Eagle, founded by Edward J. Doty and his wife, Norma, in 1971 to take over the distribution of Anheuser-Busch products in Hawaii, has been the brewer's sole distributor in the islands since.
Anheuser-Busch said it will be studying the Budweiser distributor's operations over the next two months and the sale is expected to close in mid- to late-summer. The company said it hopes to fill most positions with existing Eagle employees.
The company said the terms of the transaction will not be disclosed.
"We're very excited about handling distribution in Hawaii," Joseph P. Castellano, vice president of wholesale operations at Anheuser-Busch headquarters in St. Louis, said Thursday in a release.
"We believe we can expand the market for our products and we look forward to being involved in the local community," he said.
Phil Brown, Eagle Distributors president, said the company saw the transaction as the best direction for Eagle, Anheuser-Busch and Hawaii consumers.
Edward Doty had been in the liquor wholesale business in Honolulu since 1952. From its beginning in the early the 1970s, Eagle quickly made Budweiser the biggest seller among beers sold in Hawaii and in the process made Eagle Distributors the biggest beer wholesaler in the state.
Doty died after an illness in 1993, some months after appointing Phil Brown to replace him as president.
Eagle Distributors was one of Anheuser-Busch's biggest independent wholesalers. The company, which has 260 employees statewide, also sells other brands of beer as well as liquors and wines.
John Doty, Eagle vice president, said he and his brother, David, and sister, Maureen, are looking forward to other business opportunities in Hawaii.
Eagle Distributors is based in a 77,000-square-foot warehouse in Halawa Valley which includes 50,000-square-feet of climate-controlled area to keep beer cool.