Weyerbacher Brewing Co. has filed for bankruptcy protection and announced a new ownership structure, according to a news release.
The Easton brewery is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a release posted Monday on the brewery website. That means the brewery will continue to operate, although a corporate restructuring will put a majority stock in the business in the hands of the private investment group 1518 Holdings LLC.
Josh Lampe will become the brewery president as part of the restructuring.
“We were hoping to get through without entering Chapter 11, but the group of investors that we’re working with felt that it was necessary in order to move forward quickly,” Lampe said in the news release.
Lampe said the brewery will add contract brewing and will nearly double production this year. The brewery plans to open new tap rooms in addition to ones in Easton and New Hope, to expand the Weyerbacher Spirits line and continue its tradition of brewing full-flavored beers, the release says.
“We’ve got a lot of really good things that are happening and this restructuring allows us to really get going with some of the projects we’ve been planning for a while,” Lampe said.
Brewery founder Dan Weirback will continue to consult as he has for the past three years, the release says.
Weyerbacher was founded in 1995 in Easton. Its beers are available in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.