Sam Adams and Dogfish Head To "Merge"

[day_trippr]

More like DFH will be a wholly owned subsidiary of the BBC...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/09/business/boston-beer-company-dogfish-head-merger/index.html

Cheers!

 

[bracconiere]

cartels....ABInBev....

edit: thankfully it's beer, and not a tropical plant....

 

[schematix]

won't be the last big merger we see in 'craft' brewing.

i didn't realize people still drank sam adams. it's good but not compared to all the options at the same price.

 

[bracconiere]

won't be the last big merger we see in 'craft' brewing.

i didn't realize people still drank sam adams. it's good but not compared to all the options at the same price.

here in s.az, in the row of bud light, it's the only twelve pack other than inbev there....

 

[RPh_Guy]

I like Sam Adams! In my opinion they actually produce a large variety of balanced and enjoyable styles rather than one hop bomb after another, dessert milk stouts, or flavorless lagers.

I don't like their Angry Orchard line. I'm not surprised they didn't want their name associated with it.

i didn't realize people still drank sam adams. it's good but not compared to all the options at the same price.

It's the second largest US independent, so yeah, people drink it.

 

[schematix]

I like it too. But it's like $8-9/6 pack. In a sea of similarly priced options (at least for me) there is always a better decision.

The only other one of their beers i ever though was good was Noble Pils, and i can't ever find that.

 

[RPh_Guy]

That's fair.

 

[shoengine]

I like it too. But it's like $8-9/6 pack. In a sea of similarly priced options (at least for me) there is always a better decision.

The only other one of their beers i ever though was good was Noble Pils, and i can't ever find that.

A lot of the craft beer around here is going north of $10 a 6/pack. Its ridiculous.

 

[day_trippr]

Given the personalities of the two principals there is some significant up-side marketing potential here.
I'd love to see some fun collaborative stuff come out of the fusion...

Cheers!

 

[schematix]

A lot of the craft beer around here is going north of $10 a 6/pack. Its ridiculous.

When it went north of $6/6 pack i just started making my own. Problem solved.

 

[shoengine]

Understood, but sometimes its nice to have some other craft beers even just to taste stuff I don't make.

 

[day_trippr]

Craft at $6 a sixer? When was that - 2008?

 

[schematix]

Craft at $6 a sixer? When was that - 2008?

Coming up on 10 years of home brewing now, so yah about then.

 

[day_trippr]

Right. I was five years into home brewing around then - when Sam Adams was a big chunk of the nascent craft market.
Now...on the occasion I buy beer to take somewhere it's ~$12 a sixer - or more. But they're typically hop bombs, which do cost a bit more to build, and it happens so infrequently I'm not worked up about beer inflation

Cheers!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I like it too. But it's like $8-9/6 pack. In a sea of similarly priced options (at least for me) there is always a better decision.

The only other one of their beers i ever though was good was Noble Pils, and i can't ever find that.

This sums it up exactly in one sentence.

 

[madscientist451]

Sam Calagione's stock deal is worth $127 million if he sells it all. It doesn't say if he'll still have a job.
I like Dogfish Sea Quench and buy some of their special project beers when I see them on sale.
I have mixed feelings about this, Dogfish was a small brewpub to regional brand success story, I'm wondering if it will be the same.
I had some happy times in the original pub down at the beach.
Dogfish will probably get better distribution and shelf space and hopefully keep their more adventurous beer projects going.
Happy for Sam that he got his payday.
I usually don't buy Sam Adams anymore, but someone seems to be drinking it.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Sam Calagione's stock deal is worth $127 million if he sells it all. It doesn't say if he'll still have a job.
I like Dogfish Sea Quench and buy some of their special project beers when I see them on sale.
I have mixed feelings about this, Dogfish was a small brewpub to regional brand success story, I'm wondering if it will be the same.
I had some happy times in the original pub down at the beach.
Dogfish will probably get better distribution and shelf space and hopefully keep their more adventurous beer projects going.
Happy for Sam that he got his payday.
I usually don't buy Sam Adams anymore, but someone seems to be drinking it.

I think Sam Adams is the go to for the casual beer drinker who wants to appear more refined and discerning than the lowly Bud Light guy but doesn't really know enough or care enough to learn about what else is out there. I'm guessing that's a pretty decent sized market.

I've also run into a lot of places with just a few taps that put that on as the safe alternative when they really know nothing about craft beer. I've seen many Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light and Sam Adams type taplists in older places that still only have a handful of taps.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Does this mean Sam is going to swim in one of his fermenters as promised?

 

[BedtimeBrewer]

This is a surprise. Time to cash out I suppose. I order to obtain the efficiency needed to make this worthwhile something will be lost in the process. They may maintain unique packaging but the dogfis identity will be gone. Blue moon is a good analogy, good brew no question but not an innovator.

 

[balrog]

Given the personalities of the two principals there is some significant up-side marketing potential here.
I'd love to see some fun collaborative stuff come out of the fusion...

"60 minute continuous hopped Oktoberfest"?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

i didn't realize people still drank sam adams. it's good but not compared to all the options at the same price.

In a recent trip to Austin TX I found Sam’s 76 for under $10 /12pk.

 

[Mitch S]

The only DFH I ever see here in TX is their 60 or 90 minute. Didn't they also have a short lived TV show at one time?

 

[lump42]

Sam Calagione's stock deal is worth $127 million if he sells it all. It doesn't say if he'll still have a job.
I like Dogfish Sea Quench and buy some of their special project beers when I see them on sale.
I have mixed feelings about this, Dogfish was a small brewpub to regional brand success story, I'm wondering if it will be the same.
I had some happy times in the original pub down at the beach.
Dogfish will probably get better distribution and shelf space and hopefully keep their more adventurous beer projects going.
Happy for Sam that he got his payday.
I usually don't buy Sam Adams anymore, but someone seems to be drinking it.

"Sam Calagione will obtain a seat on Boston Beer’s board of directors starting in 2020."
https://www.brewbound.com/news/bost...gfish-head-agree-to-merge-in-300-million-deal

I don't think this will be the last of the craft mergers. This is better than breweries being bought by ab, miller, constalation, etc.

 

[bob1852]

So are they still craft*?

Asking for a friend...




*as arbitrarily defined by the BA

 

[Jag75]

I like their Bavarian Lager and Sam 76 . Boston Lager is meh ....

 

[brownni5]

So are they still craft*?

Asking for a friend...




*as arbitrarily defined by the BA

Reportedly will be, according to what I read.

I like Sam Adams Boston Lager - so in a lineup of that and a bunch of BMC, I'll choose SA every time. Can't remember the last time I bought it when there were other choices, though. I really only buy commercial beers now when I know they incorporate an ingredient/process that I'm interested in trying myself. Or if I need bottle dregs!

 

[chewse]

IMHO. Many of the original craft breweries started in the late '70's and '80's who's "David vs Goliath" spunk and vision led them to success and national or regional recognition over the years. However, most of their flagship brands, which got them to the top, have become tiresome and outdated. I think Sam Adams definitely fits this description. I was never a big Dog Fish fan because only a few of their beers made it out west. Even the large breweries here in CO, such as, New Belgium, Left Hand and Oskar Blues are experiencing a drop in sales due to the finicky tastes of today's consumers who tend not to be brand loyal but look for a different beer and style with each experience. To me, the true craft brewery today is the one who is micro-focused on the highly local customer base; similar to the neighborhood bars and restaurants.

 

[brewcat]

Will be nice if it lowers their prices.

 

[daveMN]

Here's my conspiracy theory: Jim is 69, Sam is 49. Is this Jim's succession plan? Work a few more years, get Sam to wear denim shirts, then go hang out with Charlie.

 

[Pappers_]

Here's my conspiracy theory: Jim is 69, Sam is 49. Is this Jim's succession plan? Work a few more years, get Sam to wear denim shirts, then go hang out with Charlie.

I don't think Jim is running things day to day at this point. According to the article, someone else is the CEO of Boston Beer Co.

 

[Novacor]

Back I college I drank the cheapest beer that I could get my hands on. When I wanted to splurge the drink of choice was Bud Light. Then one fateful day at a party someone handed me a Boston Lager and my mind was blown. I started trying some more craft beer and the rest is history. I'm sure that there are many people out there with a story just like mine.
That being said, I was in the liquor store about a month ago and started feeling nostalgic so I picked up a 6 pack of Boston Lager and.. meh.
I'm hopeful that this deal helps out both companies. DFH gets a wider distribution range, and maybe Sam Adams can get a little more innovative.

 

[bobeer]

Sam changed state laws, challenged traditional methods when no one else really was, and he built a pretty big company from nothing. At some point, with how the market is these days, you need some help to get noticed or to even grow. He put his work in and took a pay day for it. I wish I could say I as in the same position! Can't hate at all on him for selling to BBC. All you can do is hope the beer doesn't change too much. I'm not really a huge DFH fan but when we go to DE it's usually my go to.

 

[Jtk78]

So are they still craft*?

Asking for a friend...




*as arbitrarily defined by the BA

In 2018 Sam Adams produced 2 million barrels and Dogfish Head produced 300 thousand. The BA limit is 6 million. If you combined them they'd still need to more than double production to eclipse the limit.

 

[doogie]

The optimist in me hopes that they have SA in Allentown PA start brewing 60 min IPA so that DFH in Delaware can focus on eclectic brews.