Anheuser-Busch plans to restructure its beer business in 2026, selling one of its oldest breweries and closing two others. The company’s Newark, N.J., brewery, which has been in operation since 1951, will be sold to real estate development company Goodman Group. Breweries in Fairfield, Calif., and Merrimack, N.H., will permanently close.
The closure is not part of Anheuser-Busch’s layoffs, according to a released statement. Since corporate employees were laid off in 2023, layoffs have not been a public issue. Production from the three plants will be moved to other breweries across the country. A spokesperson for the company said the goal is to “make additional investments in the remaining operations,” Fox Business reported. The loss of these three breweries will leave Anheuser-Busch with just nine operating breweries nationwide.
The changes will be implemented in 2026, but no firm timeline was provided for when the three facilities will close. The company said the closure would not cause any significant disruption to its wholesale network. Based on this, it seems that the company is trying to make this change a seamless one so that product availability is not affected.
The restructuring is driven in part by a $300 million investment in manufacturing operations earlier this year. Other facilities across the country were upgraded, resulting in the consolidation of production and the closure of the three breweries.
Read more: The 30 Best Bourbon Brands Ranked
Anheuser-Busch’s sales figures have been declining over the past year, despite the company’s focus on streamlining operations. AB InBev’s U.S. revenue fell 1.2% in the first nine months of 2025, according to Just Drinks. Previously, revenue fell 2% in 2024. Sales at retailers and wholesalers also fell for the second consecutive year. That said, the week before the announcement, the company invested nearly $500 million in hardboxing company Beatbox for an 85% stake.
The closure has nothing to do with performance, the New York Post reported. There will be no issues with product availability during the transition period when production is moved to other facilities. If all this were true, consumers shouldn’t be signing up for shifts at all, and shelves should still be filled with Budweiser, Bud Light, and dozens of other beers you didn’t even know Anheuser-Busch owned.
