Cigar City AB InBev Rumor

I have said on this forum before...

ABInBev can offer a brewer/owner to take his brand national overnight. They have the regional breweries in place and could in theory brew Jai Alai in any of their 12 Budweiser breweries (or various other breweries) as soon as materials can be delivered. OR just buy out a brewery and manage them to a growth pattern they see fit.

This makes considering ABInBev for a national launch the most obvious choice.

But there are other partners out there to dance with... I'm looking at you Oscar Blues.

Oh, and think about Brew Hub. If those guys build another facility in say, St. Louis, watch out. They could be a stepping stone to help state or regional breweries expand their brands. And potentially be a player if they wanted to own brewery brands (as a brewing conglomerate).

 

Shhhhhhh!

 

This strikes me as irresponsible reporting. Trying to stir folks up way before information is actually available. Now watch, I'll have to eat my words...

 

Well....AB-InBev still hasn't responded to our acquisition offer, but if they buy CCB before we buy them...then we'll end up owning CCB. Sounds good to me. Our first order of business will be to ensure El Cat forever remains in tact.

 

Look at the date of this article...doesn’t seem a little suspect to anyone else?
http://www.tampabay.com/news/busine...-anheuser-busch-not-likely-owner-says/2217127

 

Yeah that's an article from last year when this same rumor went around. Current rumor is being fueled by the more recent article from The Full Pint.

 

I think what he is saying is that it almost the same date the articles came out.

 

Either way.....here's a new one.

http://www.brewbound.com/news/cigar-city-founder-calls-buyout-rumor-speculation

 

Sounds like a guy who is not enjoying the "realities" of running his now big company...I will be surprised if he does not sell this year based on the tenor of his dialogue in that interview

 

So...nobody thinks it’s more than a coincidence that the rumors started on the exact same day last year?

 

My guess is that In-Bev had a meeting with him a year ago, and then they just had another meeting at the same time this year.

He doesn't deny meeting with them in the article above.

His quotes are interesting. It sounds like he regrets pushing the company to get bigger, or at least that he doesn't enjoy it as much now that it's bigger, but it also sounds like he plans on continuing to try to expand...

Which seems odd.

 

That brewhound article doesn't do anything to dispel the rumors. In fact it sounds quite the opposite.

How old is Joey? 51ish if my google is right. Kids should probably be out of school soon (if he has any). Made a fortune (especially if he is die-hard Ramsey money guy). Has chance to set up his family for life and retire on the gulf. Sounds like he doesn't enjoy it as much as he used to. Why NOT ride off into the sunset and do what you want to. Heck even start another small brewery as it sounds like that is what he enjoys...brewing.

 

He's like 44ish (a coworker of mine went to high school with him...he graduated in like 90 or 91)

And I think his kids are a younger.

 

I sincerely have no qualms with any brewery owner that wants to exit ownership and retire or get rich or just do whatever they want. I know these buyouts are very unpopular with craft beer lovers and they do tend to sting a little when a craft brewer you love is no longer "small" or "independent", and therefore no longer craft. But no, it's not the selling that bothers me....it's to whom they choose to sell that is most disappointing. For years AB-InBev has used unethical and illegal tactics to destroy their craft brewing competition. I have zero problem with competition. Heck, I even recognize the impressive efficiency, scale, and consistency AB-InBev has in their products. It's a marvel. But I'll put high quality craft beer against AB-InBev any day of the week and let it compete on it's own merits. But competing fairly is not AB-InBev's style; no they prefer scorched earth, dirty play over fair competition. And that is why I'd be disappointed if CCB sold out to AB-InBev. Not for selling....but for selling to the company that is trying to destroy craft brewers. Sell to Coors...sell to Sapporo...sell to Heineken... sell to a private equity firm even. Maybe they won't pay quite as much as AB, but at least you're not strengthening the enemy of craft beer.

But that's just my 2 cents...I'll never begrudge someone securing their financial future. Just like I'll never judge people that love drinking Bud. To each their own. It's just not consistent with my vision and passion for craft beer. I'd like to believe there are many others that feel the way I do and to them I say Cheers!

 

I agree with 90% of what you say but it's not like these breweries are sitting there with multiple offers on the table and weighing which one makes the most financial sense and which one fits in with their personal values. AB-InBev throws a ton of money at them and it's take it or leave it in most cases, with no other options.
Personally I hope CCB and others "leave it", but I really can't blame them for cashing in on their success.

 

^^^ Exactly. If Sierra Nevada or someone "cooler" were throwing a billion dollars around to buy up craft breweries, I'm confident the sellers would rather have those deals. But they don't exist.

 

Not sure about the "coolness" factor, but there have been over 20 craft brewery buy outs over the past 12 months, and AB-InBev only accounts for 5 or so. So right there you have 15 other breweries that found someone other than AB to buy them. There are plenty of options. Constellation threw a billion at Ballast Point. Duvel has been active in acquiring. Heineken bought Lagunitas. There are other options. And it's not that AB is not "cool", it's that they are the most unethical of the bunch.

 

It would not surprise me to see Duvel buy a SE brewery. They respect the beer.

 

Eh, I imagine that the announcement is being held off until after Hunaphu day. Wouldn't want to see a backlash of people wanting their money back for the event. I mean, not like there would be one anyway. It's easy to forget InBev owns a beer company when you like to drink the beer - see BCBS. But they probably want to minimize the damage until after they've cleared the event.

 

Somehow I forgot to give a hunakurfuffle. BFD!