Resistance is not futile.

If brewers make good beer and sell it at a reasonable price, people will buy it.

I hate the "us versus them" rhetoric.

 

This topic is almost enjoyable as discussing religion or politics. Some people support small business, some people don't care as long as they get the beer they enjoy. All I can say for sure is...if big corporations swallow the craft beer explosion, I'm switching to homebrew

 

Gotta respect the guy for handling it this way. I'm tired of people willingly handing their money over to Big Beer just because it's a beer they want. If it's a "craft" brewer bought by the Big Boys you know where the money is going and it isn't to help further other actual craft brewers.

 

That's cool. I see the craft scene as an ebb and flow situation. Where money is concerned, it's going to be resistance and then maybe capitulation, for some. The big guys (macro brewers) are gonna fight it. A little turf here, a little turf there. But, this train of quality beer, and that is what more and more people desire (and growing) will eventually become the mainstream. I hope.

 

Cool post ... and a cool way to handle a weird situation.

Resistance is not futile. Spend an afternoon at Jester King and it begins not to even feel like resistance. It's just a way of being.

 

I am concerned about the trend of breweries selling out to AB-InBev (stock acronym BUD). It's becoming obvious that BUD does not want to out-compete rivals; BUD want to conquer them by buying them. It's restricted to relatively marginal/not highly respected players so far: Breckenridge, Four Peaks, and Goose Island as a major-player exception. But as the saying goes, everyone has a price. When it comes to a Goliath like BUD, they have virtually limitless resources to offer, and it is up to individual brewery owners to say "No, we will not be bought," stemming from their conviction of their products' value, their belief in honest business practices, and their decision to treat employees decently. I just hope that most independent brewery owners are like Sam Calagione and say hell no, we will not sell out.

NOTE: I am opposed to BUD not because I think BUD's acquisition of a brewery will necessarily mean the quality will decrease, but I do think prices will increase. E.g.: BCBS was $.52/oz pre-BUD buyout, this year it was $.71/oz. Not to mention BUD's arguably evil legislative habits, and I do not fool myself into thinking they treat employees even equally as well as a small brewer treats theirs.

+1 for the resistance!

 

Very interesting. I have been enjoying some excellent beers the last few years and unknowingly buying beers that I don't know for sure who they are "owned" by. It really is about the beer to me. My "standard" beers now are primarily Mexican. I like Indio. Coors Light is out but I pay more for the Indio and Sol. Shiner Bock occasionally but I don't know if the big guys own it or not. Local brewers Rahr and Sons have drinkable beers, Ugly Pug of late and I like supporting them. Martin House, Peticolas, Franconia, Texas Ale Project and so many more. Much to be bought up by the big guys. I sure would like to go to Russian River. Oh wait that's off topic. Cheers Y'all!
Keep us informed.

 

I'm using every ounce of restraint I have on this one

 

This (these buyouts) reminds me of the movie Ransom (good flick, btw). Where Gary Sinese is describing a Morlock going up to the surface every once in awhile to snatch an Eloy. I guess I just like thinking of the big brewing corps. as Morlocks.

 

I get it. 3 minutes on politics and 3 minutes on religion and lets talk about beer, tequila, girls, cars and airplanes. I don't have the desire at this time to try the home brewing but a friend at work does and his beers have been good. Let her rip. I'm a good listener.

 

That might be a joke post......

 

Jesus Christ, is this the Da Vinci Code? Is the brewer from Beechwood a Templar of Beer? The keg idea was good, every brewery should do that anyway to keep their lobbist' craft beer organization lobbying the good word against Budweiser, who was a tiny little company, like them, now they huge and their grimy little internet thugs are on this website, doing what we tell them to do.

We're only talking about InBev more because we're all Sith Lord crazy from a weaker installment of Star Wars. Breckenridge is going to continue to be mediocre against the other shit-ton of breweries in that state (shout out to Paradox, Avery & Crooked Stave) and Four Peaks will continue to not exist to me in any way. I'm more excited to see who else gets gobbled up because it is out of my hands and I have my own wants, desires and problems.

I can't wait for Breckenridge Bourbon County.

 

What's the first thing that ab in Bev did when ballast point became theirs. They raised the price. Sculpin was 12 or 13 dollars first then ab in bev came and now its almost 16. I will buy a single but not a sixer at that price. I noticed that about a lot of beer. Including labatts blue which somehow has made it over to the craft section with a higher price tag.

Ultimately I think that as people have fostered the craft beer scene that we have now , and that scene is rich with new products , styles and ambiance; that it will outlive any buyouts because their mentality can only backfire. people who want good beer are going to have it and they have to afford to be able to drink it. Ab in bev made their money on making beer that is cheap enough for people to drink a lot.

 

Except ABInBev didn't buy Ballast Point and prices here are pretty much the same as they have always been.

 

Oh then it's not them that's raising all the prices to boutique beer! Anyway pricing is the problem with craft beer not product. Quality i s always good for the most part.

 

That little deal from Gabe/Beachwood is great counterpoint advertising to the advertising of Big Beer.

Oh, wait a minute, you mean some of you didn't realize that little spiel was advertising? Of course it is. Big Beer uses scantily clad women and sporting events to appeal to its customers, and craft beer breweries use this low budget holier than thou crap to appeal to us. It is David vs. Goliath, evil vs. good, to appeal to us. I feel a bit embarrassed when I read this dreck. I don't know which load of shit I believe less, that Spuds Mckenzie liked Bud or that craft brewers are holy emissaries of beer altruism. I've seen dogs drink beer, I've never seen a not for profit craft brewer.

Folks seem not to realize that the same breweries that they put on pedestals y'day are the same ones deciding to cash out today. Which is worse, a large corporation acting exactly as you would expect a large corporation to act? Or a holier than thou emissary of beer altruism craft brewer turning into a greedy sell out who takes off a mask to reveal they were ***gasp gasp gasp*** really only in it for the money the whole time. Ya know, kinda like every other business.

Relax folks, it is just beer, not big beer, not small beer, not holy beer, not evil beer, it is beer you either like or don't, that is too expensive or isn't, and in the end the rest is all advertising, including posts on this forum, and every other feature of this and every craft beer site.

 

How about launching a fake craft brewery, filling social media with hype, then seeing if AB-Inbev attempts a hostile takeover?

 

Businesses are indeed in it for the money, but there are plenty of businesses in and out of the beer world that also stick to well-defined principles and operate far differently, and sometimes to a lesser profit margin, than their much maligned mega corporation counterparts.