As Bell’s sells to global beer company, a look back at its history as Kalamazoo’s signature brewery

KALAMAZOO, MI — A monumental day in the history of Bell’s Brewery, on Wednesday, Nov. 10, Larry Bell announced his retirement and the sale of his brewery, which he founded in 1985 in Kalamazoo.

Purchasing the brewery is Lion, an Australian-based beverage company that purchased Fort Collins, Colorado-based, New Belgium Brewing Co. in 2019. The two American craft beer giants will unite under the same leadership team, once the sale goes final in the coming months...