Boston Beer Co., the maker of Samuel Adams, is in early talks to be acquired by Japanese whiskey maker Suntory, according to the WSJ.
The big picture: U.S. beer sales are down, in part due to hard seltzer's rise, which is putting pressure on brewers to consolidate.
The news sent Boston Beer shares up 22% on Friday, giving it a $3.75 billion market cap, following what had been more than a 30% decline since February.