Goose Island and AB

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Goose Island was just sold to AB. First of all, damn you goose island, wth, way to literally sell out.

Second of all, go to hell AB, stay away from our craft brews. You have enough people who like your terrible beer, stay away from the smarter market share. I may have given you a pass if you were still American owned, but you're not. A foreign company purchasing part of an American revolution kinda pisses me off.
 
That will just mean more bourbon county stout for those of us who don't think it's that big of a deal, especially after reading some of the articles posted in this thread, where your thread will probably get merged with just like the 10 other threads that have sprung up in the last 24 hours.....

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/goose-island-ab-235629/?highlight=goose
 
And it's not like they haven't ALREADY been in partnership with AHB....

According to John Hall's statement on Goose Island's website they've been in partnership with them for 5 years...

Over the past five years our partnerships with Craft Brewers Alliance and Anheuser-Busch have enabled Goose Island to reach a growing number of beer drinkers. This has fueled our growth to the point that demand for our beers has outgrown the capacity of our brewery. Recently, we’ve even had to limit production of some classic and medal-winning styles. To keep up with growing demand from drinkers we’ve explored a variety of paths too secure new capital to support our growth.
Click to expand...

(Bet you now totally wish you could piss out all the beers of their you drank BEFORE you just found out that they've been aligned with the evil empire for that long, and the beers haven't changed, just become more readily available....;))
 
AZ_IPA said:
I don't remember people complaining when AB "sold-out" to a much bigger InBev. :drunk:
Click to expand...

Probably b/c none of us care about AB. Personally, i was happy to see it go, hoping that it would lose some market share since all the flag-waving budweiser crowd wouldn't be drinking an american beer anymore and maybe would venture into microbrews. I thought it was and still do think it's a good thing for the industry, i think it allows some elbow room for some of the little guys so we can further the revolution.
 
Revvy said:
And it's not like they haven't ALREADY been in partnership with AHB....

According to John Hall's statement on Goose Island's website they've been in partnership with them for 5 years...



(Bet you now totally wish you could piss out all the beers of their you drank BEFORE you just found out that they've been aligned with the evil empire for that long, and the beers haven't changed, just become more readily available....;))
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying, it just seems wrong to me. I don't want AB buying up a bunch of microbreweries. If they want goose island, fine, but stay away from the other guys. I'm tired of AB owning the market. Their time is over
 
Goose Island is overrated anyway, I live in Chicagoland and don't buy their beer. There is far better beer to be had IMO. Who cares if they sell to a big company anyway? As long as they keep the same brewmaster they should still come out with the same types of beer.
 
TheMan said:
Goose Island is overrated anyway, I live in Chicagoland and don't buy their beer. There is far better beer to be had IMO. Who cares if they sell to a big company anyway? As long as they keep the same brewmaster they should still come out with the same types of beer.
Click to expand...

Well, they didn't...................the brewmaster from Deschutes is coming to Chicago.

I think Goose Island was 58% owned by AB already. They just took over the final 42%, so it's really not a big deal. The majority interest was AB before this, too. They just didn't publicize it.
 
McMalty said:
Probably b/c none of us care about AB.
Click to expand...

That's a pretty broad blanket statement...

I care about AB. If it wasn't for Budweiser, I wouldn't have started to drink beer when I was younger. I mean, how many people's first venture into beer is a double oaked, chili, Russian Imperial Stout?

To me; AB is a great gateway "drug" for getting people into the obsession we have with beer. Whether it be a light American Lager, or a double oaked, chili, Russian Imperial Stout.

McMalty said:
Personally, i was happy to see it go, hoping that it would lose some market share since all the flag-waving budweiser crowd wouldn't be drinking an american beer anymore and maybe would venture into microbrews.
Click to expand...

And how has that worked out?

McMalty said:
I thought it was and still do think it's a good thing for the industry, i think it allows some elbow room for some of the little guys so we can further the revolution.
Click to expand...

And AB-InBev acquiring Goose Island has helped that how?

Oh that's right; it will help the micros with increased distribution, market share, etc....but many seem too blind to recognize that....
 
I'm happy for them. Primarily because they may be able to expand their distribution and give me some BCS down here.
 
AZ_IPA said:
That's a pretty broad blanket statement...

I care about AB. If it wasn't for Budweiser, I wouldn't have started to drink beer when I was younger. I mean, how many people's first venture into beer is a double oaked, chili, Russian Imperial Stout?

To me; AB is a great gateway "drug" for getting people into the obsession we have with beer. Whether it be a light American Lager, or a double oaked, chili, Russian Imperial Stout.



And how has that worked out?



And AB-InBev acquiring Goose Island has helped that how?

Oh that's right; it will help the micros with increased distribution, market share, etc....but many seem too blind to recognize that....
Click to expand...


I agree, none of us started out drinking RIS', but i could have easily started out drinking a Yeungling. And when i say "none of us", i mean most of us, it's the same as saying to your wife "you talk about things i don't care about all the time" when in fact it's only some of the time, but "some of the time" doesn't have the same emphasis.

How has it worked out? pretty good i think. I've seen more people drinking microbrew now instead of AB than i have in my entire life, so it seems to be going as planned.

I don't see your last point, i never said the acquisition was a good thing.

I'm not sure how it will help microbreweries, the only ones benefiting are AB and Goose Island, which is officially not a microbrewery anymore since it's owned by AB.

And it is a good thing that AB was sold if you're a microbrewery, they're losing market share in the U.S., whether or not it's b/c of in bev, i don't know, but they're losing ground (albeit, they're still dominating the industry). So less AB, more craft brews = good
 
McMalty said:
I agree, none of us started out drinking RIS', but i could have easily started out drinking a Yeungling.
Click to expand...

They don't have Yeungling in Arizona...

McMalty said:
How has it worked out? pretty good i think. I've seen more people drinking microbrew now instead of AB than i have in my entire life, so it seems to be going as planned.
Click to expand...
AB's ~51% market share around the world says otherwise - and that doesn't even include the M & C; just the B...

McMalty said:
I don't see your last point, i never said the acquisition was a good thing.
Click to expand...
you said AB's acquisition by InBev was a good thing as it allowed for the little guys to have more elbow room. Clearly that's not the case as InBev-AB just completed their buy-out of Goose Island (that started 5+ years ago).


McMalty said:
So less AB, more craft brews = good
Click to expand...

I could buy that; IF the sole formula was AB + everyone = total beer; and it's clearly not. Even though craft sales were up in 2010; overall beer sales were down. That's not good for anyone....
 
I believe that AB was not a majority holder during the past years they've been with GI. Now that they have a majority stake, they have greater influence and decision-making powers. Sort of like saying that one political party didn't make anti-gun laws when they were in the minority. That doesn't mean they won't try when they have majority!

I'm still taking a cautious wait-and-see attitude.

And I'll be on the lookout for some of that Bourbon beer that everyone raves about.
 
Homercidal said:
I believe that AB was not a majority holder during the past years they've been with GI. Now that they have a majority stake, they have greater influence and decision-making powers. Sort of like saying that one political party didn't make anti-gun laws when they were in the minority. That doesn't mean they won't try when they have majority!

I'm still taking a cautious wait-and-see attitude.

And I'll be on the lookout for some of that Bourbon beer that everyone raves about.
Click to expand...

Before this AB had no direct share of GI. Craft Brands Alliance had a minority stake which is minority owned by AB. As part of the deal CBA agreed to sell its minority share to AB. AB will 100% own GI when this goes through.

AB has been trying to enter the craft market for some time with the "craft" Michelob offerings. I have never really had any and I don't think they were doing a very good job hedging AB against the shift to craft beer. They did not become the biggest beer company in the world by not understand shift and trends in beer.

Why was Michelob not doing well? Because of the name and association with AB? Or was the beer just not good? If the later, why? Because they did not know what a good craft beer is? Doubt it. Because they did not have good brewing, facilities? Definitively no. Because they put profit margins before quality? Maybe.

So I think AB prior failure to enter the "craft" market has to come down to 2 possible failures:
1. They had a brand that was too associated with AB and thus not appealing to craft market.
2. The beer sucked because their profit driven model does not work in the craft segment.

I hope for the sake of the legacy of the owners and the name Goose Island, #1 above is the case.
 
Yooper said:
Well, they didn't...................the brewmaster from Deschutes is coming to Chicago.

I think Goose Island was 58% owned by AB already. They just took over the final 42%, so it's really not a big deal. The majority interest was AB before this, too. They just didn't publicize it.
Click to expand...

Sorry Yoop, I posted based on the previous 6 comments...didn't know the brewmaster was leaving till I read the merged threads and after my post was put at the end of the merged threads, making mine look very ignorant lol.
 
Beerrific said:
Why was Michelob not doing well? Because of the name and association with AB? Or was the beer just not good? If the later, why? Because they did not know what a good craft beer is? Doubt it. Because they did not have good brewing, facilities? Definitively no. Because they put profit margins before quality? Maybe.
Click to expand...

i agree, I think it's pretty silly to think a Michelob brewmaster couldn't brew a excellent "craft" beer if he was given free reign. bottom line just wouldn't be high enough.
 
Okay. I've kept quiet about this long enough. I REALLY need to share my opinions on this.


Meh.

Whew! I feel MUCH better now.
 
AZ_IPA said:
They don't have Yeungling in Arizona...

AB's ~51% market share around the world says otherwise - and that doesn't even include the M & C; just the B...

you said AB's acquisition by InBev was a good thing as it allowed for the little guys to have more elbow room. Clearly that's not the case as InBev-AB just completed their buy-out of Goose Island (that started 5+ years ago).




I could buy that; IF the sole formula was AB + everyone = total beer; and it's clearly not. Even though craft sales were up in 2010; overall beer sales were down. That's not good for anyone....
Click to expand...

Ok, well, i'm not sure what they have in AZ....so i'd rather have started with PBR, do you have that

sure, 51%, but 10 yrs ago, their market share was higher. all i'm saying is that the craft brew industry is gaining ground.

As long a craft brew sales are up, i argue that it is a good thing. To me, that says people are buying less BMC in bulk and more craft brews by the six pack. Cuz people are NOT drinking less, that's for damn sure.

Just b/c AB bought a microbrewery doesn't mean it's bad for the rest of the industry.
 
McMalty said:
Ok, well, i'm not sure what they have in AZ....so i'd rather have started with PBR, do you have that

sure, 51%, but 10 yrs ago, their market share was higher. all i'm saying is that the craft brew industry is gaining ground.

As long a craft brew sales are up, i argue that it is a good thing. To me, that says people are buying less BMC in bulk and more craft brews by the six pack. Cuz people are NOT drinking less, that's for damn sure.

Just b/c AB bought a microbrewery doesn't mean it's bad for the rest of the industry.
Click to expand...

Curious on your thoughts regarding coors and/or miller following suit? Wonder if, or should i say when, this happens, or if it even happens? (Not being a smart azz, just trying to figure out everyone's take.)

I think a lot of people dismiss the impact of this because, let's be honest, most Goose beers, although solid, were nothing out of the ordinary (sans bourbon county lines and of last few years their Belgians). What if it had been victory or dogfish or stone or founders or bells or rogue or firestone? These are all similar or smaller from the last reports I can find. Most of us would be saying F that, that's what we'd be saying.
 
beesy said:
Curious on your thoughts regarding coors and/or miller following suit? Wonder if, or should i say when, this happens, or if it even happens? (Not being a smart azz, just trying to figure out everyone's take.)

I think a lot of people dismiss the impact of this because, let's be honest, most Goose beers, although solid, were nothing out of the ordinary (sans bourbon county lines and of last few years their Belgians). What if it had been victory or dogfish or stone or founders or bells or rogue or firestone? These are all similar or smaller from the last reports I can find. Most of us would be saying F that, that's what we'd be saying.
Click to expand...

Personally I put all those breweries as equal in my book. Very good, popular micro-breweries. GI's expansion in the last 5 years is direclty related to AB investing in them for that time.

PS-Bourbon County...not so much! I see alot of people saying they want to get their hands on it, asuming it great or something...it must be hyped to those who can't get it...its gross.
 
Oh no beer is totally ****ed forever.

Probably not. There is definitely the risk that InBev will use their distribution system to try to put Goose Island beers into the same places their normal beers go, so as a result they can put Goose Island products pretty much everywhere. I don't think this will be that big of a deal because craft beer drinkers tend to be educated about what they want to drink, rather than just picking up something because it isn't BMC but it is next to it on the shelves. It is more likely InBev's realization that there is a growing market for US craft beer and it's easier to take up a known brand than try to rely on the Michelob beers as competition in the craft market.
 
ReverseApacheMaster said:
It is more likely InBev's realization that there is a growing market for US craft beer and it's easier to take up a known brand than try to rely on the Michelob beers as competition in the craft market.
Click to expand...

100% agree.

But was GI not in markets b/c they could not get distributors? Nope, I am sure they were being sought by distributors. Were they not in markets b/c they could not keep that production up and maintain quality? More likely yes.

AB will allow a greater resource to expand production, but they will expect profit in return. Obviously. But the extent and pace at which that return is expected will most likely determine if the brand does/doesn't change.
 
beesy said:
Curious on your thoughts regarding coors and/or miller following suit? Wonder if, or should i say when, this happens, or if it even happens? (Not being a smart azz, just trying to figure out everyone's take.)

I think a lot of people dismiss the impact of this because, let's be honest, most Goose beers, although solid, were nothing out of the ordinary (sans bourbon county lines and of last few years their Belgians). What if it had been victory or dogfish or stone or founders or bells or rogue or firestone? These are all similar or smaller from the last reports I can find. Most of us would be saying F that, that's what we'd be saying.
Click to expand...

well i think MC obviously has to make a similar play. the problem is, who will be willing? I a lot of microbreweries are very proud not to be part of the mainstream macro-brewery crowd. they don't want to see their brand tainted.
on the other hand, some people definitely have a price tag, all it takes is the right # on a check and say goodbye to them. I just don't think victory, dfh, stone, founders, or bells are those breweries. they're very popular among the craft brew crowd and very profitable, I'd like to think they have enough intestinal fortitude to not sell out when they have no reason to
 
I asked Maureen Ogle to come out of here blog hiatus to write something up about this....it's a good piece. She even used my term from the message I sent her "Beerosphere."

March 29, 2011
AB InBev and Its Golden, um, Goose

I just got back from the 2011 Craft Brewers Conference in San Francisco. (Yes, had a great time; thanks for asking. Well, except for the part about the no airplane available on Sunday morning, which forced me to stay an extra day spent almost entirely in an airport hotel.....)

While I was gone, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced it had purchased a controlling share of Goose Island Brewing in Chicago and would soon buy the remaining shares. (ABIB already owned a share of the company that holds the minority share.

And the hand wringing has begun. (I'd post links, but there are too many. Just roam around the beerblogosphere and you'll find plenty.)

But: why? Why the hand wringing? And why is anyone surprised? People, were ya not payin’ attention here at the ol’ blogarooney?

I told you three years ago that you could expect to see moves like this. The only surprising fact here is that there haven’t been more of such moves.

Yes, ABIB and MillerCoors will continue to grab onto craft breweries (how many of them depends entirely on who is inclined to sell. Many craft brewers prefer to keep it small/local/beautiful/whatever). And why not? The people running those companies are not stupid. They understand that a small but affluent segment of beer drinkers is willing to pay a premium for, ya know, premimum beers. Like Goose Island.

And for a beer maker, premium is where it’s at. (Premium beers take up the same amount of space in the warehouse and on the truck, but they bringer a higher profit per bottle than “regular” beers.)

So. Of course ABIB is interested. What will the company do with its new acquisition? I haven’t a clue, although it has two obvious options.

One, it can leave the beermakers alone to keep making what they make (premium beers). Or two, it can tell the beermakers to cease and desist and start making Budweiser knock-offs.

Smart money says they opt for Door Number One. Why? Because ABIB isn’t looking for Bud knockoffs. It’s hunting for premium beers. (Remember those: the ones that yield more profit per bottle than Bud?) Why screw with the goose that’s laying the golden egg? (No pun intended until I realized that, heee heeeee!, I’d just made a pun!) (I’m not so good at puns.)

Leaving Goose Island alone to do what it does best is a win-win for ABIB: It earns profit and it can start loading GI products on its trucks and selling them in a larger territory than was available to GI when it was on its own.

So. Time will tell, but --- I’ve been a pretty good prognosticator up to now.
Click to expand...
 
She also added an addendum to it...

But While I'm Here: On the Subject of Brewing, Selling or Not, Brewing History, Etc.


From my perspective, the InBev/Goose Island thing is a lovely coincidence: I just got home from the 2011 Craft Brewers Conference where I gave a short talk about the dangers of mindless expansion and why "mindful" growth is safer, even if that means no growth/expansion at all.

The example I used in my talk (well, one of the examples) was Leinenkugel: I argued that the Leinenkugel family had always focused its "growth" strategy not on their own bottom line, but on how growth (or not) would affect the community where the brewery was located (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin). The family realized that if the company went under, everyone in town would be hurt by that outcome. So they always thought hard about making any kind of move toward expansion.

And when, in 1988, the family decided to sell the company to Miller Brewing, they did so not because they planned to make out like bandits, but because it was the only way to keep the company going and protect the town. (The deal they signed with Miller clearly guaranteed that Miller would leave the brewery up, running, intact, and in good health. Miller has honored that contract.)

My main point to my audience, which was composed of owners of small companies, was: Think before you leap. Because the history of American brewing is littered with the carcasses of brewers who opted for mindless expansion and failed because of that.
Click to expand...
 
Clearly there *could* be more than the outcomes Ms. Ogle describes. For example, AB could continue to sell what they call a "premium" product that is not like the mass produced Light Lagers, but aren't exactly the same recipes that GI used to make.

And I hope that the future of Goose Island's beers is nothing like Keinenkugel's.
 
Homercidal said:
Clearly there *could* be more than the outcomes Ms. Ogle describes. For example, AB could continue to sell what they call a "premium" product that is not like the mass produced Light Lagers, but aren't exactly the same recipes that GI used to make.

And I hope that the future of Goose Island's beers is nothing like Keinenkugel's.
Click to expand...

I hope not either...But I tend to side with her...I don't think the "big evil empire" is gonna crush anything.

I don't look at everything being as dark as evil as some folks. Looking at and reading everything as a sign of the coming beer apocalypse like some folks do...to the point where SOME folks don't even realize that this was an april fool's joke, they just saw it as another example of the beer nazis at work...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/megabrewers-merge-purchase-all-u-s-craft-brewers-236696/
 
Yup it's such a tragey, more beer available in more stores :rolleyes:

Additionally, Goose Island beers will now be much easier to find. Aside from specialty grocer Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI ) , which has always kept a large inventory of craft beer on its shelves, and Walgreen (NYSE: WAG ) , which has recently started to take some initiative in this area, finding craft beer can be a challenge for many. Have you ever seen a wide selection of craft beer in superstores like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) or even traditional grocery stores like Safeway (NYSE: SWY ) ? You can bet that Anheuser-Busch will make sure that its new brand gets shelf place in some of these large retailers.

Craft beer drinkers might not like drinking beer under the Anheuser-Busch umbrella, but we sure better get used to it. I don't believe Anheuser-Busch bought Goose Island to change its recipes and create a Bourbon County Stout Light, and both sides have said as much. Goose Island has created products that consumers here know and love -- any A-B tinkering with these products a la Leffe Blonde, is a much riskier proposition.
Click to expand...

I mean Maureen pretty much summed up the same thing in her blog...
Smart money says they opt for Door Number One. Why? Because ABIB isn’t looking for Bud knockoffs. It’s hunting for premium beers. (Remember those: the ones that yield more profit per bottle than Bud?) Why screw with the goose that’s laying the golden egg? (No pun intended until I realized that, heee heeeee!, I’d just made a pun!) (I’m not so good at puns.)

Leaving Goose Island alone to do what it does best is a win-win for ABIB: It earns profit and it can start loading GI products on its trucks and selling them in a larger territory than was available to GI when it was on its own.
Click to expand...

I guess we can read whatever we want into something...I learned in Ministerial school a long time ago, we can use any text to back up our argument. If we are looking for proof of evil, we can find something to back that up...if we're looking for evidence of good, we can find it, in the very same passage.....

I guess the only answer will be to wait and see.....I think it's going to be a very boring wait.....'cause nothings gonna happen except we're going to continue to see more beers, craft or otherwise on the store shelves....which to me is a GOOD thing....Hopefully some of those diehard bud drinkers will be tempted to try more things...I doubt it, I think these are more to capitalize on OUR money, since they aren't getting much of it from us beer geeks with THEIR products...I don't think we're gonna see a lot of chelata drinkers rushing out to buy the 2011 bourbon county stout. I think this is more a case of "if you can't beat 'em (which they can't obviously since they are losing sales to craft breweries) join them, rather than "if you can't beat them, destroy them....

*shrug*
 
I actually thought the Motley Fools treatment was pretty balanced. While acknowledging AB-InBev's bastardization of Leffe, they hypothesize that it wouldn't seem to make much sense for them to do the same to GI.

But they MAY be wrong. They and Maureen MAY be underestimating AB's ability and willingness to tradeoff "quality" dollars for "advertising" dollars and make that tradeoff pay. A dollar saved on the ingredients/process side and spent on the advertising side might just improve the bottom line while sacrificing the product. IF that's the case, and none of us knows whether it is or not, THEY WILL SACRIFICE QUALITY. One can argue all day long about AB-Inbev's production/quality, but there's no arguing, I think, that their real talents are in advertising/promotion.

We agree, Revvy, that it's going to be a while before we see the impact of a trend that's really in its infancy.
 
I guess the thing to really wonder about is what do we want from the beer industry, not separating it into craft vs macro, the beer industry as a whole.

Some folks hate the idea of giving BMC money. But then some of those same folks hate it when a craft brewer becomes nationally successful, and brews more beer, has national distribution, and makes money ala Sam Adam's- we hate them too.

So what do we want, all craft brewers to brew under 100 or 1,000 barrels annually, and have a limited regional distribution, and some of them scrape to stay afloat. Or do we want more beer in the hands of more people?

Me, I want more beer in more stores so I, and other folks can enjoy it. I think we're beyond homogenization and the big guys crushing the little ones or whatever. I think the lid is off the cans of worms, I think there's too much beer out there now to ever have it go back to the way it was in the 80's when I could get Guinness, Double Diamond, and Sierra Nevada, if I was lucky.
 
I think to criticize any commercial brewer, craft or macro, large or small, quality or dogpee, for pursuing profit is misplaced criticism. They are all COMMERCIAL brewers. They are in business to make money, all of them, and if they aren't they won't long BE in business. Within that commercial context, of course, there are any number of approaches to the business.

Let's all agree, at least, on the basic premise that there is nothing wrong with a business pursuing profit above all else. Regardless of a brewer's approach otherwise, if it's not profitable, it's not viable and it won't last. Profit must be foremost. That's what makes it a business, not a hobby.

Craft brewers can't sacrifice quality, beyond a certain point, because they can't compete with the bigs in the dogpee market. Their place is in quality beer. That's the only way THEY can be profitable, because if craft brewers were to sacrifice quality and attempt to compete in the dogpee market they'd perish.

It remains to be seen whether the dogpee brewers can (or will) compete in the quality market. I think they probably can, but won't. It doesn't suit their model.

Let's abandon the complaint about the pursuit of money and profit and grant that all, craft and macro, are in it for the money. At least we can all have the same starting point, then, regardless of how our arguments might subsequently diverge.
 
People actually drink Goose Island? I personally have never seen anyone drinking, ordering or buying any. I have seen shopping carts that are "marked down/discount" filled with GI beer and I have passed on them myself. Maybe it is because it is an Illinois product and I am in WI? IDK.

Someone else pointed at Leinenkugel being owned by Miller. It is funny, I do not normally buy Leinenkugel beers either. Not because they are owned by Miller/Coors but because the beer is a step down from Sam Adams and is a stepping stone into the craft beer world, IMO.
 
Zamial said:
People actually drink Goose Island? I personally have never seen anyone drinking, ordering or buying any. I have seen shopping carts that are "marked down/discount" filled with GI beer and I have passed on them myself. Maybe it is because it is an Illinois product and I am in WI? IDK.

Someone else pointed at Leinenkugel being owned by Miller. It is funny, I do not normally buy Leinenkugel beers either. Not because they are owned by Miller/Coors but because the beer is a step down from Sam Adams and is a stepping stone into the craft beer world, IMO.
Click to expand...

I grew up in Wisconsin on Leinie's. It was always the "cheap stuff", like Hauenstein's. I've been amused in recent years as it's managed to scratch out some "Craft cachet" among some folks.
 
I made the Leinenkugel comparison.
Not in terms of the beer quality but in terms of cutting a deal with Miller and maintaining that the brand would move forward and that production would remain in Chippewa Falls.

Goose Island has a similar deal. The difference is that GI has more brand value and has wording in place that make it more likely that the quality will remain. If that happens or not is debatable.

Like I said. I'm not afraid of AB ruining GI. If that happens, some other beer will take its place. I'm going to be skeptical when I start to see more GI products here in AZ. I'll wonder if their introduction on store shelves is warranted or if this is a powerplay by the machine. Mainstream and flagship beers have their place.... AB will use them like battering rams outside of Chicago.
 
olllllo said:
Mainstream and flagship beers have their place.... AB will use them like battering rams outside of Chicago.
Click to expand...

I can see them trying this but the proof to me is in the discount bargin bins. Great beer does not normally end up in these...I can see the thought behind this move but I think that it is a great idea someplace in the AB think tank but if you go into a store to buy a 6er of craft beer, would you buy a GI to save a dollar? I know I would not.

This could be a shelf power play be forcing retailers to display more of their product. (Like they point out in Beer Wars. FYI Not trying to bring that movie up, they just show in great detail, what I am talking about.) But other than that I think it is going to be seen as white noise to the real craft beer drinkers...maybe I am wrong, time will tell.
 
Pilgarlic said:
I think to criticize any commercial brewer, craft or macro, large or small, quality or dogpee, for pursuing profit is misplaced criticism. They are all COMMERCIAL brewers. They are in business to make money, all of them, and if they aren't they won't long BE in business. Within that commercial context, of course, there are any number of approaches to the business.

Let's all agree, at least, on the basic premise that there is nothing wrong with a business pursuing profit above all else. Regardless of a brewer's approach otherwise, if it's not profitable, it's not viable and it won't last. Profit must be foremost. That's what makes it a business, not a hobby.

Craft brewers can't sacrifice quality, beyond a certain point, because they can't compete with the bigs in the dogpee market. Their place is in quality beer. That's the only way THEY can be profitable, because if craft brewers were to sacrifice quality and attempt to compete in the dogpee market they'd perish.

It remains to be seen whether the dogpee brewers can (or will) compete in the quality market. I think they probably can, but won't. It doesn't suit their model.

Let's abandon the complaint about the pursuit of money and profit and grant that all, craft and macro, are in it for the money. At least we can all have the same starting point, then, regardless of how our arguments might subsequently diverge.
Click to expand...

That's a very valid point. Where I think the angst of craft beer drinkers stems from is the vast expanse between AB/InBev's desire for profit, to point of greed, and their passion, or lack of, for creating and producing craft beer. Personally I have never own a publicly traded, multinational brewery, so maybe I'm naive, but what I think most people reading these forums respect most is a healthy balance between needs and desires for profits and the passion and unwavering dedication to quality.

I really doubt anyone believes AB/InBEV is going to come in and water down the recipes they just paid a premium for. In fact I believe they will see a lot of success from the GI line for a long time to come. My fear is that this will actually bring quite a few new craft beer drinkers to the market andwhile that's a great thing, I'm sure many will go on to drinking newer and better beers, and if and when the number straying from their brand out numbers those making the switch to GI, and profits simmer or even loses occur, then their left with some nasty choices to make, like maybe cutting costs and thus starting they snowball of ruining a great brand of beer.

Again, these are my ultra hypothetical opinions and should be taken as such. The good news is no matter what happens to GI it was inevitable and whether good or bad, most of us will still be making our own beer which far superior in ever way. Well maybe its not as profitable, but who really cares about that anyway.
 
Goose Island had just appeared within the last year in my area. Pretty much exploded all over the place. I heard rumors they were going to be bought out. They have an interesting variety from Belgium to a really good Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout. The first one I tried of theirs was the Bourbon Stout and it was $24 for a four pack. I'd guess it will be like all the other brewers that had been swallowed up. Less experimental with pull to their medium wheat beer attraction 312. Good thing is there's always new microbrews popping up.
 

Similar threads

BugAC
Stouts/Porters/Dark Lagers Perceived Off Flavor
Replies
3
Views
677
rmr9
rmr9
YaleH
Accidentally watered down my wort!!!
Replies
4
Views
280
YaleH
YaleH
R
Buying Orings and such
Replies
4
Views
336
Snowkiwi
S
Clint Yeastwood
Orval!
Replies
6
Views
625
Yesfan
Yesfan
DonT
Mash Caps... Let me see what you got!
2
Replies
77
Views
4K
Bassman2003
B
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top