I don't blame successful brewers for taking a big pay day, if that's what they think they want. But...
1. I think it is naïve to suggest that this trend will not change the craft beer landscape. It seems reasonable to think that no one would buy a successful craft brewery and then ruin it with changes, but have you ever worked for a large corporation? When some know-nothing middle manager suggests a stupid change that saves a little money, who is going to stop him? How many times can these pinheads be stopped before changes must happen? Then, when the people with the passion decide to leave over it, we get meh beer that no one really cares about.
2. The big boys don't fight fair. To them, beer is business, and business is about making money. If destroying everyone else makes more money, then prepare to be destroyed. One of the things I like about small craft brewers is that their passion for the beer is more important to them than their desire to make money in any way that could be viewed as unfriendly to their peers. That's going away.
The business of business is business. I understand that, but I'm still saddened about the possibility of good beer packaged in green bottles with black and white stripes.
I don't blame successful brewers for taking a big pay day, if that's what they think they want. But...
1. I think it is naïve to suggest that this trend will not change the craft beer landscape. It seems reasonable to think that no one would buy a successful craft brewery and then ruin it with changes, but have you ever worked for a large corporation? When some know-nothing middle manager suggests a stupid change that saves a little money, who is going to stop him? How many times can these pinheads be stopped before changes must happen? Then, when the people with the passion decide to leave over it, we get meh beer that no one really cares about.
2. The big boys don't fight fair. To them, beer is business, and business is about making money. If destroying everyone else makes more money, then prepare to be destroyed. One of the things I like about small craft brewers is that their passion for the beer is more important to them than their desire to make money in any way that could be viewed as unfriendly to their peers. That's going away.
The business of business is business. I understand that, but I'm still saddened about the possibility of good beer packaged in green bottles with black and white stripes.
Excellent write up by Chris Herron. Gives a deeper perspective into why AB Inbev is going in this direction.
I get tired of people just throwing up the... 'If someone through millions at me I'd take the money and run too!' Of course we would, but anybody that truly cares about the industry can find some great insight in this article.
http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2017/5/5/watch-the-hands-not-the-cards-the-magic-of-megabrew
I may be wrong but isn't inbev Budweiser and Heineken?
1. Yes I have... don't every marry someone because you like who they might become...
2. It is more profitable for the big guys to buy craft brewers than to spend money trying to destroy the craft competition.
3. I have heard that at Budweiser the most important characteristic of a beer is 'drinkability'
4. I am willing to wager that you think the government is out to screw the average citizen too...
No, Heineken is their own company and not a part of InBev or SAB/Miller or whatever the current conglomeration is.
You know every time I see threads like this one thing comes to mind...you're basically saying that someone who started a business from the ground up isn't entitled to a life changing pay day...who are we to judge?
Are you honestly telling me that if you owned a business and someone approached you to buy your business with an offer that basically sets up your family for generations you wouldn't take it?
It's like people giving the owner of Ballast Point crap for taking the deal of 1 billion dollars. What we seem to forget is that beer is still a business...the object is to make money and the opportunity presented itself and he made the deal...who cares if you're not going to buy their beer anymore?
There are currently 5,300 breweries here in the states...you're really trying to tell me me that the sale of this one craft brewery is going to hurt the craft beer movement? Please, the craft beer movement is doing just fine and another brewery will step in its place.
I may be wrong but isn't inbev Budweiser and Heineken?
InBev already bought the biggest home brew supplier in USA! They know what they are doing.Kinda strange when Lagunitas was basically founded on sticking it to the man and being rebels. However, big stinkin' deal, this is just another reason to homebrew! I'm more interested in all the local breweries opening up. In my area (Temecula, Murrieta, it's just north of San Diego if anyones curious) there have been a good amount of breweries opening up in the last couple years and even some taprooms. So all is well in the world of craft and homebrew will never die.
I find it interesting reading the posts by people who aren't concerned by this. InBev wiped out craft beer in Belgium and England, destroyed the livelihoods of thousands involved in breweries and pubs and left generations drinking fizzy yellow water and brainwashed by marketing. USA is next. Luckily you have Stone, and Brewdog now too, and they won't go down without a fight, so maybe this time can be different?
I don't really buy beer anymore. Just beer ingredients. My biggest concern is when they scarf up the Homebrew supply stores and start controlling prices and availability.
List of breweries who have Sold Out, either partially or entirely. Feel free to add any missed
Ballast Point
Goose Island
Golden Road
Lagunitas
Wicked Weed
Elysian
10Barrel
Hop Valley
Terrapin
Revolver
St Archer
Firestone Walker
Ommegang
Boulevard
Founders (30% Sold)
Brooklyn Brewery (24.5% Sold)
Do you hold yourselves to the same high standard for every consumer item you buy? You bread, where do you buy your bread? At the local bakery only? You surely wouldn't support a big national bakery, would you? And your meat? Only at local butchers, who only buy local small sustainable farms, right? And you never buy anything from Procter and Gamble, do you? And never anything from Pepsi Co, Coca-Cola, or Nesté, right?
Another one of these threads....yawn
I guess those against it have:
Never had Taco Bell and only buy from the guy on the corner
Never had Burger King and only eat at "craft burger" joints
Never been to a single big box store
And NEVER not even once bought something online to save money including homebrew stuff
Re....Tard....ed
http://www.chicagotribune.com/dinin...-sale-tony-magee-heineken-20170504-story.html
After reading lagunitas story , I will never buy one of the beers again , started on more then a dozen failed batches ... then sold to a corporation , sometimes money and greed makes me sick to my stomach. Some people just don't want to grow craft beer , there wallet means way more to them. I hope he regrets it in ten years.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/dinin...-sale-tony-magee-heineken-20170504-story.html
After reading lagunitas story , I will never buy one of the beers again , started on more then a dozen failed batches ... then sold to a corporation , sometimes money and greed makes me sick to my stomach. Some people just don't want to grow craft beer , there wallet means way more to them. I hope he regrets it in ten years.
Enter your email address to join: