USA, WA: Silver City Brewery sold to Seattle-based Ackley Brands

Silver City Brewery will be shifting gears moving forward, Kitsap Sun reported on June 17.

Bremerton's award-winning brewery has been acquired by Seattle-based company Ackley Brands, the company announced on June 17. The brewery will still produce beer from its Bremerton brewery as well as maintain its distribution through Columbia Distributing.

Excluded from the acquisition is the Silver City Restaurant & Ale House in Silverdale, which will continue to be run separately.

Approaching their 30-year milestone in 2026, Silver City is widely considered a pioneer in the local brewing. Known for iconic beers like Tropic Haze, Ridgetop Red, Silver City Pils and Ride the Spiral, the 2025 World Beer Cup even awarded the brewery with gold and silver awards in May.

Brothers Scott and Steve Houmes founded Silver City in 1996, along with brewer Don Spencer. Initially a restaurant and brewery in Silverdale, Silver City expanded to open a tap room in Bremerton's Auto Center Way neighborhood in 2010. The new facility, where the beer has been brewed ever since, helped the company increase production and its reach has expanded from Washington State to distribute in five additional states now. Scott Houmes expressed his excitement in a statement, seeing the move as an opportunity for potential growth.

"We have always been passionate about innovation and community, and with Ackley’s support in management and reach, we can elevate our brewery to new levels," Scott Houmes said in the release.

Founded in 2016, Ackley Brands got its start in the wine industry and expanded to the craft brewery business in after acquiring Redmond's Mac & Jack's Brewery in 2023. The family-owned company's primary focus is towards "developing premium beverage brands across Oregon and Washington" and currently has at least 12 wine brands under its roster.

The company has been growing rapidly, acquiring multiple related businesses in 2023 and 2024. With their roots in the Pacific Northwest, they aim to highlight and preserve "legacy brands" from the area.

"Silver City’s dedication to crafting exceptional beers alongside community engagement align perfectly with our mission," Brandon Ackley, founder and president of Ackley Brands, said. "This acquisition not only strengthens our craft beer portfolio but also allows us to continue in our pursuit of creating the next craft beer alliance through stewarding beloved local beer brands.

Ackley Brands is a branch that stems from Ackley Capital, a private equity corporation that invests in "small to middle market companies."

"We are eager to join a company who shares our passion for the Pacific Northwest and look forward to a promising future," Houmes said.