I do not see this going down

[grimzella]

Good luck with that. Don't see how this is going to effect such a growing revolution. But hey, I guess they gotta try something.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/insi...-revolution/ar-AAfwkAD?ocid=spartandhp#page=1

 

[bob1852]

#4 is the only one I'm concerned about.

But then again, craft beer distribution has never been better where I live.

 

[j1n]

Agree, craft beer is still growing while the big beer companies are stagnant in their sales. new breweries keep popping up everywhere. theres a few that opened up near me within the last couple years.

also lol @ people thinking Shock top and Blue moon are small craft breweries.

 

[bob1852]

Controlling/manipulating distribution could affect craft beer negatively, but it's also a way for the macros to profit on the craft beer explosion by partnering (controlling) distribution of craft beer....

 

[unionrdr]

We don't get very many craft breweries/brewpubs opening anywhere near here. But there's a lot available just the same. We really need to get the government to stop letting conglomerates have their way with anti-trust laws. And what ever happened to the monopoly laws we have in general? This bs has got to stop...

 

[grimzella]

And what ever happened to the monopoly laws we have in general? This bs has got to stop...

My exact thought. . . Glad someone feels the same as I do. It seems that after the gov (or I should say the people) bailed out the banks and auto industry.. this stuff gets ignored anymore.

 

[unionrdr]

I remember awhile back that one politician said the Constitution was a " worthless piece of paper". Ones like that ought to be lined up against a wall & splattered all over it on TV. Like that one Star Trek episode with modern Romans & TV gladiators...

 

[Sailingeric]

When they outlaw craft beer then only outlaws will have craft beers.

 

[unionrdr]

...namely, us!...

 

[xandersaml]

It's time to do away with the 3 Tier system.

 

[Hobanon]

also lol @ people thinking Shock top and Blue moon are small craft breweries.

I'm torn on this. The cynical axxhole in me says let em drink the yellow water thinking it's great. The former blue moon/shock top fan in me says if they think it tastes good it's whatever.

But the anarcho-punk-rebel soldier in me says EXPOSE THE FALSIFIERS AND DESTROY ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE.

 

[unionrdr]

Or modify it to allow for brewpubs & the like. And stop the big conglomerates from buying the middleman out.

 

[SevenOaks]

Personally, I don't give a flip what macro beer does or even what craft beer does. I brew 95% of all the beer I drink and commercial breweries don't much affect me. I'll happily let the masses deal with it.

 

[unionrdr]

The feeling is, it could eventually have a trickle-down effect & mess us up...

 

[drainbamage]

#3 at least doesn't worry me. I don't know of any people who, once they begin buying based on taste vs. commercial appeal or a cheap drunk, would go back to macro beer just because an ad called them a fussy hipster.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Their Plan does not include "make good beer", of course.

 

[slym2none]

The problem is that not all distributors are independent. Anheuser-Busch InBev has been purchasing distributors around the country—including two recently in Colorado, one of the nation’s craft beer strongholds. Critics say that there’s an imbalance when one company owns two of the three tiers for distribution, and point to the history of AB-owned distributors only selling AB products, thereby shutting out craft brands and forcing them to find other means of distribution.

Well, that would open the door for a few new, smaller craft-only distributors run by people who had the foresight to know something like this might be coming. People smart enough to not sell out to "the man".

 

[slym2none]

#3 at least doesn't worry me. I don't know of any people who, once they begin buying based on taste vs. commercial appeal or a cheap drunk, would go back to macro beer just because an ad called them a fussy hipster.

We all pretty much laughed it off, didn't we?

 

[Gerry_P]

The 1 percenters are after your craft beer! I've been dreading this day since the 80s. Their 30-year plan for taking away your beer freedom is finally starting to come together.

 

[Gerry_P]

Seriously though, the one thing that upset me about that story is the fact that I didn't know about this sooner and didn't have any spare $ lying around. Otherwise I would have bought a bunch of Miller stock before word got out.

 

[Gerry_P]

One more thing: Years ago I went to Busch Gardens in VA. In the men's room above the urinals they had these little signs with fun trivia questions similar to this: "Q: Of the two largest U.S. breweries, which is 100% U.S. owned?" A: Anheuser-Busch is 100% U.S. owned. SABMiller is owned by a SOUTH AFRICAN corporation. 'Murika!!!" I find this whole situation kind of amusing.

(I made up the "'Murika!!!" part btw.)

 

[Kharnynb]

the one problem with craft breweries disappearing is that you would also lose the smaller ingredient retailer/distributors, who depend on craft breweries for a majority of their sales, but also supply your lhbs....

 

[Jwin]

It's time to do away with the 3 Tier system.

But... I haven't even finished building it yet. And I don't want to spend all that money on pumps.

 

[xandersaml]

But... I haven't even finished building it yet. And I don't want to spend all that money on pumps.

Nice!