I don’t really care for any of AB InBev’s products, but an interesting read.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer
That article hurt to read…
It was, but very interesting.
I wish I could remember where I found it, but I read another business article that laid out the REAL way they are destroying the American Beer Industry. They are getting into the distribution arena as well, bypassing your local distributor. This will allow them to steer your local vendor into carrying what they want him/her to carry, squeezing out craft beers which AB/InBev view as a threat…and they should!(view it as threat, not drive it out)
I have to roll out to work, but when I get home I will trawl my browser history for the last month and post the link if I find it.
Well, I tried a quick search and did not find the specific article, but did find these two which are interesting reads;
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-13/craft-brewers-threatened-by-big-beer-brands
Let him/them make a crappy beer even crappier with subpar ingredients and practices. No skin off my back. The people who care about taste will go elsewhere. The people who drink it because it’s ‘American made beer’ may learn that’s not so American anymore and switch. There are many other options for the educated consumer. I just hope the smaller craft breweries don’t start selling out as soon as this guy sees the opportunity to exploit them for a few more dollars in his pocket.
I agree that the article was very difficult to read.
I’ve been well aware of InBev’s antics since reading Charle’s Bamforth’s book. I find it troubling that they tend to increase the price, decrease the quality, and tend to make it on a larger scale, which also tends to mean that less people are employed in the brewing process.
InBev’s practices violate a lot of principles I have. I simply won’t drink any InBev products and I will check the label. I’m lucky that most of the beers I enjoy are small enough that InBev is no immediate threat.
But that new amber Budweiser looks awesome! 6% ABV! 
I agree with each sentence. I’m sure many smaller craft breweries will sell out as well, but I also think craft beer has such a presence now that others will take their place. On a personal note, since I began brewing, my tastes have done a 180 from enjoying a cold Bud now and then. Most of the beers that were listed in the article fall short of what I like in a beer these days since they are or have become transparent with little to no character. So let them make crappy beer, let millions of drinkers enjoy the crappy beer. I’ll stick to my tastes and so will you.
It’s none of my business what other folks drink. Given that InBev’s brewing model employs fewer brewers, I try to direct people towards other beers.
My hope is that the larger independent craft brewers like Victory, Great Lakes, etc. don’t start to sell out. They’re still making some really good beers even though they are more commercial these days. Victory is turning their original brewery into an experimental brewery once they complete their new production facility. I’m still being surprised at the increased awareness in good craft beer. There’s a crappy little town across the river in Ohio from me that has a dumpy little store that you would never expect to have good beer but they do. They got 4 cases of Hopslam in and sold out in less than a week - at $18 a sixer that’s pretty impressive considering where I live is the shining example of the “Bud Light’s awesome, man” type of place. We were in Ireland last year and InBev/etc. have really got a solid monopoly on beer in Ireland and the UK. It’s getting better - particularly in Scotland but you really have to work to find good beer elsewhere. We’ve had it good in the U.S. - hopefully the corporate monster doesn’t swallow up too many of the good producers.
Ya know, while there may be some truth in the article, the title is so hyperbolic that it makes me question the rest of it. There is no “plot” to destroy America’s beer. It is simply normal business practice.
It’s business. OK. latest news is they’re trying to buy the rest of Grupo Modelo (Reuters - 2/4/13). Seems they picked up 1/2 when they bought AB. That would give them something over 50% of the US market and the DOJ may not let the deal go through - lack of competition.
Either way, I don’t have to support them. I buy local as much as I can. Grand Rapids specifically and and south west MI in general have some pretty good beers to be proud of…and I ain’t even countin’ Muller’s place. I gotta get a ticket for that experience. And as is ofrten pointed out, there are many good beers out there.
What I really don’t appreciate is the huge comglomeration putting the Wal-Mart type hurt on the little guy. On my lasy visit to Austin, there is an InBev product going after Shiner. Really? C’mon…
So, I’ll vote with my dollars and support the beers I like.
[quote=“joe-ada”]On my lasy visit to Austin, there is an InBev product going after Shiner.[/quote]What beer is that? Shiner doesn’t make anything worth buying, but they’re sort of a “craft” brewer, or at least trying to reinvent themselves as such.
The craft beer scene in my area is still in it’s infancy. Most times, I buy Yeungling as it is at least an independent brewery. I went to one of my local bars, and they told me they no longer carry Yuengling, only “Budweiser” products (I’m sure she meant Ab Inbev). That really bothered me! It completely shuts out any possibility of craft beer! I hope that isn’t something they are trying to do more of, to keep the competition out.
Occasionally they make decent seasonal beers. They had a smoked helles a few years back that was surprisingly impressive.
I guess for me it comes down to a simple question: Do I really, honestly believe craft brewers make a decidedly superior product, one that a great many of my fellow beer lovers will eagerly seek out over BMC beers?
As long as the answer continues to be yes, I’m going to keep on not feeling particularly threatened by the antics of MillerCoors and AB/InBev. Certainly not their efforts at trying to market beers that aren’t American adjunct lager. Blue Moon didn’t seduce me away from craft beer. It did the opposite of that.
I went to visit a friend in Texas a little over a year ago, and they thought Shiner was really stepping out. It was ok, I drank a few and headed to the store for something interesting.
[quote=“560sdl”]I went to visit a friend in Texas a little over a year ago, and they thought Shiner was really stepping out. It was ok, I drank a few and headed to the store for something interesting.[/quote]I didn’t try the smoked Helles mentioned above, Shiner makes so many “special” beers now that I miss most of them. They used to be pretty good 20 years ago, but after they were bought out and started making the flagship Bock beer by adding powdered Carafa to their Blonde, they lost their status as the local go-to when put up against anything from Real Ale.
I don’t hate InBev or their CEO or their mission statement. I don’t hate their products. I just happen to enjoy other craft beers a lot more than fizzy yellow American lagers. In fact I have a few Black Crown and Busch Light and Shock Top and other InBev products in my fridge, mostly for guests. I’m not ashamed to admit it. If anyone prefers these drinks over my weird-ass gruit ale or jalapeno porter or imperial hefeweizen, I can’t say I blame them. We all have a different sense of taste and different opinions. Apparently a few billion people out there like the stuff. So who’s to say InBev is destroying beer? As long as craft beer isn’t outlawed, we are all free to buy and support and drink whatever brews we want. It’s a free enterprise, as it should be. And if they really do ruin a brand, the consumers will move elsewhere and their business will suffer for it. Like it or not, the system works.
