US-based craft beverages group Craft 'Ohana is to shift production of its Modern Times beers to another brewery in San Diego, California.
Craft 'Ohana said it had entered into a brewing "partnership" with local peer AleSmith Brewing, allowing it to move Modern Times' brewing to its facility.
As part of the agreement, Craft 'Ohana's Modern Times brewery and coffee roastery in Point Loma, San Diego, California, will shut its doors in the next 60 days.
Between 55 and 60 employees are expected to be affected by the closure, the company told Just Drinks.
In a statement, the brewer said: "The ever-changing craft beer climate led the company to look at the complexity of their overall business and brands and pivot to a more streamlined approach and strategy."
The space in the facility, which Craft 'Ohana said is "newer" and "more efficient", will be used to brew Modern Times' core range, which includes Orderville Hazy IPA, and Fruitlands Gose, while also "simplifying" its "footprint and portfolio".
In a statement, Garrett Marrero, the co-founder and CEO of Craft ‘Ohana, said: “When we set out to find a brewing partner, two things were non-negotiable: our commitment to quality and brewing Modern Times where the brand started and is the strongest – San Diego. AleSmith delivers on both of those for us”.
It is unclear, for now, what will happen to the coffee side of Modern Times. Just Drinks has asked Craft 'Ohana to confirm whether its production will be moved elsewhere.
Set up in 2013, Modern Times' beers and coffee products are sold in California, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, Hawaii and Utah through on- and off-trade channels.
Craft 'Ohana also owns Maui Brewing beers and Maui hard seltzers, which are produced at a brewery in Kihei, Hawaii. They are sold in the US in the on- and off-premise, as well as through online retailers such as Craftshack and Holiday Wine Cellar.
The group also owns Kupu Spirits, which produces bottled gins, whiskies and amaro liqueur, as well as ready-to-drink cocktails, at the same site as its Maui beer and hard seltzer products. Its spirits are also sold in the on- and off-trade in the US.
