Owner of 10 Barrel Lays Off Key Brewery Employees

Local brewery 10 Barrel Brewing Company lost several employees last week, including members of its innovation brewing team, according to a report from The New School Beer and Cider, a Northwest-based site focused on the beverage industry. The article stated that the founders of 10 Barrel, Jeremy and Chris Cox, offered their resignations to the brewery last week. Following this announcement, 10 Barrel's new owner, Tilray Brands, laid off its innovation brewing team on Sept. 4.

The layoffs, according to the article, included key members of the brewing team such as former brewmaster Jimmy Seifrit and award-winning brewer Tonya Cornett, among others. This decision was an effort to streamline operations, according to a statement Tilray emailed to the Source Weekly.


“As the Tilray Beverages team continues to evolve and grow, we identified areas where duplication of work exists within our organization. In order to streamline our operations, we have made the difficult decision to restructure our workforce and reallocate resources accordingly,” read the statement.

“As a result, we implemented a reduction in force that impacted a limited number of employees across various departments. This decision was not taken lightly, and we are committed to supporting those affected by these changes through this transition. We appreciate the dedication and hard work of our employees and are confident that these changes have helped us continue to serve our customers and achieve our long-term goals.”

The company did not clarify exactly how many employees were laid off.

10 Barrel Brewing Company was previously owned by AB-Inbev, the owner of Anheuser-Busch, which bought the company in 2014. Tilray, an international cannabis and lifestyle company, acquired 10 Barrel in Aug. 2023 as part of an
eight-brand acquisition.

Tilray appears to be growing its craft beer portfolio, according to a Sept. 3 press release, stating that it projects to grow new beer accounts by 30%. The press release stated that the company will acquire additional craft breweries.

“Tilray Brands is crafting a new future for brands in the craft beer industry. We are proud to welcome these exceptional brands and the talented teams behind them to Tilray. With our proven track record of creating brand growth, we are confident in our ability to drive revenue, generate cost synergies, and expand distribution, further strengthening these brands and solidifying Tilray's position as a leader in the craft beverage industry,” Irwin D. Simon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tilray Brands, said in a press release.