Chef Rick Bayless brews up a new craft beer for Crown Imports

Crown Imports Rick Bayless craft beer — Through the lens of the InBev purchase of Grupo Modelo, the partnership by Crown Imports is a strategic move to offset any fallout from Grupo Modelo’s plan to sell its 50 percent stake in the company to Constellation Brands, Crown’s other owner.

You might know Rick Bayless from his fame as an American chef who specializes in Mexican cuisine. But get ready to pair one of his spicy dishes with his latest culinary endeavor — craft beer. Advertising Age reported that Bayless will team with Crown Imports, best known for distributing Corona in the United States, to produce his own brand of craft beer that will debut next year.

The beer will appear in stores alongside Bayless Frontera-brand salsas, sauces and chips. From Ad Age:

The craft beer is in its early stages of development. It will be owned by Crown, which initially plans to distribute it regionally, although the footprint could grow. The brand is still nameless and the style has not been determined. But it seems all-but-certain that Mr. Bayless will give it a south-of-the-border feel.

“We are going to use Rick and all his expertise with Latin flavors and Mexican flavors and spice. He’s very into beer,” Crown Chief Marketing Officer Jim Sabia told Ad Age. “We will have our own brewers, but he is going to be actively involved in the recipe and style. He’s going to be our master brewer.”

Through the lens of the Anheuser-Busch InBev purchase of Grupo Modelo, the partnership by Crown Imports is a strategic move to offset any fallout from Grupo Modelo’s plan to sell its 50 percent stake in the company to Constellation Brands, Crown’s other owner. Again, Ad Age explains:

In response to anti-trust concerns, the deal was recently revised to give Constellation further independence from A-B InBev, including ownership of a Mexican brewery. Constellation also has “the freedom to develop brand extensions and innovations for the U.S. market,” Constellation CEO Robert Sands said on a recent call with analysts. Constellation, which markets wine, beer and spirits, will become “the third largest total-beverage alcohol company in the U.S.,” he noted, assuming the final deal gets approval from regulators.

For more details, head over to Advertising Age for the full story.