John Hall steps down as president of Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch Craft Advisory Board established

Does any one out there still think that Goose Island is local? Any true believers in the Goose AB/INBEV still out there?

 

I think there are lots, and possibly even more than when this whole thing started over a year ago. Production is up of their highly sought after beers, quality has remained constant, and they are still coming up with new (and good) expressions of creativity.

 

They dont own the brewpubs, they werent part of the sale.

 

I refuse to believe that anyone's mind has ever been blown by 312 (before or after ABI takeover). A real hefeweizen? Sure. But no bland, american wheat has ever blown anyone's mind. It never happened.

 

My 2 cents:

The best insurance (in the most literal sense) is to learn to homebrew.

Then; no matter what any Corporation... Macro...Micro...Brewpub...Craft...etc...does or does not do, you will always be able to get a hold of fresh, decent, fairly priced beer that is brewed by the "little guy". You can then share with your friends...join a homebrewer club...gain a following for your beer...maybe even become the next John Hall...

and then you cash in the chips and sell to INBEV!

 

This has happened at the place I work for too. It wasn't a buyout in this case; the corporate business types moved in at the top level and during the course of about a year the managers who had been with the business years and who had come up from the shop floor, whose motives were balanced between the good of the business and the good of the employees and who gave the place a family feel were gradually replaced by money-minded suits from outside. After that it went from being one of the best places in town to work for to one of the worst. I'm sad that it's happened, but it's put a boot up my backside and I'm about to get out. I have my eyes on something new and even better.

It doesn't have to make sense because the kind of owners/operators/managers we're talking about here don't have the same values as most of us. My (albeit limited but hands-on) experience of them has shown me that goals, targets, spreadsheets and the bottom line is all they know and they're ruthless in their pursuit of it. They'll do whatever they can to minimise costs, as we've seen from the changes made at Anheuser Busch since Carlos Brito got his hands on the tiller. Every penny that goes in the debit column is a cost, and that column should be as small as possible regardless of the consequences. If that means reducing quality, that's what will happen because cost limitation is the prime directive.

 

I just finished watching Brew Wars. Maybe they'll leave the GI formulas alone for a while, so they can use the GI brand to crowd out the New Belgiums, Rogues' etc. Then, after crafts are no longer available; formula change. Whacked out conspiracy theory? Perhaps. Possible? After seeing their tactics and how beer distribution really works; highly possible.

 

What about the corporations that control the barley and hop markets, or the maltsters and (in the case of the non-all-grain brewers) the companies that make the malt syrup/DME, or the corporate manufacturers of the bottles, crowns, kegs, kettles, plastic fermenters, etc.?

 

I think he is referring to the crap ton of money they probably earned, by selling.

 

Judging by the EXTREME HYPE 2012 BCBS has gotten.....Seems this deal has worked out QUITE well for AB-In Bev. . . . . . . .

 

Being the visionary that I am, I have looked into spearheading the nationwide formation of a series of cooperatives. We can start growing our own grain & hops. There must be some unemployed BAérs willing to learn the maltster trade. Plastic fermenter? Those orange Home Depot buckets with some holes drilled. Bottles? We start raiding recycling facilities to get what we need...or start saving now. Those guys with the 5000 bottle collections will become very popular in my vision of the future. Hoarders? I think not! Fellow visionaries I dare say! The rest...minutia really. We can make this happen! Craft beer will survive! Yeah baby!! Brewermania!!!!

 

Or they can wait for the Voodoo Maple Bacon Doughnut beers of the world to do that for them!

 

Its an American wheat, but it isnt a bland, american wheat, so doesnt qualify.

And honestly, it didnt blow my mind either. But at least the hops make it not bland.

 

I do not disagree. Just tossing it out there.

 

Also, what it really needed was to use a hefeweizen yeast.

 

I have a feeling AB will be keeping their mitts off the GI barrel aging program. I have no doubt they will mess with the other shit though like 312 (which I never liked anyway), Honkers ale, IPA etc. would I miss any of these brews? sure probably but does it really matter? the answer is no

 

You don't know that.

 

And to think that they had the nerve to water down all those legendary craft beer brands!

 

I mean I can just grab a Sweetwater IPA, which tastes better anyway.