USA, CO: 4 Noses Brewing announces acquisition of Odd13 Brewing

Over the past six or seven years, 4 Noses Brewing and Odd13 Brewing have each made their mark as two of Colorado's most important craft breweries. Now the companies will go forward together. 4NB Holdings, the parent company of Broomfield-based 4 Noses, announced on October 19 that it has purchased Odd13 and will take over its Lafayette taproom and all of its intellectual property, Westword reported.

4NB Holdings plans to continue to operate the taproom as Odd13 and will produce and distribute Odd13's well-known beers, including Codename: Super Fan and n00b, under that brand.

“We have been great admirers of Odd13 Brewing and its many accomplishments over the last several years," says Tommy Bibliowicz, co-founder of 4 Noses and a partner in 4NB, in a statement on the deal. "Working to continue its exceptional and innovative brand is a great privilege for us."

The move makes 4NB a much larger player than it has been in Colorado, as both 4 Noses and Odd13 are widely distributed and highly respected throughout the state.

Ryan Scott, who founded Odd13 in 2013 with his wife, Kristin, says the sale is a bittersweet moment.

"We put a lot of time and energy in our lives into this over the past eight years, and we have a ton of great memories and made a lot of good friends and acquaintances," he tells Westword. "The short version for us is that brewing is a stressful industry — and the COVID pandemic was particularly stressful."

The Scotts had personally guaranteed the financing of some of their equipment, something that "scared" them during the restaurant and brewery shutdowns in 2020, as they were no longer getting revenue from the taproom, Ryan says. The aluminum can shortage also made production difficult.

Odd13 closed down its large production facility, also located in Lafayette, two months ago, and laid off several staffers — a move that fueled a lot of social media speculation about the brewery's future.

So when the opportunity came to sell that equipment (to Great Escape Beer Works in Missouri), the Scotts jumped at it. Then they negotiated the sale of the taproom and the brand to 4NB. "I'm really happy we found someone who will ensure that the brand will continue on," Ryan says.

Odd13 Brewing was one of the pioneers of hazy New England-style IPAs and the first brewery in the state to can the new style in 2016. 4 Noses also specializes in hazy IPAs but has become known for a wide variety of other styles, including lagers, fruited sours and its pumpkin beer.

In 2020, 4 Noses opened an offshoot brewery, Wild Provisions Beer Project in Boulder, to produce wild and sour ales and Czech-style lagers. That brewery is now part of the 4NB holding company, as well.

19 October, 2021