Item 4.01 Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant.
On
September 20, 2019, New Age Beverages Corporation (the “Company”), at the direction of the Audit Committee
of the Company’s Board of Directors, notified Accell Audit & Compliance, P.A. (“Accell”), the Company’s
current independent auditors, of the firm’s dismissal. The Audit Committee also approved the appointment of Deloitte &
Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) as the Company’s new principal independent registered public accounting firm on September
20, 2019, effective upon execution of a formal engagement letter. The Audit Committee, composed of four independent directors,
supervised the engagement process, which included the distribution of requests for proposals from a number of public accounting
firms, review of the proposals received, and discussion with the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Controller regarding
the results of their interviews with the final candidates.
The
audit report of Accell on the Company’s financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, included in
its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed on April 1, 2019, did not contain an adverse opinion
or disclaimer of opinion, and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
During
the years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2018, as well as the subsequent interim period through September 20,
2019, there were (i) no disagreements (as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K), between the Company and Accell on
any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements,
if not resolved to the satisfaction of Accell, would have caused Accell to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements
in connection with its reports; and (ii) no reportable events as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
The
Company provided Accell with a copy of this Current Report on Form 8-K prior to its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) and requested that Accell furnish a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether or not Accell agrees with
the statements noted above. A copy of this letter, dated September 20, 2019, from Accell is attached as Exhibit 16.1 to
this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The
Company did not, nor did anyone on its behalf, consult Deloitte, during the Company’s two most recent fiscal years and any
subsequent interim period prior to the Company’s engagement of that firm regarding (i) the application of accounting principles
to a specified transaction (completed or proposed), the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s financial
statements, and no written report or oral advice was provided to the Company by Deloitte that Deloitte concluded was an important
factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue or (ii) any
matter being the subject of disagreement or a “reportable event” or any other matter as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv)
or (a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.