Who Owns LandShark Beer?

LandShark is an American island-style lager beer brand based in Jacksonville, Florida. It was launched in 2006 by singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett to compete against Grupo Modelo’s Corona.

Buffett derived the name LandShark from the lyrics of his song “Fins.” The song refers to men who woo vacationing women on the beaches as “sharks that can swim on the land,” which was shortened to LandShark.

Landshark Lager is a beer that evokes the feeling of sunshine, sand, and swaying palm trees on the beach. It was created by a party lover as the go-to refreshment and booze for beachgoers.

As of Jul 2023, LandShark Lager was America’s cheapest beer at $9.99/can. It is one of the best-selling Florida brews thanks to its superior quality and crisp, refreshing flavor. [1]

LandShark’s loyal customers are known as Fin Fans. The brand relies on seasonal promotions to boost sales.

In May 2023, LandShark Canada unveiled three new promotional packs to celebrate the start of warmer weather. The campaign included sweepstakes, Margaritaville trip giveaways, and t-shirts. [2]

LandShark was launched as a Floridian beer brand before expanding globally. It exemplifies Florida’s rich culture and natural beauty. In 2022, the company opened a resort-based LandShark Brewery in the Caribbean at the Margaritaville Island Reserve Resort Cap Cana.

The facility produces 19 international beers, including microbrews and local favorites. LandShark also partnered with Juanillo Beach Resort’s brewery to start brewing its lager in the Dominican Republic. But who owns LandShark Beer? [3]

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Who is the LandShark Owner?

LandShark Beer is owned by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Brewing Co. Buffett was known for his hit Margaritaville. In Jan 1985, Buffet founded Margaritaville Enterprises to manage and franchise his restaurant chain and retail stores.

He established The Margaritaville Alcohol Beverage Trust in 2006. The trust is LandShark Beer’s parent company. In Sep 2023, Jimmy Buffett died in his sleep at age 76. [4]

The Margaritaville Alcohol Beverage Trust owns the LandShark Beer trademark. The parent company licenses the name and distribution rights to several brewers, including America’s Anheuser-Busch and Canada’s Waterloo Brewing.

Anheuser-Busch is the world’s largest brewing company, with over 120 facilities across the US. In Feb 2023, Anheuser-Busch’s Cisco Brewers unveiled a new $6-million canning line in Portsmouth. The line will increase the supply of Anheuser-Busch beer brands, including LandShark Lager, La Rubia, and Whales Tale. [5]

The Margaritaville brand has over 30 vacation resorts and 150 Buffett-themed restaurants. The Margaritaville Alcohol Beverage Trust uses these tourist destinations to promote and sell LandShark lagers.

In Oct 2023, Margaritaville announced the second annual Oktoberfest event. The two-month-long celebration was held in Margaritaville Beach Resorts in Cap Cana, Riviera Cancun, and Riviera Maya. Guests sampled lagers as they toured the LandShark Brewery, led by Brewmaster Diego Omar Viveros Balmori. [6]

Image Credit: stevosdisposable

LandShark Beer Ownership History

Jimmy Buffett launched LandShark in 2006 and released its first beer in 2007. However, Buffet entered the beer world before establishing the brand. In 1984, Corona Beer became Buffett’s sponsor.

Buffett’s fans committed themselves to Corona Light Cerveza at shows and tours. Corona adopted the title of Buffett’s 1977 album for its 1992 “Change your whole latitude” campaign. The tagline helped boost Corona’s declining sales.

Corona trademarked the “Change your whole latitude” line without Buffett’s consent. This move angered Buffett and his fans. In 2006, Buffett introduced LandShark Lager as the proprietary beer for his Margaritaville restaurant chain.

The singer partnered with Anheuser-Busch to produce LandShark Lager, which debuted in 2007 as part of Anheuser-Busch’s “brewed-fresh” line of beers. Buffett’s fans dumped Corona and fell hard for LandShark Lager. [7]

Buffett used his shows and concerts to promote LandShark Lager to his devoted fan base. At the time, LandShark Lager was only available at Margaritaville restaurants, Buffett concerts, and entertainment venues across Florida.

Buffett expanded the brand with a restaurant chain known as LandShark Bar & Grill. These casual eateries were inspired by beach bars and integrated into several Margaritaville Resorts across the US, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. In 2009, the Miami Dolphins’ home ground was rebranded to LandShark Stadium. [8]

Buffett partnered with Anheuser-Busch in 2010 to feature Margaritaville-inspired bars on US college campuses serving LandShark Lager. In 2015, Waterloo Brewing secured exclusive Canadian rights to LandShark and Margaritaville.

This deal hastened LandShark Lager’s expansion in North America. Waterloo Brewing was acquired by Carlsberg Canada in 2023. [9]

The Margaritaville Alcohol Beverage Trust was created in Mar 2020. It owns and licenses Buffett’s intellectual property including the Margaritaville and trademarks in the alcohol beverage industry.

In Dec 2022, Major League Pickleball named Margaritaville as its title sponsor. The league was branded as “MLP by Margaritaville.” Margaritaville plans to use the partnership to promote LandShark Lager to MLP fans. [10]

Image Credit: Giovanna Gomes

LandShark Shareholder Structure

The LandShark trademark is owned and licensed by The Margaritaville Alcohol Beverage Trust, a subsidiary of Margaritaville Enterprises LLC. Margaritaville Enterprises LLC is a privately held company owned by the late Jimmy Buffett.

In Sep 2023, Buffett passed away at his home in Sag Harbor, Long Island. Buffett was LandShark’s largest shareholder. He was survived by his wife of 46 years, Jane, kids Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron, grandson Marley, and his sister Laurie. The Buffett family owns a stake in LandShark. [11]

John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville, is an influential player in Margaritaville’s shareholder structure. He co-founded Margaritaville with Buffett and helped establish LandShark Lager. Before meeting Buffett, Cohlan was a finance executive at an investment firm. Cohlan became CEO of Margaritaville Holdings and transformed the venture into a global licensing operation with $2.2 billion in annual sales in 2022.

As of Apr 2023, Buffett owned a 28% stake in the company. Cohlan is estimated to own around 10% of Margaritaville. [12]

Margaritaville’s shareholder structure includes private equity investors. In 2019, Buffett and Cohlan retained a controlling interest in the firm after selling a 30% stake to Raine Group. DiNapoli Capital Partners has also invested in Margaritaville.

In Apr 2022, Margaritaville announced a strategic investment by private equity firm Rockpoint as a minority investor. Rockpoint has a stake in the company. Institutional partners have invested or committed to invest over $7.5 billion in Margaritaville for minority ownership. [13]

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