[Houston] Hay Merchant's Goodbye GI

Discussion in 'Southwest' started by tx_beer_man, Apr 14, 2015.

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  1. tx_beer_man

    tx_beer_man Pundit (902) Jan 22, 2013 Texas
    Trader

    A lot of "why now, HM should have done it in 2011..." For me though, just like anything, anybody/brand can choose to change and move on at any time and leave the past behind them...

    [​IMG]The Hay Merchant @HayMerchant · 14h14 hours ago
    people are asking about our reasons behind out parting ways with @GooseIsland see this clip for further insight https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=861957700493985…

    Owner Kevin Floyd's answer to GI questions: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.floyd.96/posts/10200731874895655

    Kevin Floyd
    53 mins · Houston, TX · Edited ·


    Yesterday The Hay Merchant announced its line up of events for Houston Beer Week 2015. On Monday 4/20 we are doing a Good-By GI event where we will be selling all of the Goose Island product we currently have on hand for super low prices. This event has raised a lot of questions about why we will no longer be carrying Goose Island. Let me take a few minutes to explain in full.

    Goose Island is one of the most important breweries in America today. A few years back it was wholly sold to Anheuser Bush InBev. This marked one of the first and most important sales of an independent craft brewery to one of the big 2 (or big 3 depending on how you look at it).

    While ABI basically embodies everything wrong with beer in America, Goose Island was still largely staffed by the same hard working people in Chicago that had been with the company before the sale. In fact many who chose to stay with the company reported how nice it was to have the extra money to spend on need equipment and supplies. A GI brewer told me the contract stated that ABI couldn't tell GI what to brew only to brew more of something. Also while ABI was taking over production of GI's core brands (IPA, Honker's Ale etc.) the production of vintage series beers would still be done in Chicago. It was for these reasons and others that we at HM decided to sell only vintage series GI beers. These are the beers that most craft drinkers are concerned about anyway; Bourbon County, Matilda, Juliet, sours and other barrel aged beers.

    Our choice to sell these beers was met with mixed reviews within the craft beer world. But fundamentally at the time I saw no reason to not buy good beer made by good people. I knew at some point in the future that would change as it is against ABI's very nature to allow inefficiencies of small production to get in the way of profits. As such I knew that at some point we would simply have to stop buying GI.

    I never thought that ABI would ever bite the hand that feeds it and they did in a very public way. This year that the Super Bowl ABI ran an add that is quite simply anti-craft. Linked on this post. In response we immediately stopped buying GI and liquidated the "every day" GI beers we had on hand (Matilda and Sofie). We also made our own video in response to this ABI attack ad, linked here.

    While it is one thing to sell beer that you know is owned by a big company it is something completely different when that company uses the money that it has made selling craft to fund a multimillion dollar ad campaign attacking craft. As such we decided that we would never by GI again or for that matter buy any other craft brand ABI acquires in the future or owns any part of now. While I still love GI's beers I can not in good faith give money to a company that will use my money to attack the very base of my business model.

    After the Ad was run we still had a large amount of GI in the cellar, that inventory is what we will be liquidating on 4/20. We have already given the devil our money to buy these beers before they declared war on us and as such can not undo the harm but we thought it would be nice to sell the beers to all our guests at the best price we can afford. I have also posted the link to the HM FB post with all the event details.

    I hope this answers all you questions.

    Cheers,
    Kevin

    ABI Suer Bowl AD
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siHU_9ec94c

    Our Response to the Super Bowl AD
    https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=861957700493985&set=vb.182231945133234&type=2&theater

    Our list of HBW events
    https://www.facebook.com/HayMerchant/photos/a.325081617514932.76628.182231945133234/893702937319461/?type=1&theater

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    #1 tx_beer_man, Apr 14, 2015
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  2. hou_mcbp

    hou_mcbp Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2015 Texas

    The Hay Merchant has always had a special place in my heart as it was one of my top go-to places when I was in school at UofH. This has increased my respect for them ten-fold as it shows their support and dedication to the craft. Cheers!
     
    #2 hou_mcbp, Apr 14, 2015
  3. nathanmiller

    nathanmiller Initiate (0) Oct 7, 2009 New York

    I applaud Kevin for doing this. I agree with his statement in the announcement that it could have been done earlier, but also agree that the past can't be undone - gotta go forward correctly. I think it's a good move.
     
    #3 nathanmiller, Apr 14, 2015
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  4. starkmarvelo

    starkmarvelo Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2010 Texas

    More GI for others then. It's his place, he can do whatever he wants. I'll still be buying GI beers though.
     
    #4 starkmarvelo, Apr 14, 2015
    Techichi likes this.
  5. aschwab

    aschwab Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2009 Texas

    I try to avoid giving AB-InBev money. So I am supportive.
     
    #5 aschwab, Apr 14, 2015
    Beernerds and nathanmiller like this.
  6. kmello69

    kmello69 Initiate (0) Nov 27, 2011 Texas

    Just more anti-GI whining, IMO. Get rid of the beer if you want to, but no need to make a public spectacle of it (I can only imagine the shitshow line at that place next Monday)

    Craft isnt going anywhere, despite AB's commercial, so who cares what they spend their money on. Just one opinion.
     
    #6 kmello69, Apr 15, 2015
    TX-Badger, djd07, Theortiz01 and 6 others like this.
  7. lilsquiggz

    lilsquiggz Initiate (0) Feb 17, 2015 Texas

    Yes there's no NEED to make a public spectacle of it. But it's a business... And that's how you market a business...

    Obviously Kevin Floyd cares.
     
    #7 lilsquiggz, Apr 15, 2015
    icetrauma likes this.
  8. icetrauma

    icetrauma Pooh-Bah (1,657) Sep 7, 2004 Texas
    Pooh-Bah

    He either announces it or doesn't. Either way Houstonians will find something to bitch about.
     
    #8 icetrauma, Apr 15, 2015
    Beernerds likes this.
  9. Techichi

    Techichi Pooh-Bah (2,061) Sep 25, 2012 Texas
    Pooh-Bah

    So they continued to buy the vintage series to support job holders in Chicago...but they're not doing that anymore because of a freagin commercial?

    I don't mean to sound like I care either way, but I really am sick of businesses using social media to say and do things like this. You just draw lines, it's unnecessary drama.
     
    #9 Techichi, Apr 15, 2015
  10. Dicers

    Dicers Grand Pooh-Bah (3,436) Sep 2, 2012 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Most people bitching are not from Houston
     
    #10 Dicers, Apr 15, 2015
    Beernerds, Phil_S, tx_beer_man and 4 others like this.
  11. HawksBeerFan

    HawksBeerFan Maven (1,378) Dec 24, 2011 Illinois
    Trader

    FWIW I thought it was a funny commercial and I like craft beer

    I think it's more than a little whiny to let a commercial prompt a decision like this but that's just me
     
    #11 HawksBeerFan, Apr 15, 2015
    Phil_S and wiingman like this.
  12. AChamberlain

    AChamberlain Savant (1,059) Jun 6, 2006 Texas

    They should only serve Houston beers. As the video states "craft is local" . . .
     
    #12 AChamberlain, Apr 15, 2015
  13. sethsticles

    sethsticles Crusader (413) May 6, 2014 California
    Trader

    I don't know if there would be enough quality beers to fill their taps if that's the case. And the sour list would (all but) disappear. Shame. Houstonians would riot.
     
    #13 sethsticles, Apr 15, 2015
  14. starkmarvelo

    starkmarvelo Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2010 Texas

    It's soooo funny to see people get butthurt about AB taking a shot at "craft beer" after craft beer has been doing it to AB for years.
     
    #14 starkmarvelo, Apr 15, 2015
    ElChuques likes this.
  15. drummermattie02

    drummermattie02 Initiate (0) May 10, 2009 Texas

    I dunno, I thought referring to it as "fizzy yellow stuff" and "piss flavored water" was laudatory :slight_smile:

    It's almost like this has been going on for a while...

    [​IMG]
     
    #15 drummermattie02, Apr 15, 2015
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  16. Can_has_beer

    Can_has_beer Initiate (0) May 14, 2013 Texas

    Nah, it wouldn't be that bad, especially if they could get Reindeer Tears on a dedicated tap :stuck_out_tongue:
     
    #16 Can_has_beer, Apr 15, 2015
    TxUltraRunner, wiingman and sethsticles like this.
  17. Abbbp

    Abbbp Pooh-Bah (1,762) Mar 9, 2013 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think it's cool. Take a stand! Yea!


















    I love BCVR so much.
     
    #17 Abbbp, Apr 15, 2015
    MLDucky likes this.
  18. cultclassic89

    cultclassic89 Initiate (0) Oct 19, 2013 Texas

    So, they're going to stop buying Bourbon County, but they keep that horrible Mexican Cannon gose on tap? I'd say that's more of an insult to craft beer than AB-Inbev.
     
    #18 cultclassic89, Apr 15, 2015
    Texasfan549, JaBes, Abbbp and 1 other person like this.
  19. Dicers

    Dicers Grand Pooh-Bah (3,436) Sep 2, 2012 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I was with a few people who all actually enjoyed it recently... Too salty for me, but not a bad base for amichelada
     
    #19 Dicers, Apr 15, 2015
    tx_beer_man likes this.
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