PETES BREWING CO
8-A12G/A, 1998-06-08
MALT BEVERAGES
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                   ----------



                                   FORM 8-A/A



                FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                             PETE'S BREWING COMPANY
       ------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)


             California                                  77-0110743
- ---------------------------------------        --------------------------------
(State of incorporation or organization)       (IRS Employer Identification No.)


514 High Street
Palo Alto, California                                       94301
- ---------------------------------------        --------------------------------
(Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)

If this form relates to the              If this form relates to the
registration of a class of               registration of a class of
securities pursuant to Section           securities pursuant to Section
12(b) of the Exchange Act and            12(g) of the Exchange Act and
is effective pursuant to General         is effective pursuant to General
Instruction A(c), please check           Instruction A(d), please check
the following box. [ ]                   the following box. [ ]

Securities Act registration statement 
file number to which this form relates:
                                       ------------------------
                                           (if applicable)

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

        Title of each class                      Name of each exchange on which
        to be so registered                      each class is to be registered
        -------------------                      ------------------------------

               None                                          None


Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

                         Preferred Share Purchase Rights
                                (Title of Class)



<PAGE>   2



Item 1.        Description of Securities to be Registered.

               On November 27, 1996, Pete's Brewing Company (the "Company")
filed a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") in order to register preferred share purchase
rights issuable in accordance with the terms of the Preferred Shares Rights
Agreement (the "Prior Rights Agreement") dated as of November 25, 1996, between
the Company and American Stock Transfer and Trust Company.

               As of May 22, 1998, the Company and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A.,
successor to American Stock Transfer and Trust Company as Rights Agent (as
defined in the Prior Rights Agreement) under the Prior Rights Agreement, entered
into the First Amendment to the Prior Rights Agreement (the "Amendment"), which
amends the Prior Rights Agreement as originally executed (the Prior Rights
Agreement as amended by the Amendment, the "Amended Rights Agreement"). The
Amended Rights Agreement is substantially the same as the Prior Rights Agreement
as originally executed, with the exception that the Amended Rights Agreement
expressly provides that:

               (i)   the Amended Rights Agreement is inapplicable to the merger
        (the "Merger") contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as
        of May 22, 1998 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time,
        the "Merger Agreement") among PBC Holdings, Inc. ("PBC Holdings"), PBC
        Acquisition Corp. ("PBC Acquisition"), The Gambrinus Company and the
        Company and is inapplicable to the Merger Agreement;

               (ii)  none of PBC Holdings, PBC Acquisition or any of their
        respective affiliates is an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Prior
        Rights Agreement) pursuant to the Amended Rights Agreement solely by
        virtue of the execution of the Merger Agreement and the consummation of
        the Merger;

               (iii) a Distribution Date or a Shares Acquisition Date (as such
        terms are defined in the Prior Rights Agreement) does not occur by
        reason of the Merger, the execution of the Merger Agreement or the
        consummation of the Merger; and

               (iv)  the Final Expiration Date (as defined in the Prior Rights
        Agreement) shall occur immediately prior to the Effective Time (as
        defined in the Merger Agreement).

               In all other respects, the disclosure concerning the Rights and
the Rights Agreement as set forth in the Registration Statement as originally
filed is unchanged.

               The summary of the Amended Rights Agreement contained herein or
in the Registration Statement as originally filed is qualified in its entirety
by reference to the Amended Rights Agreement.



                                       -2-

<PAGE>   3



Item 2.        Exhibits.

               1.     First Amendment to Preferred Shares Rights Agreement,
                      dated as of May 22, 1998, between Pete's Brewing Company
                      and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A. (1)

- --------------

        (1)  Exhibit filed herewith.


                                       -3-

<PAGE>   4



                                    SIGNATURE

        Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.

                                              Pete's Brewing Company


Date:  June 5, 1998
                                              By: /s/ Jeffrey A. Atkins
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  Jeffrey A. Atkins
                                                  Chief Executive Officer and
                                                  Chief Financial Officer



                                            
<PAGE>   5


                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


       Number                             Description
       ------                             -----------

         1            First Amendment to Preferred Shares Rights Agreement,
                      dated as of April May 22, 1998, between Pete's Brewing
                      Company and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A.




                                      


<PAGE>   1



                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                        PREFERRED SHARES RIGHTS AGREEMENT

        This First Amendment to Preferred Shares Rights Agreement (this
"Amendment") is made as of May 22, 1998 by and between Pete's Brewing Company, a
California corporation (the "Company"), and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., a
national banking association (the "Rights Agent").

        WHEREAS, the Company and American Stock Transfer and Trust Company (the
"Former Agent") entered into a Preferred Shares Rights Agreement dated as of
November 25, 1996 (the "Agreement").

        WHEREAS, effective as of October 1, 1997, the Company discharged
American Stock Transfer and Trust Company as rights agent under the Agreement
and appointed the Rights Agent as the successor rights agent.

        WHEREAS, the Company has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger
dated as of May 22, 1998 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to
time, the "Merger Agreement") among PBC Holdings, Inc. ("PBC Holdings"), PBC
Acquisition Corp. ("PBC Acquisition"), The Gambrinus Company and the Company.

        WHEREAS, Section 3.16 of the Merger Agreement provides that the Company
will amend the Agreement (defined below) within two Business Days (as defined in
the Merger Agreement) following the date of the Merger Agreement to (i) render
the Agreement inapplicable to the Merger (as defined in the Merger Agreement)
and the Merger Agreement, (ii) ensure that (y) none of PBC Holdings, PBC
Acquisition or any of their respective affiliates is an Acquiring Person (as
defined in the Agreement) pursuant to the Agreement solely by virtue of the
execution of the Merger Agreement and the consummation of the Merger and (z) a
Distribution Date or a Shares Acquisition Date (as such terms are defined in the
Agreement) does not occur by reason of the Merger, the execution of the Merger
Agreement or the consummation of the Merger and (iii) provide that the Final
Expiration Date (as defined in the Agreement) shall occur immediately prior to
the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement), and such amendment will
not be further amended by the Company without the prior consent of PBC Holdings
in its sole discretion.

        WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 27 of the Agreement, this Amendment is
being executed by the Company and the Rights Agent for the purpose of amending
the Agreement as set forth below.

        NOW, THEREFORE, the Agreement is hereby amended as follows:

        1.     Section 1(a) is amended by inserting the following at the end of
               Section 1(a):

               "Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision to the contrary
               in this Agreement, none of PBC Holdings, Inc. ("PBC Holdings"),
               PBC Acquisition Corp. ("PBC 

<PAGE>   2


               Acquisition"), their subsidiaries, Affiliates or Associates or
               permitted assignees or transferees under those certain
               Stockholder Agreements of even date herewith between PBC Holdings
               and certain stockholders of the Company (the "Voting Agreements")
               is an Acquiring Person pursuant to this Agreement solely by
               virtue of the execution of the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated
               May 22, 1998 among PBC Holdings, PBC Acquisition, The Gambrinus
               Company and the Company (the "Merger Agreement") and the Voting
               Agreements or the consummation of the Merger (as defined in the
               Merger Agreement) or the other transactions contemplated by the
               Voting Agreements."

        2.     Section 1(h) is amended by inserting the following at the end of
               Section 1(h):

               "Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision to the contrary
               in this Agreement, a Distribution Date shall not occur solely by
               reason of the execution of the Merger Agreement and the Voting
               Agreements, the consummation of the Merger, or the consummation
               of the other transactions contemplated by Merger Agreement or the
               Voting Agreements."

        3.     Section 1(t) is amended by inserting the following at the end of
               Section 1(t):

               "Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision to the contrary
               in this Agreement, a Shares Acquisition Date shall not occur
               solely by reason of the execution of the Merger Agreement and the
               Voting Agreements, the consummation of the Merger, or the
               consummation of the other transactions contemplated by the Merger
               Agreement or the Voting Agreements."

        4.     Section 1(x) is amended by inserting the following at the end of
               Section 1(x):

               "Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision to the contrary
               in this Agreement, a Triggering Event shall not occur solely by
               reason of the execution of the Merger Agreement and the Voting
               Agreements, the consummation of the Merger, or the consummation
               of the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement or
               the Voting Agreements."

        5.     Section 1(k) is amended and restated in its entirety to read as
               follows:

               "(k) 'FINAL EXPIRATION DATE' shall mean the earlier of (i)
               immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger
               Agreement) or (ii) October 22, 2006."

        6.     A new Section 35 is added to the end of the Agreement to read in 
               its entirety as follows:


                                      -2-

<PAGE>   3

                "Section 35. Merger Agreement with PBC Holdings, PBC Acquisition
                Corp. and The Gambrinus Company. Neither the performance of the
                Merger Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions
                contemplated thereby will result in any separation of the Rights
                (as defined in the Agreement) from the underlying Common Shares
                of the Company, nor entitle or permit the holders of the Rights
                to exercise the Rights or otherwise affect the rights of the
                holders of Rights, including giving the holders of the Rights
                the right to acquire securities of any party to the Merger
                Agreement."

        7.      (a)   This Amendment shall be deemed to be entered into under
                      the laws of the State of California and for all purposes
                      shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
                      laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and
                      performed entirely within such State.

               (b)    This Amendment may be executed in any number of
                      counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all
                      purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such
                      counterparts shall together constitute but one and the
                      same instrument.

        8.      As amended hereby, the Agreement shall remain in full force and
                effect.


        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.


THE COMPANY:                               THE RIGHTS AGENT UNDER THE AGREEMENT:


PETE'S BREWING COMPANY                     NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, N.A.

By: /s/ JEFFREY A. ATKINS                  By: /s/ TED GARRITY
    ---------------------------                ---------------------------------

Name: Jeffrey A. Atkins                    Name: Ted Garrity
      -------------------------                  -------------------------------
Title: Chief Executive Officer             Title: Trust Officer
      -------------------------                  -------------------------------



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