I do recall there was the initial knee-jerk reaction when InBev bought in, then a couple of years of nobody really noticing much of anything different, and then InBev saw the end in sight and bailed - again, with scant mention...
Looks like AB InBev has sold Northern Brewer
- Thread starter OG-wan Kenobi
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I started with Northern Brewer. As I learned more I found that I could get what I wanted for less easily. Just a little internet searching,
bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
i was, but now at morebeer a pound of base malt is like ~2$.....so i'm going back to malting my own.....(damn i really need to figure out a contraption to automate blowing the rootlets off!
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I’ve gone back. My brewing frequency is down, but when I need something that’s where I go.
It’s been a weird year to do comparisons. For a long time you couldn’t walk in the store. From what I can tell not much has changed about the retail experience. They do seem to be drifting towards having their own, or at least unique brands of things, but I have no idea how that relates to their larger ownership and strategy questions.
Glad NB is no longer a macro swill sellout, but I still don't like their high prices or their re-labeled malts. Online homebrewing supply isn't a monopoly game anymore and my favorite suppliers are the little guys. I have a hops guy, a parts guy, a malts guy, etc. They each have an area of expertise and offer the most dynamic value. NB needs to catch up with the times, maybe ~35-40 points margin is not sustainable? That might work with newcomers who don't know what's what, but we're a resourceful bunch. We will find a way to sustain our hobby on a shoestring budget. It's just the nature of homebrewing.
