ABRACADABRA: MAGIC HAT IS SOLD

 A celebrated New England brewery has been sold to a company from . . . New York. Magic Hat Brewing Co., Vermont’s largest craft brewery, has been sold to North American Breweries, Inc., of Rochester. The burlington free press reports that North American has acquired Portland, Oregon-based MacTarnahan’s beer and Magic Hat’s parent company, Independent Brewers United Inc., which was created in 2OO8 when Magic Hat bought Pyramid Breweries. North American owns the Genesee Brewing Company and Dundee Ales & Lagers.  It is also the primary US distributor of Labatt beers and Seagrams coolers. Magic Hat, Pyramid and the Portland Brewing Co. (MacTarnahan’s) have 6OO employees and North American Breweries employs about 5OO. No word as of yet on how or if this will affect production.