Any thoughts on what this means–if anything–within the American craft beer market?
http://www.kansascity.com/2013/10/17/45 ... ewing.htmlI don’t know how to take that… on one hand it shows that bigger breweries are taking notice. But on the other hand I like to see the smaller craft breweries stand firm and not sell out. At least it went to Duvel and could have sold to a BMC!
Now I am wondering, who owns Duval?
Family owned brewery
Duvel is ten times the beer Boulevard ever was. Hopefully it will rub off.
Wow, what a coincidence. I was just in KC last week for the American Royal BBQ competition and toured the brewery while there.
So you think Boulevard’s products suck? To each their own I guess, but you are in a very small minority. Check out the number of their products that are ranked in the 90th percentile or above for the style on Ratebeer: 28.
Duvel is a great beer, but boulevard has a LOT of good to great beers. They were always decent but they’ve really stepped their game up in recent years. Sad to see them sell but at least its not AB-InBev.
No i definitely do not think boulevard suxxx. I just love Duvel that much…Also, I think it is ironic that a Belgian company bought Boulevard, whose american-style beers were pretty good, but whose Belgian beers weren’t anything to brag about.
I’m surprised by this. I like Boulevard’s beer, they make some solid stuff. I used to drink a lot of the wheat years ago. Not a great beer, but solid for an American Wheat, which is a weak style in general, I think.
Dear Mr. Duvel, please bring Tank-7 to South Florida.
Yours Truly,
Mike
Yep, that Tank 7 is good stuff.
I wouldn’t consider Boulevard to be a small craft brewery.
But it sucks to be bought by the Devil!
I’d stack tank 7, sixth glass, and Zon against any number of real belgian beers. But that’s just me. I’d rather them stay locally owned but at least a good brewery bought them, so hopefully they’ll stay good.
In case anybody is wondering why someone from New Hampshire cares (its not even available up here, although a few have found their way to Mass at least), I’m originally an Oklahoma boy. Boulevard has always been one of my favorites, and I still make it a point to grab some whenever I’m back home.
Definitely not just you. All of their Belgian ales are 90%+ in the style category on Ratebeer.
Being from KC I probably have a more emotional view of this than a lot of other people across the country. I’ve always viewed Boulevard as one of the things that makes KC special. A lot of pride in Boulevard as our locally owned, hometown brewery. That’s gone. I only hope that the new ownership stays committed to the locals that propelled Boulevard to success.
I really don’t like that they sold the company to a foreign entity, but at least it wasn’t sold to a bunch of investment bankers who only care about ROI. No doubt Duvel cares about the product more than the lot of bean counters that now own a bunch of other former craft breweries.
There is the possibility that the new owners will make investments that support and even expand innovation whilst also expanding distribution into new markets.
Then there are the big picture questions. No doubt an increase in consolidation is inevitable within the craft market, but not sure what direct affect the Boulevard news will have. I figured the Goose Island acquisition a few years ago would have triggered a period of consolidation, but that didn’t really happen.
ommegang and boulevard. Not bad work at all.I just drank Taking the Black last night. First Belgian stout and for the first time in my life I thought the Belgian flavors weren’t present enough
IMO Zon was the only outstanding Belgian. The others seemed too heavy body-wise.
I don’t think many people start a small craft business expecting to get rich by building it up and then selling it to a much larger enterprise. You do it because you love it. As I know from personal experience, however, running your own small business is a a hell of a lot of work and requires enormous sacrifice. I understand perfectly why the founders of Boulevard chose to sell when somebody came knocking at their door with a wheelbarrow full of cash. The fact that it is Duvel, which has already demonstrated a commitment to high quality, would make it that much easier.
Congratulations to the folks at Boulevard and hopefully after a few years of taking life a little easier, they will get the itch again and start another brewery.
