20100125

F.X. Matt may buy struggling microbrewery

From The Buffalo, NY, News:

Almost 10 years after rolling out its first kegs, a beloved Buffalo brewery is working to save itself from extinction.

Tucked into Buffalo’s Black Rock neighborhood on Ontario Street, the tiny Flying Bison Brewing Co. has been struggling lately to stay in business. ...

Flying Bison, ... hatched in 1995 by a small group of friends, has grown into a beloved local brand that flows through more than 100 bar and restaurant taps and has seen wide distribution to grocery and convenience stores. ... But, two years ago, the price of ingredients brewers rely on started to spike. Malt prices quickly doubled. Hops tripled, then quadrupled in cost. And a marketplace of newly cost-conscious consumers meant Flying Bison couldn’t raise its own price tags to make up the difference.

Three months ago, the brewery stopped bottling the beer it had widely sold through Try-It Distributing and since then has only shipped kegs. In the meantime, [Utica's F.X.] Matt Brewing Co. has made an offer to buy Flying Bison for $100,000 plus a partial assumption of the company’s debts.

[Go here for the full story.]

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