Dirty Chicago beer politics.

[febbrewro]

Interesting read regarding craft beer in Chicago. Seems Miller and Busch are giving away free beer, gifts, and other kickbacks in order to get bars to fill their taps with their beer, and to stop selling local craft beer.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/arti...rket-crains-investigation-finds#axzz18Oy6CF9o

 

[mattd2]

I talked to a guy at my work that had a simular experience. He used to run his own brewery by himself and was supplying a few place in his town with kegs and fill-your-own at the brewery door. He was supplying places like the returned services association/cossy club/sports clubs. Then the big breweries (DB or Lion) came in and offered to replace all the keg equipment in these places (regs/lines/chillers/taps/etc.) if they would only sell their beer. Ofcoarse they jumped at the chance for all new equipment and it put him out of business.

 

[MikeRoBrew1]

Fascinating read

 

[naughtyco]

Funny how the big corporations make beer and at the same time kill it.

 

[steinsato]

Dirty rotten sons of b#$%%^&

 

[JefeTheVol]

The words "dirty" and "politics" in the same article?!?! I can't believe it. [<---sarcasm font]

 

[Johnny_Crunch]

not suprising.......

 

[samc]

Coke vs Pepsi
Xerox vs Kodak
etc.

These kinds of tactics have been going on since the first businesses got going.

 

[Hermit]

This is nothing new. A brewer friend from Alaska, who knows most of the brewers up there still, said they came into his buddies bar up there making the same offer. Basically got laughed off the premise.

 

[Daybis]

I'm not shocked by this. I'll be shocked when they stop or something is done about it.

 

[RIT_Warrior]

Don't worry, the 3-tier system was invented to ensure a level playing field and end large brewery involvement in bars and taverns. I'm sure it will put a stop to this.

 

[I_B_Mongo]

Don't worry, the 3-tier system was invented to ensure a level playing field and end large brewery involvement in bars and taverns. I'm sure it will put a stop to this.

I sure hope your being facetious. The 3-tier system is antiquated, and does nothing but hold back the little guy. I'm not surprised to read this, but it still pisses me off.

Theres plenty of beer money to go around, but the big guys want to edge EVERYBODY out.

 

[rico567]

Dirty Chicago [beer] politics.

Just delete bracketed word. This is the way Chicago works; you don't pay, you don't play. Always has worked this way, no reform in sight.....unless it gets nuked and makes a great big new bay on the SW corner of Lake Michigan, then start over.

 

[FatherJack]

Although it does suck and is playing pretty dirty, I have to wonder, do the bars lose out on customers if they stop serving craft beer? I would certainly stop going and if they do, it's a sure sign people don't want the big 3. It would be funny to hear if anyone took the offer, went out of business and was able to keep the new equipment and start serving craft beer again.

If they don't lose money and perhaps even do better, then I hate to say it, but it was a smart move, especially in this economy. I would hate to be a bar owner in this economy with aging equipment and the kind of uncertainty in employment we all face.

It would be fascinating to take a look at the numbers and see the results.

I realize I could have just pegged myself as a prime target here so let me make this disclaimer: I hate non-craft beers (big 3 stateside, Sapporo, Kirin, Suntory here), all kinds. They all taste the same and to me it's like drinking carbonated deer wizz - not that I would know what that tastes like or anything...

 

[KeithMoonsLiver]

Blame the customers, not the businesses. This type of thing wouldn't happen at all if more americans liked good beer.

 

[biochemedic]

...I have to wonder, do the bars lose out on customers if they stop serving craft beer?

This is an interesting question, and I also agree with KeithMoonsLiver's reply...there's a local bar here that *just* opened a couple months ago, and opened up as sort of a high-end bar and grill / beer bar -- multiple taps (20-something...quite a few are big domestics and "imports" like DosXX, but the remainder were local and regional micros), etc. They initially had multiple local micros from Asheville and other places around NC, as well as DFH 90 min...

Well, SWMBO and I were just there couple nights ago -- DFH 90 gone...replaced w/ Longhammer IPA (not a bad beer, to be fair, but just not in the same caliber as 90 Min! And oh, BTW, did you notice that it's an AB distributed brew?!?!) I then asked for an oatmeal stout from a local micro...oops, we're out of that too... I'm not sure if this is just a temporary thing or a permanent situation, but to get back to the point, I'm afraid that there may just not be enough demand to support something like a DIPA at a bar like this...they sell a lot of PBR pounders to the yahoos playing cornhole out in the parking lot. They may lose some customers by not having the full craft spectrum, but I fear it won't be enough to alter their business practices...Hope I'm wrong!!

 

[Daybis]

Blame the customers, not the businesses. This type of thing wouldn't happen at all if more americans liked good beer.

I think it also comes down to the fact that most people know nothing about craft beer. Heck, when I tell people I brew, I always get the same response, "Why would you do such a thing, there's plenty of good beer at the store". Just an example of the mentality around here:

 

[Bensiff]

Don't worry, the 3-tier system was invented to ensure a level playing field and end large brewery involvement in bars and taverns. I'm sure it will put a stop to this.

Love the sarcasm. Business is business, folks gotta understand that its sole purpose is to make money. Everything it does is to make money...if a business does something that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside its to manipulate you into liking them so you buy from them, plain and simple. Of course some really small businesses run by the owners may have some heart, but when they get big they answer to shareholders. It doesn't make them evil, just doing what is required to survive. When what they do what they do and it ticks you off let them know that tactic won't make them money and it will stop that tactic. That is what the boys over at BeerAdvocate are all about, getting the industry to see the benefit (profit potential) of taking care of the consumer first and foremost.

 

[MaynardX]

This is an interesting question, and I also agree with KeithMoonsLiver's reply...there's a local bar here that *just* opened a couple months ago, and opened up as sort of a high-end bar and grill / beer bar -- multiple taps (20-something...quite a few are big domestics and "imports" like DosXX, but the remainder were local and regional micros), etc. They initially had multiple local micros from Asheville and other places around NC, as well as DFH 90 min...

Well, SWMBO and I were just there couple nights ago -- DFH 90 gone...replaced w/ Longhammer IPA (not a bad beer, to be fair, but just not in the same caliber as 90 Min! And oh, BTW, did you notice that it's an AB distributed brew?!?!) I then asked for an oatmeal stout from a local micro...oops, we're out of that too... I'm not sure if this is just a temporary thing or a permanent situation, but to get back to the point, I'm afraid that there may just not be enough demand to support something like a DIPA at a bar like this...they sell a lot of PBR pounders to the yahoos playing cornhole out in the parking lot. They may lose some customers by not having the full craft spectrum, but I fear it won't be enough to alter their business practices...Hope I'm wrong!!

This same thing happened at a bar we used to go to after work. They started with 50 taps and 100 bottles....all microbrew. Then, beginning this year, they replaced 75% of the taps with bmc beers. Finally, they started talking about replacing the other 25% with mexican imports to go along with their new tequila bar they were building. That ended our "after work drinking" for good. At least i will always have hombrew!

 

[munklunk]

Owning a bar is rough. The bills are always stacking up, things constantly break, and you are always in need of more money. When it comes to beer, especially here in Chicago, you have two major groups; those who are willing to pay more for good beer and those who pound BMC beers and only go to bars that have cheap daily specials. As a bar owner you have to see which crowd you can make the most money off of.

Luckily, the bar I work at is a craft bar, and we have a good built-in clientele that is willing to pay 10.50 a 12oz pour of Bourbon County Stout on tap, but that is because we are successful with it. Right down the street on Belmont another fledgling bar tried the craft approach and failed miserably. They had two options: go under and close or sell **** beer and make some money. It really is a toss up when you are in the business to make money.

 

[SteveM]

It's nothing new - if you have not already done so, rent "Beer Wars" for the primer on how the big breweries try to protect market share.

 

[BBBF]

"The major wholesalers are movers and shakers themselves: the billionaire Reyes family; Yusef and Jonathan Jackson, sons of the Rev. Jesse Jackson"

Dirty Chicago politiics... Research how Jesse Jackson's sons got control of AB distribution.