Just got a tip-off from a friend that one of my favorite breweries is part of the InBev family. This is soul-crushing news. Somebody make this better please.
What Brewery?
Oh, oh, let me guess. Goose Island?
If so yes, they are part of Bud which is part if InBev.
What can make it better? Knowing that craft brewing has grown to an extent that companies whose only concern was marketing now have to worry about making something other than light lagers.
I watched the inbev Goose Island thing happen and I was upset. I bought my old standby, Honkers Ale, not long after and saw it was made somewhere east, not Chicago. I can’t honestly say if it was different, but it seemed to be. Haven’t tried again yet.
Anyone know about Green Flash from Cali? From what I can tell, they are independent, but they are showing up at a few local bars around here that are I thought were strictly Inbev, so I’m starting to wonder.
It was Odell. Something like 64% owned by InBev now.
Are you sure you didn’t mishear Modelo? 50% owned by InBev with InBev trying to buy the rest. Odell still seems to be independent, and I’m sure the Interwebs would be up in arms if InBev had a piece of them.
Are you sure you didn’t mishear Modelo? 50% owned by InBev with InBev trying to buy the rest. Odell still seems to be independent, and I’m sure the Interwebs would be up in arms if InBev had a piece of them.[/quote]
I’m pretty sure it’s NOT O’dell. I also heard Modelo.
InBev just wants Modelo because they have Corona (the #1 imported beer in the US… talk about brilliant marketing) and their other beers (Modelo, Negra Modelo, Victoria, etc) are big beers here and in MX. Here’s how you make all of this better. You continue making fantastic beer at home and keep it coming. In bottles, on draft, etc. There is a never-ending supply of the best beer in town coming from your house and InBev is not interested. I suppose the other way you could look at it is that small brewers across the country are cashing in (for better or worse) by selling their brand to InBev. If you don’t like InBev, you have to drink something else.
Green Flash is definitely independent. I’ve been to the brewery several times (only a 3-hour drive). They are very open with not only tours, but meeting the brewers and staff, as well as the owners a few times. I do know that they are working on expanding their distribution into more of a national scene. Which, IMO is a great thing, they produce some really great beers.
It’s part of $, and part of $$.
1st an independent brewery owner can put some money in the pocket by selling a part of the business to the big boys. We do live in a capitalistic society.
2nd, they get better shelf space and easier distribution.
The only question is will they be able to continue to brew the great beer that they did. Or will the number crunchers make them cut back on grain and hops in the name of profits.
IMO, and that of friends, is what happened to Granite City Brewery. The bean counters turned a really good IPA into a “non offensive” APA.
Good point Nighthawk. Pete’s Wicked Ale comes to mind. I’m not a big Goose Island fan but it would be interesting to know if hey will meet the same fate.
I emailed the brewery after exhaustive internet research. Will post their reply when I get it.
Green Flash is definitely independent. I’ve been to the brewery several times (only a 3-hour drive). They are very open with not only tours, but meeting the brewers and staff, as well as the owners a few times. I do know that they are working on expanding their distribution into more of a national scene. Which, IMO is a great thing, they produce some really great beers.[/quote]
If I were you, I’d be selfish and hope they don’t do that. Fat Tire from New Belgium used to be significantly better before they went national. Before that you could only get it in Colorado and the surrounding states.
Boom. You guys have no idea how relieved I was to receive this:
"Thank you for the email.
With all due respect, it is not true, we are not a part of the InBev Corporation. People sometimes assume this because of who our Distributor partner’s are in certain parts of the country.
I hope that help
Cheers,
Kirk Simpson
Sales Manager
Odell Brewing Co."
Why does this happen, anyway? I feel like the same thing happened when New Glarus moved to a larger brewery. They still brew great beer, but I could swear a couple of their old standards didn’t taste the same afterward.
It’s just what happens when production increases. A lot of the time simply scaling the recipe up doesn’t adjust for the massive increase in the size of the brew (not to mention the change in equipment). On top of that their demand is massive so they’re brewing at an accelerated rate. When I took New Belgium’s tour they showed us their bottling room and they’re cranking out bottles at something like 875 a minute. The tour guide said Coors is doing something like 1,500.
I remember when Ninkasi increased their barrel size. The Tricerahops still hasn’t been the same. Sad day for me.
[quote=“Hoppenheimer”]Boom. You guys have no idea how relieved I was to receive this:
"Thank you for the email.
With all due respect, it is not true, we are not a part of the InBev Corporation. People sometimes assume this because of who our Distributor partner’s are in certain parts of the country.
I hope that help
Cheers,
Kirk Simpson
Sales Manager
Odell Brewing Co."[/quote]
You and me both. I about $@#^ my pants at the thought of O’Dell becoming part of InBev.
