The brewers of popular beer brands Blue Moon, Coors, and Miller Lite have announced the acquisition of a bourbon and rye whiskey brand as spirit sales continue to chip away at beer sales.

Molson Coors Beverage Company said in a statement that the acquisition of Blue Run Spirits is part of the company's "journey to broaden beyond our beer roots."

UP FOR DEBATE: TRUMP, DESANTIS, AND 2024 GOP HOPEFULS' STANCE ON SPENDING AND DEBT

“Molson Coors has been on a journey to broaden beyond our beer roots and build powerful brands in growing categories, and Blue Run joining us is an exciting next step as we establish Coors Spirits Co.,” Michelle St. Jacques, chief commercial officer for Molson Coors, said in a statement.

“Blue Run has accomplished in three years what many brands hope to do in a generation and has done it at the luxury end of the whiskey category. Importantly, we are committed to maintaining Blue Run’s well-known quality, design and innovation as we continue to grow our spirits portfolio,” St. Jacques continued.

The move comes months after data released by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States showed that spirits sales had a greater market share than beer sales in the U.S. for the first time. Spirits made up 42.1% of the market compared to 41.9% market share for beer in 2022.

With the steady rise in popularity of spirits and the drop in popularity of beer, traditional beer brewers are looking to diversify their alcohol portfolio to follow consumer habits.

“Since launching Blue Run, we have always strived to do things a little differently to truly embrace today’s younger, more diverse generation of whiskey drinkers,” Mike Montgomery, co-founder of Blue Run Spirits, said in a statement.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“We are humbled by how the whiskey community has embraced our vision and that Molson Coors wants to join and support us in this journey,” he continued.

While several of Molson Coors's brands have seen a boost thanks to consumer boycotts of competitor Budweiser, after a controversial partnership with a transgender influencer in April, the company appears to be future-proofing its alcohol business to gain market share in the spirits market.