Craft Beer Only. Except Bourbon County?

Hmmm.. Seems everyone has no problem with the origin of their beer. Corporate beer is aiming to put your favorite breweries under. One at a time. You like that idea?

 

I don't hate big companies, but given the choice at same price and quality I will support small business.

That goes for beer as well as other products and services alike.

 

In a perfect world the local brewery could compete. The problem here is that you simply can not compete in price with ABInbev.

 

I was just thinking about this the other day and in my case it's hypocrisy at it's finest. I refuse to buy regular Goose Island beer on principle but every time BCB hits your lips, you just can't deny it.

 

Touché.
"60% of the time, it works every time" -Ron Burgundy

 

Really really stretched analogy but...

If i applied Collectable car logic to this it should actually be pointed out some of the most exclusive, well remembered, and unique stuff actually came from what in the car world would be a "Macro Brewery" similar to how Bud or Miller is viewed now, I.E. The Toyota 2000GT is a great example of this, horribly boring company for most of its life but even then they chucked out stuff that becomes worth remembering and collectable (in this case it was whenever Yamaha got deeply involved or even took over said cars development, ala 2000GT, 80's Corolla GT-S, early Toyota MR2s, recently Lexus LFA)

Now that i've stretched comparisons, making beer is nowhere near as hard as manufacturing automobiles, so in truth i can really only agree with above. If its good I'll still buy occasionally regardless of whose getting the money, but i genuinely do like supporting the small business who usually do the most innovation and who i feel deserve the most credit.

Even if we forgot about economics it just feels better challenging the old status quo with the new comers brew

 

They can't normally compete on quality though.

 

Pure and simple, the 'I hate macro brewing companies' bandwagon stops for a day on Black Friday because BCBS is a great beer.

 

Ive thought of this from time to time. I find it to be a bit funny. I laugh to myself when i see somebody "fuck ab inbev, i love bourbon county barleywine" then they rip on me because i like things like longboard lager.....ok i understand the difference in actual beers. But you are supplying the (essentially) to help them get this "shit" beer to me.

 

I think it will come more down to quality of product, Goose Island produces Bourbon county and its going to sell to the craft beer drinkers because the average beer drinker won't want to spend more than $5 on a bomber.

On the other side, Goose Island 312 wheat isn't what many on people on beer advocate would purchase because its targeted to the average beer drinker that may be looking for a wheat ale. Last bottle I saw of 312 was brewed in Fort Collins, Co and not Chicago, Il.

 

to be fair, BCBS is a true innovator. it's kind of like buying pilsner urquell. sure, you're supporting a big corporation instead of your local brewer, but you're also voting for a classic with your dollar, and appreciating a strong cultural contribution to the world.

not sure that means drinking BCBS is "ok" if you're super against AB, but it could. up to the individual of course. myself, i'll get it now and then. i believe in boycotts but i'm not really against these buyouts. i'm against AB, but not as much as i'm against some things. i don't want to support stuff like pushing craft off taps, but as i've said before, BCBS doesn't claim a tap via bribery; it claims it from demand.

as for honkers and shit being on tap at TGIFriday or whatever the fuck is happening, i don't care. i wouldn't eat at places like that anyway (i mean even if i was going to have the food, i'd get takeout).

 

I recommend everyone stop buying Bourbon County, especially the coffee variant. What kind of boycotters are y'all anyway? Stick to your guns and fight the power!

 

I live in Chicago so this has not impacted me as much as the rest of the country. All the AB has done is provide a larger warehouse and brewery and increase distro. The recipe hasn't been changed, the process of determining variants hasn't changed, and the quality hasn't changed. To me this is all good things. The only negative is that its gone up a few cents per ounce with the change in bottle size.

 

I'll continue to buy bcbs only to trade it, probably. Bw 14 was a step back from 13 and I've read that 15 is another (written in an Illinois paper no less). Prop 14 was a drop off from 13, especially if you were fortunate to have 13 fresh. Coffee has also been reported to be much "greener" and not quite ripe this year. Will see for myself before passing judgement during Black Friday and perhaps I'll keep it...well see. Not jumping in the hype train do to past success.

 

One of the least important issues facing craft beer today. Hippocrates are everywhere in life. Accept and move on.

 

I was at a GI event last month and they were supposed to have 2014 coffee on tap but it wasn't there for whatever reason so they served 2015 coffee. Since it was so fresh the coffee has very strong and the base beer seemed to be a touch thinner than recent years. Still going to buy as many as I can.

 

Shelf space, old beer, beer as commodity, losing the culture, bottle dating, proper labeling, the local over best movement... I could go on for a long time. Thats a different thread.

 

I haven't read all of the posts, but here is my 2 cents

AB/InBev is the enemy of craft beer. I do not buy any of their products including Bourbon County.
I think buying Bourbon County is one of the worst thing you can do if you care about craft beer. Bourbon County is the shoehorn that forces retailers to give shelf space to GI'S other beers. If you buy Bourbon County you are keeping other craft brands off of the shelf in your stores.

Saying this, I know that every bottle of Bourbon County will sell out. I don't care. This is my position.