Craft Beer Sellouts

[dmclone]

Just heard that ratebeer.com has been bought out by AB. Whether you support them or not, here are a few others that have sold out.

10 Barrel Brewing — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Ballast Point Brewing — Constellation Brands

Blue Moon Brewing — MillerCoors

Blue Point Brewing — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Breckenridge Brewery — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Devils Backbone Brewing — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Elysian Brewing — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Founders Brewing — 30 percent owned by Mahou-San Miguel

Four Peaks Brewing — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Golden Road Brewing — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Goose Island Beer Company — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Hop Valley Brewing — MillerCoors

Kona Brewing — 32 percent owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev

Lagunitas Brewing — 50 percent owned by Heineken International

Leinenkugel's Brewery — MillerCoors

Magic Hat Brewing — North American Breweries

Redhook Brewery — 32 percent owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev

Revolver Brewing — MillerCoors

Saint Archer Brewing — MillerCoors

Shock Top Brewing — Anheuser-Busch InBev

Terrapin Beer Company — MillerCoors

Wicked Weed Brewing - Anheuser-Busch

Widmer Brewing — 32 percent owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev

 

[dmclone]

Out of this list the only ones I really care about are Lagunitas, Founders, and Ballast Point. I really like Ballast Point but they are so expensive compared to every other major label. I'm kind of over the whole Goose Island Bourbon County craze.

 

[Tailg8er]

Does being owned by a huge company change anything with the beer, though? I would assume that most would continue operating how they have, if nothing else more efficiently. I could see some instances where product could suffer, though.

 

[intrepid27]

Thanks for sharing. I knew this trend was continuing. Makes me chuckle when I think of the Superbowl commercial Anheuser-Busch ran a couple of years ago making fun of craft beers. I guess they see some value in them,

 

[mfelske]

Founders is one of my favorites. I can live with 30%, especially if the product doesn't suffer.

 

[Entropy]

Does being owned by a huge company change anything with the beer, though? I would assume that most would continue operating how they have, if nothing else more efficiently. I could see some instances where product could suffer, though.

I figured it would just aid in distribution. Having the capital and connections to break into new markets, etc.

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

If you are compiling a list, boulevard was bought by AB nearly a decade ago.

 

[sunnysideup]

The ones that sold out to AB InBev are the only ones that bother me. One reason is because in some states AB InBev is very active in lobbying for stricter beer regulation. They are especially notorious for this in Texas but also a lot of states down south. Their goal is to make brewing and distributing craft beer harder thus preventing craft from taking large shares of the market. So in essence they are taking money from craft beer fans and using it to subdue craft brewing.

Another reason is because AB InBev has been using discount systems to get distributors to push their products more over true independent craft. The goal simply being is to occupy more shelf space so the smaller brewers get pushed out. Trust me when I saw that AB InBev isn't doing this just to increase their portfolio. They're doing it to squeeze out the competition. The other big brewers that own craft breweries aren't doing that.

 

[sunnysideup]

If you are compiling a list, boulevard was bought by AB nearly a decade ago.

Boulevard is owned by Duvel which is a Belgian brewery however not connected to AB InBev.

 

[sunnysideup]

Also that list includes pseudo craft beer brands like Blue Moon and Shock Top which never were craft breweries to begin with. Blue Moon was created by Coors and always brewed out of their Golden, CO facility and Shock Top is just another AB InBev creation brewed straight out of their facilities.

 

[cyclonesurveyor]

Boulevard is owned by Duvel which is a Belgian brewery however not connected to AB InBev.

Duvel also owns Firestone Walker and Brewery Ommegang

 

[1100011CS]

Out of this list the only ones I really care about are Lagunitas, Founders, and Ballast Point. I really like Ballast Point but they are so expensive compared to every other major label. I'm kind of over the whole Goose Island Bourbon County craze.

I bought a 6-pack of Sculpin a while back (before they were bought out I think) and there wasn't a price sticker. About **** myself when they rang it up. It is really good but not that good.

Also, Founders All Day IPA 15 pack in cans is my go-to for tailgating and the lake. A little disappointed in this info but not enough to stop buying them.

 

[Mr Janny]

The ones that sold out to AB InBev are the only ones that bother me. One reason is because in some states AB InBev is very active in lobbying for stricter beer regulation. They are especially notorious for this in Texas but also a lot of states down south. Their goal is to make brewing and distributing craft beer harder thus preventing craft from taking large shares of the market. So in essence they are taking money from craft beer fans and using it to subdue craft brewing.

Another reason is because AB InBev has been using discount systems to get distributors to push their products more over true independent craft. The goal simply being is to occupy more shelf space so the smaller brewers get pushed out. Trust me when I saw that AB InBev isn't doing this just to increase their portfolio. They're doing it to squeeze out the competition. The other big brewers that own craft breweries aren't doing that.

This. I don't mind healthy competition, and wouldn't have a problem with the big breweries, but they're not just letting their beer speak for itself. Like you said, they go out of their way to undermine the smaller brewers, and make it more difficult for them to exist.

 

[KnappShack]

I figured it would just aid in distribution. Having the capital and connections to break into new markets, etc.

There was a cool documentary about this. Wish I could remember the name.

Basically there's so much room on the distributor's truck. The big boys have those slots locked down making it almost impossible to break into a market.

Then the big brewers have the ability to buy up or block any successful small brewer to cement their market share.

Interesting show, but really showed how difficult it is for a small brewer to make waves

 

[TykeClone]

There was a cool documentary about this. Wish I could remember the name.

Basically there's so much room on the distributor's truck. The big boys have those slots locked down making it almost impossible to break into a market.

Then the big brewers have the ability to buy up or block any successful small brewer to cement their market share.

Interesting show, but really showed how difficult it is for a small brewer to make waves

I think that you're referencing BeerFest

 

[sunnysideup]

If you haven't noticed over the last few weeks, Bruno, the owner of El Bait Shop, has taken a huge stand on this. He does still carry Bud Light because he knows that certain crowds, especially baseball crowds and non craft beer drinkers that get dragged into EBS with their friends, will drink it. But he took all the AB InBev crafts off of the taps and even emptied his aging cellar of all the Goose Island stuff they had been sitting on for years. He knows damn well that AB InBev isn't in the business of making craft beers. AB InBev is in the business of destroying it. So he's no longer going to support those breweries. In the grand scheme of things what he's doing is not a big deal but if enough craft people get on board it could be.

 

[capitalcityguy]

Does being owned by a huge company change anything with the beer, though? I would assume that most would continue operating how they have, if nothing else more efficiently. I could see some instances where product could suffer, though.

Probably not, if that is your sole buying consideration.

I think it is similar, for example, to those that make conscious decisions to try and support a local restaurant vs national chains when given the choice.

The economics are pretty straightforward. (and I realize some people just don’t care…which is their prerogative). There is a direct negative effect on a local economy when nationals come in and essentially syphoned out the local consumer dollars that could otherwise be spent and reinvested locally. That is to say nothing about the power and influence that the bigs then gain by controlling the market (and getting friendly with regulators/gov’t officials) and making it even harder for new startups to enter.

 

[ArgentCy]

Just take them to the cleaners every time a brewery sells. Rinse and repeat. I don't really have a problem with large companies like AB InBev, which is such an agglomeration their name sucks.

I do have a problem with them lobbying and trying to restrict people's ability to buy what they want. But that is more the fault of government and a power that shouldn't exist.

 

[jcyclonee]

The ones that sold out to AB InBev are the only ones that bother me. One reason is because in some states AB InBev is very active in lobbying for stricter beer regulation. They are especially notorious for this in Texas but also a lot of states down south. Their goal is to make brewing and distributing craft beer harder thus preventing craft from taking large shares of the market. So in essence they are taking money from craft beer fans and using it to subdue craft brewing.

Another reason is because AB InBev has been using discount systems to get distributors to push their products more over true independent craft. The goal simply being is to occupy more shelf space so the smaller brewers get pushed out. Trust me when I saw that AB InBev isn't doing this just to increase their portfolio. They're doing it to squeeze out the competition. The other big brewers that own craft breweries aren't doing that.

This is my understanding of the situation. From a friend that runs a microbrewery, he says that the small breweries don't compete with each other and actually help each other out. They really are just trying to find a niche and distribution stream that isn't totally controlled by one of the giants.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

There was a cool documentary about this. Wish I could remember the name.

Basically there's so much room on the distributor's truck. The big boys have those slots locked down making it almost impossible to break into a market.

Then the big brewers have the ability to buy up or block any successful small brewer to cement their market share.

Interesting show, but really showed how difficult it is for a small brewer to make waves

Was it Beer Wars?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1326194/