Asheville cousins buying brewery back from Anheuser-Busch

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - Two cousins from Asheville who founded an award-winning brewery in western North Carolina announced they are buying it back from Anheuser-Busch, whom they have partnered with for the last several years.

Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber launched Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB) in 2011, opening Boone’s first continuously-operating brewery and an original AMB taproom two years later.

AMB joined Anheuser-Busch’s craft portfolio, still under Kelischek and Zieber’s leadership, in 2021. The partnership with Anheuser-Busch led AMB to collaborate with Bojangles restaurants for Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea.

Now Kelischek and Zieber said they want to focus on growing their local team and opening a new taproom in Mills River, reaching an agreement to purchase AMB from Anheuser-Busch.

“We’re grateful to have spent the last two years as active founders within A-B’s craft portfolio and want to thank the people at A-B, including our fellow craft brewery founders, for the support, collaboration and friendship that we’ve enjoyed during our time together,” the cousins said in a statement.

They will continue to own and operate their original location in Boone along with the new taproom and said AMB beers and ciders will continue to be shared with the same wholesale and retail partners.

“We will be shifting our focus immediately on growing our local team, opening our new taproom in Mills River, NC, and continuing our investment in sustainability and philanthropy efforts that make a difference in our North Carolina communities,” they said. “This all hinges on producing the highest quality products and delivering a unique experience for our customers.”

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