeria
- Funkwerks
- Green Bench Brewing Co.
- Grimm Artisanal Ales
- Haw River Farmhouse Ales
- Holy Mountain Brewing
- Jackie O’s Public House & Brewpub
- Jester King Brewery
- Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
- Night Shift Brewery
- NOLA Brewing Co.
- OEC Brewing
- Other Half Brewing Co.
- Paradox Beer Co.
- Right Proper Brewing Co.
- Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
- Scratch Brewing Co.
- Side Project Brewing
- Societe Brewing Company
- Springdale Barrel Room
- Steel String Brewery
- The Commons Brewery
- The Rare Barrel
- Three Taverns Brewery
- Trillium Brewing Co.
- Trinity Brewing
- Trophy Brewing Co.
- Upland Brewing Co.
- Weyerbacher Brewing
- Wooden Robot Brewery
- Tröegs Independent Brewing
- The Wild Beer Co.
- Yazoo Brewing Co.
- Zebulon Artisan Ales
Here are the breweries that Tenemu has been unable to independently confirm they are either attending or not attending:
- 10 Barrel Brewing
- Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
- Blackberry Farm Brewery
- Breakside Brewery
- Boulevard Brewing Co.
- Bruery Terreux
- Burial Beer Co.
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- Fonta Flora Brewery
- Free Range Brewing
- Goose Island Beer Co.
- Hi-Wire Brewing
- J Wakefield Brewing
- LIC Beer Project
- Lost Abbey
- New Belgium Brewing Co.
- New Holland Brewing
- Odell Brewing Co.
- Oxbow Brewing Company
- Perennial Artisan Ales
- Transmitter Brewing
- TRVE Brewing Co.
Here is a list of breweries that have been confirmed to still be attending the event:
(Last Updated: May 9, 2017, 2:58 p.m. CST)
“The ability for AB to acquire more shelf space, drive down prices, and hinder the growth and success of craft brewers through these types of acquisitions is what we can not stand behind,” said Brad Clark, director of brewing operations at Jackie O’s, in a statement to Tenemu. “We wish Wicked Weed success in their future business endeavors and hope they continue to make excellent beer.”
However, the fallout from AB InBev’s purchase of the brewery is not limited to the Funkatorium Invitational: on the same day that the acquisition was announced, the NC Brewer’s Guild rescinded Wicked Weed’s voting rights, although the it is still possible for it to be an affiliate member of the guild. In addition, Jester King issued a statement indicating that it will stop selling Wicked Weed’s beer at its brewery and would cease collaborating with the brewery.
The Wicked Weed Funkatorium Invitational debuted in 2014 and is described as “a gathering of sour and wild ales from across the country featuring well established and up and coming breweries that are paving the way for sour and wild craft beer.” According to the brewery, 100 percent of the profits from the event will be donated to Asheville’s Eblen Charities, “a charity that works to assist Asheville’s underprivileged community by providing needs including but not limited to healthcare, energy, emergency assistance, and housing.”
A post on Wicked Weed’s website indicated the event would go on as planned on July 8 with a new brewery list to be released at later date. In addition, tickets to the general public will now go on sale on May 20 instead of May 6 as was originally the case. In addition, customers who have already purchased tickets for the event that wish to return them are now able to get a full refund.
An email sent to Wicked Weed with questions was not returned.
Update (May 4 , 2017) — This post was updated to include details on the event and the breweries that are not attending. It was originally published on May 3, 2017.
Update (May 6, 2017) — While making different categories, some breweries where mistakenly added to the “Out” list. We have corrected the issue, and we apologize for the error.
Update (May 9, 2017) — Wicked Weed has announced the event will now take place at a later date.
