Funky Buddha Joins Constellation Brands

Maybe my definition of independent is different than yours, but Constellation(STZ) is a publicly traded company who is viewed in the wine business much like the big brewers are viewed on sites like this.

 

When I wrote "independent" I was mainly trying to convey that they are independent of AB, as in there are no ownership ties there. Constellation is a publicly traded company, but it acts more like a privately held one due to the fact that they issue two types of stock, and the founding family still owns the controlling shares. It is a vastly different company than AB, and they don't have the same track record as AB when it comes to meddling with their brands and attempting to damage the Craft industry as a whole. Still not sure why you seem to imply they are AB. Like many others, it seems like you wanna hate on Constellation simply because they're a big company, but don't have any good reason beyond that.

 

How so? What has Constellation done to harm the beer brands they've acquired or the Craft industry as a whole?

 

The BBEI - Big Beer Evil Index. Let's say for sake of discussion that AB/InBev is a 666, Heineken is less evil at 333, MillerCoors a 400 and Sapporo a 221. What's the BBEI for Constellation?

In my mind the BBEI index reflects a number of things; are they actively trying to thwart craft, are they trying to control the availability of supplies to competitors (vs just ensuring their own supplies), are they meddling with distributors to hurt craft, etc. Or are they an investment company that just wants to make money competing in the craft market. The latter is more palatable to me.

 

Owning a bit of Boston Brewing Stock I've found that many folks do not understand that difference and where the locus of control resides.

 

This is beyond silly. Anyone on this forum or off who condemns "big companies" buying breweries is stupid. Unless of course you hunt and kill all of your food, make your shelter and clothes, refuse to keep your money in banks, your only mode of transportation is by foot or otherwise a vehicle you yourself have constructed from raw materials and live off the grid. Which isn't the case if you're on this site. So get over yourself, it's just beer.

 

I think the issue comes down to how predatory they are. If they are just trying to make a go of it and make more money for their stockholders, that's fine and expected. If they are actively trying to keep supplies from their competitors, or trying to coerce distributors and retailers into not carrying craft - that's the issue at hand. Not necessarily illegal, but not right.

 

So why do we not support these "predatory" companies that make beer but we're fine with supporting others that are just as cutthroat if not more? It always comes off really hypocritical that someone won't support ABI but loves companies like Apple, or Walmart, or any other large company for that matter.

 

I agree with a lot of what you wrote - but actually "Natural Flavors" could indeed indicate Castoreum being included in the beer. Though it's a quite unlikely additive, as it's expensive...
Here

Quote from the page:
"Castoreum as a food additive is classified by the Food and Drug Administration as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), and therefore food manufacturers don’t always have to include castoreum in their ingredients lists and may instead refer to it as 'natural flavoring.'"

 

The TTB page seems to suggest that castoreum would fall under WONF, unless I am misreading it?
https://www.ttb.gov/ssd/dbmenu4.shtml

 

Does Apple buy their suppliers and try to put the squeeze on their competitors needing the same supplies? Actually, Apple buys their screens and memory from Samsung - their major competitor. Also, I don't believe Apple insists on exclusive deals with their resellers to discourage resellers from handling Apple competitor's products. Apple does not have the market share that AB/InBev does, so can't really apply the same market control.

 

No, they just outsource their labor to a Chinese company that works its people nearly to death for low wages to the point where employees would rather commit suicide than work. So there's that.

Point is, no company, no matter what size, no matter who owns it, will be totally free of unethical business practices. As long as human beings are involved, no company will ever be perfect.

 

Lol, probably not anytime soon my friend. That would be nice to see them there, I'm originally from Montana, and come home frequently, so would be nice to see a beer like that on the shelf. But I have a better chance of seeing it in Kansas before hand, it will be years before they reach here. Anyways, MT has plenty of good breweries, my favorite is either Bridger, Bozeman brewing or 406, but also love angry hanks and kettle house. Cheers!

 

What if I told you it's possible to disapprove of ABI while also accepting that by living a normal life in a capitalist society, you are by default supporting one corporation or another? What if I told you it's possible to be against ABI while not thinking all corporations are evil? What if I told you it's possible to find one company's actions more distasteful than another's? What if I told you it's possible to support companies with better practices while also accepting that none is perfect? And considering you're calling a large group of people on an online forum stupid for having different opinions, I think the only one here needing to get over himself is you.

 

All that is certainly possible, and hypocritical. But to each their own I suppose.

 

Let the Ballast Pointification begin. Only a matter of time til we end up with pineapple last snow, Habanero Mexican Coffee, Wide Awake with Grapefruit and Banana French Toast. Adios FB!

 

Since the adjuncts already in every one of those beers just weren't enough?

 

ISO: Last Snow. lol

 

And for sneaking into concerts. Not that I've ever done that.

 

Yeah, the fact that Ballast Point was already following that path before the Constellation purchase was one of the reasons I thought Constellation had made a pour decision in buying them in the first place.