Brew Detroit acquired by Livonia beverage company; operations will move to Marshall

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17-02-2025

A Livonia-based beverage company specializing in imported craft spirits and manufacturing partnerships with more than 10 brands is beefing up its craft beer portfolio with the recent acquisition of two Michigan breweries.
Earlier this month, Livonia's Benchmark Beverage Co.. acquired Brew Detroit, a contract brewery in Corktown. Brew Detroit, noted for its specialized brews such as the Mexican lager Cerveza Delray, shuttered its taproom in late January.
Auday Arabo, president and CEO of Benchmark Beverage Co., did not reveal financial details of the sale but said the company purchased Brew Detroit's assets and equipment.
At the end of 2024, Arabo told the Free Press, Benchmark also acquired Marshall's Roak Brewing Co., which produces Dark Horse beer.
Chuck Mascari Jr., who co-owned Roak Brewing Co., is now with Benchmark, Arabo said. In 2019, Roak Brewing Co., then based in Royal Oak, acquired Marshall-based Dark Horse Brewing, moving its operations to Marshall.
Benchmark Beverage will move all of Brew Detroit's operations to Marshall.
'We're keeping it Michigan, so that's the most important part, I think,' Arabo said. 'Brew Detroit, Great America, Roak, and Dark Horse will all be produced in Marshall. It's nice go-between, between Detroit and Chicago.'
Also with Benchmark is Thom Lipari, the recently retired CEO of Warren-based Lipari Foods.
Ahead of buying the Brew Detroit brand and assets, Benchmark Beverage, purchased its Great America brand.
Great America was only operating in Pennsylvania, but plans are to bring the line of flavored malt beverages to Michigan, Arabo said.
These recent acquisitions and brands make Benchmark Beverage Co., a leader in Michigan's locally owned craft beer market, Arabo said.
'While everybody's consolidating and getting smaller … we're trying to grow and purchase brands and build brands,' he said.
In recent years, multinational companies have acquired stakes or bought several Michigan craft brewers. That list includes Founders Brewing Co. selling a 90% majority stake to Spanish company Mahou San Miguel in 2019, Molson Coors bought Detroit's Atwater Brewery in 2020 and Short's Brewing Co. in Elk Rapids selling a 20% stake to Heineken in 2017.
'We've been told we're, you know, maybe the number four, number five brewing facility in the state of Michigan,' Arabo said. 'Whatever people decide we're proud that we're still family-owned in Michigan, Michigan made and want to continue to grow that.'
Benchmark Beverage, Arabo said, plans to continue five of Brew Detroit brands, including its signature Cerveza Delray, Yum Town, Campin', and Cloud 19. Its Cerveza Delray Oscura, a dark Mexican-style lager, Arabo said, will now be called Negra Cerveza Delray.
'We're trying to grow and purchase brands and build brands,' Arabo said. 'And, you know, Michigan's our home, so everything's going to be made in Michigan and exported to other states and hopefully other countries.'
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Brew Detroit acquired by Livonia's Benchmark Beverage Co.