Spain: Owners of Estrella Galicia acquire majority stake in Basqueland Brewing

Hijos de Rivera, the brand owner of Estrella Galicia, has snapped up a majority stake in domestic peer Basqueland Brewing, Global Drinks Intel reported on April 11.

The family-owned company, which is based in the Spanish region of Galicia, did not disclose the size of the stake purchased, but has confirmed to Global Drinks Intel that Basqueland will still handle its brewing operations. The Estrella Galicia owner is aiming to broaden Basqueland’s reach as it is “taking a key step forward in our craft brewers project”, according to executive chair Ignacio Rivera.

Basqueland Brewing, established in 2015, is located in San Sebastian, in the heart of the Basque region. Its portfolio includes Santa Clara Helles lager, Zumo Hazy IPA and the flagship Imparable IPA.

“For a decade, they [Basqueland] have built a culture of cooperation, unwavering quality, constant creativity and a determination to expand the craft beer sector in Spain,” said the CEO of Hijos de Rivera, Francisco Ucha. “We want to broaden their reach.

“There are still few beer consumers in Spain who know Basqueland or have experienced the quality of craft beer. We intend to change that reality.”

Last month, Spain’s Mahou San Miguel acquired the remaining stake of US-based Founders Brewing, having owned 90% of the craft brewer since 2020.