Lagunitas Personal Post About Merge With Heineken

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and perspective on this. You certainly bring a different perspective then we have here as consumers.

It is tough to not call it a sell-out, particularly from our perspective. There was an exchange of funds, and ownership was passed on; however, I don't see sell outs alone as the problem with big names acquiring craft names. The real issue is when those big names use their power to strong arm other small names out of the market. The small breweries may still provide excellent beers, but they just can't compete with all of the connections and money of the big names.

Regardless, I think you'll find folks here are rooting for Lagunitas. High West-ified, Waldo, and Born Again are all very well received - especially at their price point. Keep producing tasty beer, distributing it ethically, and keep those prices where they are now or lower and you'll continue to have fans.

Cheers.

 

What ev. Best wishes. Yet another reason not to buy some west coast conglomerate. Buy fresh, buy local. Support your local brewer. In two years will any of the employees still be there? Just a name on a bottle with a recipe? Going national is the only path to success? I too would want to see a reward for all the sweat equity. Out.

 

It's great to see it from their prospective. I doubt many people would turn down such an opportunity. Good luck to them. I've been and will continue to be buying their beers. Simply because they taste good.

 

Go for it Tony! I want to be able to buy Lagunitas in Costa Rica and Mexico, I'm sure Australia is very happy too.

 

Exactly my sentiments. While I don't like hearing about buy-outs, I really don't know that I could turn down the opportunity to cash out. Especially if I could continue to work within the brewery.

I have a hard time believing most folks here would deny that opportunity too.

 

That would be an interesting poll if you want to start that thread.

Lots of BAs post their displeasure when they read threads about breweries "selling out" since they highly value independence; they prefer to purchase craft beer from independent craft breweries.

Cheers!

 

For myself personally I value independence. But I can't say yes or no if I'd 20 years from now get flash a several million dollars and sell or not. I feel knowing myself I'd not do it but if I can make money to help the brewery and stay a part in it I think I would sell.

 

Lagunitas is to The Grateful Dead as Wicked Weed is to the latest winner of The Voice. It's been a long strange trip for Lagunitas! They've done lots of things right for a long time.

 

I don't know that a poll would provide an honest response. It's easy for folks to say they'd bite the bullet in any number of ways, including turning down a huge sum of money in exchange for the business they grew. Particularly, if they still get to collect a monthly paycheck and still play a role in the business. People say all sorts of things, but don't often reflect those statements when the real pressure and decision time hits.

I do agree and share their displeasure with folks disappointment in breweries selling out. I just think it's valuable to at least glimpse the situation from the other side. Whether or not it's the "right" decision for the craft beer market, average consumer, craft consumer, etc. is different then stating you'd stand-up and do different by not selling-out. Very few of us have the time, money, or emotion invested into a brand or stand to benefit from a decision like the one Lagunitas faced.

 

"I realized that that Lagunitas had been 22 years a start-up brewery and only recently has become a real business."

What hop is he smoking?

 

Was at the Chicago tap room this past weekend and enjoyed High West-ified, Waldo's, and Davey Murray. As long as the beer is good and the price is right, I'll be drinking it.
Congratulations and best of luck.
Let me rephrase, I REALLY enjoyed High West-ified.

 

A merger like this is not something all breweries would do and there will be detractors at every level of the beer scene. Yet in the end, we must all choose our own path.

If it means better distribution, lower consumer cost, and fresher beer on the shelves without compromising quality, then I'm all for it!

Lagunitas has been crushing it lately with One-Hitter offerings. Hopefully, we can see more cannned beer from them.

Time will tell. Let's see what they come up with next!

Cheers!

 

At least the first thing he does after waking up in the morning is smoke pot, so he's still alright in my book. Congrats on the extremely successfull brewery!

 

I'll be honest, I have more respect for breweries like Wicked Weed, Elysian, GI etc. who sell out without the spin. My family owns a small, independent grocery store. We cut/grind meat fresh every day IN STORE, we don't make you sign up for a shopping club card to get our sale prices, and we donate to and support our community who have supported us for over 98 years. And personally I'll admit to looking down on the big corporate stores that do the opposite, but if one of them came in with an offer that would provide financial security to my grandkids' grandkids you bet your ass I would take the money and run. I have no issue with anyone building a successful business and being recognized and rewarded for their hard work by being bought out. That's capitalism! But please spare me the bullshit. Just because you still smoke weed and use sriracha sauce doesn't make you any less of a sell out (maybe a hippie/hipster sell out, but a sell out nonetheless.) I'd like to sincerely congratulate you @DogTown, you built an excellent business that makes a great product and you have fully reaped the benefits, but don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.

 

No amount of smoking weed makes sense of this letter. Just because Magee still wakes-and-bakes does not make this move revolutionary in any respect. What a terrible smokescreen - you can see right through all the hippie, pseudo-counter-culture, "buying-in" vs. selling out nonsense for the corporatized shilling that it is.

The amount of cognitive dissonance and historical illiteracy it must take to equate merely "buying-in" with Dutch freaking colonialism... And then complain that it's difficult to get your workers visas to crowd out local jobs in your new markets! Yikes.

 

I imagine the keyboard click clack sounds of this down to earth "type how people talk" post echoing softly off the dark wood walls of the gigantic office in his newly purchased mansion.

I'm still one of ya'll, my dudes. Jeeves packs my bong 1 gram at a time just like everyone else.

 

Just between you and me, I'd rather sidle up to Heineken any day of the week, rather than other big brewery amalgams. The Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam as a 19 year old on his own in Europe for 3 months was ungodly good. We were treated wonderfully, met kids our age from all over the world, traveled with a few of them later, and learned "great" corporate personality up close (1970). Carlsberg in Copenhagen was a close second. Things have certainly changed, but these impressions from these breweries largely fueled my interest in world wide beers, and a long career in the beverage industry.

 

I want quality, quantity/variety, affordability, local, fresh, cutting edge, etc, all at the same time, as do most of the people on this forum. The harsh reality is that isn't easy. I know too many brewers that can't take home a pay check, or are severely under paid. I personally hate to pay big prices for beer, and that means that the brewer/brewery won't pay well enough. If that is the case I can't fault the brewer/brewery for selling out. I struggle to make ends meet. They struggle to make ends meet. If I'm not willing to pay them the money to make fresh quality beer affordably with cutting edge variety, someone has to. When the consumer won't give them the money needed to give the consumer what the consumer demands from them to remain relevant to the consumer then the consumer no longer has a right to bitch when they find someone else to give them the funds to give the consumer what they want.

 

I've long loved Lagunitas and as long as the beer's good and the company keeps doing what it's been doing, I'll keep buying.

That said, I'd be surprised if Heineken doesn't try to move back towards bombers instead of the 12 oz 6 pack format. I gained a lot of respect for Lagunitas when they made Hop Stoopid even more affordable by moving to 6 packs, and I'd definitely stop buying if I saw that trend reversed.

I could also see Heineken raising the price of beers like Lagunitas Sucks, and/or focusing more on limited/seasonal releases with an inflated pricetag instead of developing "ole reliable" year round offerings.

I look forward to being wrong.