Another micro bites the dust?

[fezzman]

I heard a rumor yesterday that the Florida Beer Company http://floridabeer.com/0_home.html was just bought out by AB. They have some great tasting brew and I just hope that doesn't change.

Does AB buy micros on a regular basis? Any changes in quality after?

 

[RichBrewer]

Ab can't compete with good beer so they have to buy out the small guy...

 

[david_42]

There are a number of micros that distribute through AB, maybe this is the same sort of deal.

 

[SkaBoneBenny]

Power to the people, long live small business!

 

[Desert_Sky]

Ab can't compete with good beer so they have to buy out the small guy...

Thats American big business for you. Microsoft does the same thing. WHy share the profits, when you can just buy them out and keep the profits for yourself.

AB sells buttloads of beer, I think they can more than compete. Do I agree with it? No, but thats just corporations doing their thing. ****, I'd be happy if I owned a micro and AB offered me some ridiculous amount. Retirement city.....and back to homebrewing

 

[rdwj]

Ab can't compete with good beer so they have to buy out the small guy...

AB could make whatever kind of beer they want to make. Don't be fooled into thinking they don't have the ability. What they choose to make is what's going to make the most money.

They already do a great job with the mass markets. If they can absorb some profitable nitch markets and can keep them highly profitable, why not?

 

[Kaiser]

There are a number of micros that distribute through AB, maybe this is the same sort of deal.

Since the big ones have a strong-hold in beer disribution, many micros actually sign deals with them to be able to get a wider distribution.

Kai

 

[brmdavis]

I heard a rumor yesterday that the Florida Beer Company http://floridabeer.com/0_home.html was just bought out by AB. They have some great tasting brew and I just hope that doesn't change.

Does AB buy micros on a regular basis? Any changes in quality after?

Ybor gold is one of my favorite brews, hope they don't go and screw it up by cost cutting the ingredients list

 

[Ninkasi]

david_42 and Kaiser are all right in their interpretation of A-B's position in the market. With the explosion of the microbrew industry consolidation is going to be the trend over the next several years. Redhook is another example of a company that sold a portion of their stock to A-B to gain access to their distribution network. I don't suspect that the Florida Beer Company will change anything about their recipes. I think it would be in A-Bs best interest to not tinker with the product (or the current following the beer has). Take Leinenkugels in Wisconsin for example. Miller bought the regional favorite and has basically left the company alone. I think Miller go so far as to counts Leinenkugels profit separately.

 

[fezzman]

Somewhere on Florida Beer's page recently, I saw where they had added move vessels to expand production. I suppose that would go hand-in-hand with the rumor of AB buying them.

One of these days I'll have to pop in there and ask the owner. He's a nice guy and will let you sample any/all of the brews that you want to.

A retailer is the one that told me about AB. He did seem a bit bitter though. Apparently FB had some kind of problem with the pricing on kegs and he lost money on it...and vowed to stop selling their product. That would truely be a shame because they have some great beer. I love the Key West Golden Lager. SWMBO's all-time favorite drink is Kelly's.