Wrexham Lager Beer Co has announced that Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have joined as new co-owners of the company.
This new partnership comes four years after Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC, the Welsh city’s struggling football club, and documented its revival in a successful TV series.
Founded in 1882, Wrexham Lager is the oldest still-operating lager brewery in Great Britain. It supplies its products through a number of channels, including on-trade, and is renowned for its long heritage in the Welsh brewing industry.
The partnership with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney is expected to significantly expand Wrexham Lager’s infrastructure and expand its production, distribution and marketing both domestically and internationally.
Wrexham Lager Beer Co has been acquired by Red Dragon Ventures, a joint venture between RR McReynolds Company – majority owner of Wrexham AFC – and the Allyn family of Skaneateles, New York. This new company was created to drive growth. in the Wrexham community and supporting the development of Wrexham AFC.
The Roberts family, who have owned and operated Wrexham Lager since 2011, continue to play an active role in the business. They will continue to manage quality control in all markets, monitor local breweries and support community engagement projects to ensure the brewery’s traditions and standards are upheld as it expands under new ownership.
McElhenney and Reynolds said: “We have learned a lot as co-chairmen of Wrexham AFC. The connection between the club and the community, the complexities of the offside rule and the occasional need for a beer – especially after financial meetings. Wrexham Lager has a 140-year-old recipe and storied history and we are delighted to help make it next in writing a chapter.
James Wright, who was recently appointed CEO of Wrexham Lager, will continue to lead the brewery, building on the company’s rapid growth in the UK and its international expansion into markets such as Australia, Japan and Scandinavia.
Wrexham Lager is set to launch distribution in the US and Canada in the coming months.
“This is a brand with great heritage – the oldest lager brewery in the UK, once enjoyed around the world,” Wright said.
“So, having Rob and Ryan on board as we begin our international expansion is hugely important to us. They have done wonders for the town of Wrexham and strongly share our passion to see Wrexham Lager once again enjoyed in all the far corners of the world.
The brand currently produces a 4% ABV Wrexham Lager, a stronger 5% ABV Wrexham Lager Export and a newly introduced 4.6% ABV Pilsener.
