Calfkiller Brewing Co. accused of keg theft, goes off on Facebook

I hope bud loses this one.
I may drink their beer occasionally but I do not agree with their company morals one bit. That goes for miller coors as well.

 

but that's not what the rant actually says:

"After researching, and talking with St. Louis. St. Louis said "we know nothing about this". Calfkiller figured as much. Plus after 5 phone calls not returned it was pretty obvious it was on the local scale, and the So Called "King of Beers" had little if anything to do with it."​

The problem is apparently with the independent AB houses in TN.

 

This ain't a beer story this is a "this is how businesses in America co-exist while battling each other in pursuit of market dominance, and while praying to the all forgiving dual gods of greed and capitalism" story.

 

The distributor in question is apparently AB of Clarksville, TN. From what I hear (thirdhand), the distributor claims the kegs are stolen because they aren't etched as void over the AB logos. Apparently some other stuff being spread around, but not gonna get into that.

That being said, a friend who has met the Sergio brothers (and is in the beer biz) speaks quite highly of them.

 

Here's a commercial for Tuborg and it does take a stab at Bud:




Hehe...

 

AB never sells used kegs. The brothers unknowingly (?) bought stolen kegs from someone. In brewing as in life - "I didn't know they were stolen when I bought them" is not a defense. Small guy, big guy...my stuff is my stuff. If someone steals it and sells it to you - it's still my stuff. When it has my name on it - you're kind of asking for trouble...

 

Interesting that nobody suggested this explanation before now. Too many people like to jump to conclusions without considering all the possibilities.

 

Per Calfkiller's facebook, they said the issue is resolved and they are losing zero kegs... The brothers even thanked Budweiser- so maybe they stepped in to help against the distributor?

http://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...06914501295:mf_story_key.-7089124855119401379

 

A lesson for all you BMC/macro bashers on this site: just because a craft brewery does or says something about BMC doesn't automatically make it true. This, as acknowledged above, is not a case of bullying. Cooperage is a HUGE expense for everyone in the industry, AB included, and Calfkiller has the right to purchase kegs second-hand. But when AB publicly acknowledges that they do not sell any kegs to third parties for anything other than scrap, then Calfkiller did not do their due diligence. I am sure it is just an oversight, as they were focused on making great beer. But again, rationality in responding. As Joe Maddon says, 'Nothing is ever as bad as it seems, nothing is ever as good as it seems.'

 

Always happy to bash BMC when the opportunity arises. Otherwise its like trying to defend the mafia or Halliburton.
Anyway, we're here to advocate quality beer not promote companies who push mediocrity and marketing.

 

Aaaaand there is the rationality aspect. AB makes yellow water for profit. The mafia and Haliburton kill people in order to make a profit. Slight difference in MO's.

 

Just a bit of the old hyperbole to spice things up. Yellow water (and lifestyle marketing) for profit indeed.

 

Beer Business Daily has one of it's rare "no membership needed" posts up on this controversy.

Keg Shrinkage Problem Goes Viral - Who owns this keg?
(Including comments from Sierra Nevada's Ken Grossman).

​

 

BBD reports that there are incidents of Craft Brewers stealing kegs from other (larger) Craft Brewers. It's a big deal within the industry folks. Size does not matter (in this case anyway!).

Another craft brewer told BBD:

"There's a certain preciousness with a few upstart breweries -- not all mind you -- where they think that just because they're small, against the man, and use cool local ingredients farmed at a co-op, that they are somehow exempt from common standards of law and morality. The fact is, you buy a keg with another brewer's name on it, the chances are it was probably stolen at some point in the supply chain, usually at retail. If brewers quit buying these kegs, there would be no market for them and the theft would diminish. If you as a 'small cool brewer' are comfortable with stealing cooperage from another brewer, then I don't think you're as cool as you think you are."