MILLER BUYS McKENZIE RIVER BRANDS

In a surprise development, BBD has learned that SABMiller has purchased two of McKenzie River's hottest malt beverage brands, Sparks and Steele Reserve. McKenzie is an infamously aggressive yet below-the-line guerrilla marketer of niche beer brands, usually of the high gravity variety. McKenzie is a privately held company founded by legendary beer marketer (and BBD reader, but the two almost always go hand-in-hand do they not?) Minott Wessinger, who is also notoriously press-shy. As part of the deal, Miller will