Lagunitas bashes the Macros

Once people develop a taste for flavorful beer, it will never go back to the way it was. I think people are forgetting that the consumer drives the #craftbeer industry, so no matter the tactics used by the big conglomerates, they can never capture the soul of craft consumers - thus there will always be a need for craft breweries to deliver on that demand. Which really seems to be the point of LagunitasT's tweets on the subject.

 

I did, and think he was totally justified in sending a C&D to that brewery.

 

Not going to get into that, as I don't know all the details, but that has to be the first Twitter rant I've ever seen that contained a Robert Frost poem in it's entirety.

 

Yeah, I had to scroll back so far through his tweets that my computer hadn't loaded them all at first.

 

Ugh not more of this crap. I totally hate the "us vs. them" mentality. Big vs small or craft vs non-craft doesn't really matter to me. All I care about is tastes good vs doesn't taste good. It is not like every craft brewer makes good tasting beer and it is not like every big corporate brewery only makes bad beer. If that was true I could see his point, but since it is not, this just comes across like another form of marketing.

And since it seems like some of the bigger brewer North American brewers are at least trying to make better tasting beers, then it seems to me like comments like this are a way for the smaller guys to separate themselves into something different to protect their market share. Since if they can't separate themselves with better tasting products they have to try stuff like this, which reminds me of hipsters and music and the idea that if you are smaller and less well known you are automatically cooler.

 

But what astonishes me is that the BAs on this site who are worried by the prospect of Big Beer are ignoring the reality of what they see with their own eyes in the marketplace.

1. For example, your comment above that that Big Beer can control distribution isn't what I see when I shop for beer. Every time, and I mean every time I go to a beer store, there are beers I've never seen before from breweries I've never seen before. Ditto for craft beers appearing in stores and restaurants that never carried them before. A beer bar chain in Ohio, Winking Lizard, just dumped Bud & Miller and replaced them with Yuengling. If Big Beer can control what we have access to, they're doing a pretty crappy job.

2. Big Beer people aren't stupid. They pour over statistics. It's not like the haven't monitored the craft beer explosion and their stagnant share of the market. And what have they done about it? Bought GI, Redhook and Leinkuegel and ---what else---maybe one or two others I'm not aware of? They also came out with their own uninspired "craft" offerings. Again, if they're the monsters depicted on this site, they've done a feeble job of buyouts and startups over the last 2 decades of the craft boom.

3. Also, to repeat myself, they can't buy out breweries unless the breweries want to sell. Most craft breweries aren't publicly offered, so they can't be victims of hostile takeovers like AB was.

Will Big Beer attempt to make inroads into the craft market? Undoubtedly. Will they eat the craft market like "the Blob" ate the people in Pennsylvania? No.

 

Correct... because the blob swamped those people in short order.

I'm not saying we're going to turn around next week and find nothing on the shelves. And I'm not saying it's some foregone conclusion that AB Inbev is going to completely take over the entire beer market.

What I AM saying is the idea of the "big two" buying out craft breweries is not a good thing, especially in light of their distribution practices and bottom line focus. And if that trend DOES continue, it's not a good thing for the craft market.
And supporting the breweries (GI being the focus on this site) that are part of the portfolio of AB Inbev will only further this trend.

Also, you keep noting your shopping experiences. Anecdotal evidence of a microcosm of the beer market.

Most people don't spend that much time, and if presented with fewer options, will likely not complain too much.

 

I don't care who owns Goose Island if the quality is good, I could not get there beers period until this year and now could even get bourbon county, so as far as I'm concerned who owns it doesn't effect me in anyway if the products good that's all I care about.

 

Yeah, I know anecdotal experiences aren't reliable. So, how about the numbers of new craft breweries? I think it's up to about 1000 nationwide? Their beers must be going somewhere. Maybe to retail outlets?

How about the number of craft breweries bought out by Big Beer since the craft renewal in the 80s? What is it so far? Five?

 

It is interesting that he is going after the BMC brewers when his brand has switched distribution houses in major markets from small/craft portfolios to aligning themselves with BMC distribution companies. Here in Denver Lagunita's moved from craft heavy CR Goodman to the bottom of the Coors Distributing Company portfolio for statewide distribution. I guess everyone has their own opinion of what selling out is.

 

Not sure what point you're even making here. The above has nothing to do with the effects of the "big two" taking over breweries. Nor does it have anything to do with the future effects of "big two" takeovers of breweries and domination of distributors.

Whether it's one, five, or twenty... supporting the breweries that HAVE been bought out- GI in this case- has a distinct effect on the craft market.

As the CEO of Lagunitas stated... we're just a demographic to the big breweries. They only care about dominating that demographic. And if you support even ONE brewery that has been bought out by the big two- you're supporting their aims.

Which have nothing to do with good beer or consumer choice.

 

Reading that was... Frustrating.

 

In my town every bar has at least 2 craft beers available. That includes crap restaurants like Applebees and Red Robin.

 

You keep simplifying peoples' points. Is craft beer really dominating when they gain 2% of the market? "There are plenty of other choices besides Coke and Pepsi". Not really. "Okay, well I don't personally shop at mainstream places anyway....capitalism gives us all the ability to choose". Actually, taking over the big grocery stores/chain liquor stores/convenience accounts for control of the vast majority of beer sales outlets - most people can't choose as easily as you apparently can.

I also take exception with your post that American Adjunct lager was an only "two decade" blip in history. Actually, after Prohibition and overwhelmingly after WWII, there were a very limited number of producers and very few styles available to most (compared with now or pre-Prohibition). Was this due to economic decisions by those in the industry, or just Americans unanimously deciding they all wanted only yellow lagers or lite yellow lagers? "thats the wonderful thing about capitalism: choices" - there's a 30 something year-od Reaganite comment.

 

Speaking of simplifying points, I never said craft beer was "dominating the market."

Not really? I travel in different states fairly frequently and different towns within my state and I don't have any trouble finding alternatives to Coke & Pepsi products, as well as a variety of craft beers. I've even found craft beer in gas station convenience stores. How come you can't find them?

And what's your verification for the statement that "most people can't choose as easily as you apparently can"? For example, I seem to recall in threads that most BAs, with a few exceptions, have sources for craft beer, even in places like Montana and Alaska, which aren't exactly urban megalopolis---megalopolises?---megalopoli?

Well, you can take exception, but from my reading of brewing history and searching breweriana sites, there were still plenty of regional breweries brewing different styles of beer up into the late 50s. Granted, they were dying out, but they were still there. So, rounding to 1960 for the demise of regional brewing and figuring the craft revival began with New Albion in the early 80s, that's roughly 2 decades. OK, maybe 3 if you go late 50s to early 80s. And I didn't say that Adjunct lager was a blip. I said that Adjunct lager as the only choice for consumers was a blip.

Nothing wrong with a quote that's true, no matter how old or who said it. But I'm not going to get into politics. That's a for sure post delete from the Bros.

I think I'm done here. This is turning into a pissing contest between me and others who disagree. I'm apparently not going to change your opinion, nor you, mine---but it would definitely be a great disagreement to spend some time discussing over some tasty beers.

I guess in 10 or 20 years or so, we'll see if I'm right that a buyout of a few craft breweries by Big Beer is not an ominous sign, or if it truly is the beginning of the end for independent brewing in the US, as others worry.

 

I think it has something to with 94% of consumers preferring fizzy yellow beer.

 

I heard the Taliban is brewing a great BBA stout
Let us know how it is!

 

This guy seems like a loser.

 

I got a very limited respect for all these craft brewers and their breweries, but the fact of the matter is this..... The original owner of GI sold it for more money while still having control and then sold it via checkmate by giving up his position as CEO for even more money. So F*CK HIM and InBev. InBev will always be what they are and will never change. And for that sheer bit of insight, I refuse to buy anything goose island at all. This was the first and last year I bought some BCBS. If I trade for it than that will be it. But I refuse to purchase it. Every bit of me not purchasing GI, is every little bit InBev doesn't have in their pocket.

Kudos to all the craft brewers who are willing to stay small. They all have their own bickering and different styles and points of attack when it comes to the market of us beer geeks and the regular 'ole get drunk peeps. So in that respect Tony should not have been subtle with anything and kept those things to himself.

Either way, every brewery can't be the same.

 

Take a moment to reflect on what happened to the Celis Brewery once it was acquired by MillerCoors.