Goose Island won me back

I'm a big fan of Franziskaner hefeweizen, also bought by InBev. While I'm not thrilled that the dollars I spend on hefes and Honker's Ale are Bud money (blood money?), I am glad that InBev is smart enough to leave good-tasting, profitable beers the hell alone. At least in these two cases.

 

One good thing about Inbev is that distribution works out well for me. Every medium sized town has one package store that sells a lot of Bud/Busch. If you have been on a first name basis with the owner of such an establishment since the 1990s it is pretty easy to have them see what they can do about BCBS. I missed the boat on Rare and he couldn't get Cherry but I've got my share, and more, of regular, Coffee & Bramble, about a mile from my house.
I also muddled into King Henry about a half hour away. Coulda had the case, but only took four.
Contrast that with the distribution of numerous great breweries that only sell north of I-80 or only send their more common stuff downstate.

 

http://drinkinsider.com/2013/07/goo...&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=hovercard. I work for a AB distriributor in Connecticut and I am THRILLED with them buying Goose. The rest of the country ( including me) can enjoy GREAT beers that I only read about before AB purchased them. Here is a great interview with one of the Goose Brewmasters. Cheers

 

I'm sipping on a Honkers Ale right now.......

 

We finally get Goose Island in our area thanks to the ABInBev purchase. I'm happy about that. We haven't seen BCBS yet but I'm hopeful. I'm happy to see Matilda, Sophie, etc. in the market.

 

I've decided to stick with stuffbrewed in Chicago rather then at the Bud factory. After all we can't expect a huge multinational corperation to change for the better if we treat them like public enemy #1. Also I noticed a distinct difference between the IPA, Mild, and Honker's that I used to get from OH then the stuff I get now in PA.

 

let's just hope for the best mmmkaay

 

Was never worried. Bud already had a huge (albeit indirect) stake in Goose for years prior to the buyout by way of their membership in the Craft Brewers Alliance, and the only big things that changed in that four/five year period were these:

1. Introduction of Sofie as seasonal and then year-round
2. Introduction of Juliet
3. Introduction of Pere Jacques (original recipe)
4. Changing Pere Jacques' recipe and making it year-round
5. Slow but steady expansion of Matilda, eventually making it year-round instead of seasonal
6. Slow but steady expansion of Bourbon County
7. Introduction of Bourbon County Coffee
8. Bourbon County Rare
9. Bourbon County Vanilla
10. Cancellation of Imperial IPA
11. Cancellation of Demolition 1800
12. Cancellation of Nut Brown Ale
13. Cancellation of Oatmeal Stout
14. Introduction of Fleur
15. Introduction of Night Stalker


Since they bought them outright this is what has happened:

1. Have not cancelled Sofie
2. Have not cancelled Juliet
3. Have not cancelled Matilda
4. Have not cancelled Pere Jacques
5. Have not cancelled Bourbon County
6. Have not cancelled Bourbon County Coffee
7. Introduced Madame Rose
8. Introduced Lolita
9. Dramatic expansion of Sofie
10. Dramatic expansion of Matilda
11. Dramatic expansion of Pere Jacques
12. Dramatic expansion of Bourbon County
13. Dramatic expansion of Bourbon County Coffee
14. re-introduction of Nut Brown Ale
15. Cancellation of Fleur
16. Bourbon County Bramble Rye
17. Bourbon County Cherry Rye
18. King Henry
19. Big John


Looks pretty good to me.

Interesting. I pretty much never have Honker's or the IPA, but 312 tastes the same to me when I have it (decent fall-back warm weather beer). Nut Brown also tastes the same when I can find it fresh (which isn't often unfortunately ), but then I think that's still brewed in Chicago so it shouldn't be different.

 

I hope they buy Bell's next!!!!!! I have read ( never tried) about that beer for years and would love to see it in Connecticut... I think AB/InBev has proven they can make buying a small craft brewery work.

 

ITS A TRAP

 

We should have a craft-brew version of Monopoly. Then we can have Bud-Money...

 

Well, they make most of their own beer, and...

 

I don't know. I had a chance to take home 3 growlers of Sofie after judging at a local fest, really had a chance to get to know that beer. Really came to enjoy it. At the end of the day a Saison is supposed to be refreshing first, everything else after that. Very refreshing.

Easy drinking, some nice yeastiness that stays pretty clean, not a lot of spice, not complex but some brightness to an interesting taste. Is it Duvel, Dupont, or Fantome caliber? No. But what is? It sorta straddles Belgian Pale and Saison to me, and I think folks ding it for that.

 

If it tastes good to me I'll but it. 'Nuff said.

 

And the Christmas Ale 2011 ( at least) was a decent cold day take 4 pk to a party and drink 2-3 beer.

 

InBev also owns the distribution rights to monster energy drinks. And i love finding so many varieties at the stores. I'm just saying it's not a bad thing to make life more convenient for folks. Plus, love me some 312 and dogs at any ball game.

 

Good companies make bad decisions (GI?) and bad companies make good decisions (AB?) - it's just business - relax, have a beer but not for the alcohol unless that's why you're drinking it (sorry I forgot which forum I was on for a second) and put your disposable income where your tastes are.

 

Highly unlikely. The Bell family just got done purchasing the last shares of the company that didn't belong to them. It is now an entirely Bell family-owned operation. This has been something that Larry Bell has acknowledged he is incredibly proud of.

 

I just wish I could get his beer in New England. Hopefully someday!

 

I dont feel the macro crowd has embraced their regular beers. I hardly ever see their IPA relatively fresh. Its usually at least 6 months old. Honkers and 312 are still beers I enjoy but I dont think the non craft crowd is buying that stuff even though its easy to find now. I went to a store looking for their IPA and they didnt even have it in the cooler. I asked the guy if he had it and went into the back and opened up a box and took a sixer out and handed it to me. It was like 8 months old. Of course I didnt want it. I dont know why if its an IPA why they didnt put in the cooler right away instead of letting it sit in an unopened box.

I wasnt a big fan of Sofie and Matilda but they taste better when aged and I had them fresher so Im not gonna trash them.