Wolves in sheep's clothing (non-craft breweries)

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

sa1126

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2012
Messages
137
Reaction score
3
Can we start a master list of non-craft breweries posing as craft? Examples include: Third Shift/Coors, Shock Top/Bud, Goose Island/Bud, etc.

What else is out there? Is alaskan brewing? Leinekeugels (sp?)?

You post, I will edit :)

Miller/coors:
  1. Blue Moon
  2. Third Shift
  3. Batch 19
  4. Leinenkugel
  5. Killian's
  6. Winterfest
Misc: http://www.millercoors.com/Our-Beers/Great-Beers.aspx

Bud:
  1. Shock Top
  2. Goose Island
  3. Stella
  4. Hoegaarden
  5. Leffe
Several local brands: http://www.ab-inbev.com/go/brands/brand_portfolio/local_brands.cfm

Craft Brewer's Alliance (1/3 owned by InBev):
  1. Red Hook
  2. Widmer Brothers
  3. Kona
http://craftbrew.com/brands/

North American Breweries (based at the Genesee Brewing Company)
  1. Genesee Brewing Company
  2. Dundee Brewing Company
  3. Pyramid,
  4. Magic Hat
  5. MacTarnahan's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Breweries[/QUOTE]
 
PDX_T said:
sources?
Click to expand...

for Leinie:
http://www.millercoors.com/Who-We-Are/Locations.aspx

Blue Moon:
http://www.millercoors.com/Our-Beers/Great-Beers.aspx
(under craft)

3rd Shift:
http://www.millercoors.com/Our-Beers/Great-Beers.aspx
(under specialty)

Shock Top:
http://anheuser-busch.com/index.php/our-beers/#!ShockTop

Goose Island:
http://anheuser-busch.com/index.php/our-beers/#!GooseIsland

should be noted that GI and Leinenkugels both started out as their own companies but were purchased.
 
McBrewskie said:
Hard pressed to find a bad one among those.
Click to expand...

You must not have seen "Blast by Colt 45". They couldn't even get the list of flavors right... Strawberry watermelon? The can in the picture reads, "Strawberry Lemonade". :smack: Quality speaks for itself.
 
Go ahead and blast me, but I find these kinds of lists to be pretentious and tiresome.

Goose Island made fabulous craft beer. InBev made them an offer that they couldn't refuse, but Goose Island still retains recipe and quality control. By all indications, the beer continues to be excellent. I will happily continue to buy their beer - and apparently, I'll have way more chance to do so now, seeing as I don't live in the Chicagoland area.

I'm not saying that the OP is going this far, but lots of beer snobs seem to think that being successful somehow makes your beer inferior. These guys are living the American dream, are they not?


As for 3rd Shift - I've had exactly one of their beers (the Amber lager). It wasn't amazing, but it was reasonably tasty, and I'll happily buy it again. Oh noes! MillerCoors is going to get money from me!


I honestly do not "get" the hangup over the whole "craft versus crafty" debate. If the big boys are pushing unfair monopolies by preventing the little guys from having the chance to sell their product (say, by unfair manipulation of the three tier system), then they should be smacked down and fined heavily by the government.

But the thing is, drinking beer is supposed to be about pleasure. Leave your politics and your economics at the door. Choose with your taste buds, not your pretentions.

I don't drink typical BMC becaue I don't care for it. Likewise, I avoid quite a few craft beers because I don't care for them. Most of the beer I buy *is* craft beer, but a good chunk is "crafty", and I don't apologize for that. To me, the fact that BMC is buying up craft brands/starting their own crafty brands shows that they get that there is a niche to fill. If they answer that need by ensuring that more quality beer is available, how is that bad?

Drink what you like, and leave the snobbery to the world of wine.
 
homebrewdad said:
I honestly do not "get" the hangup over the whole "craft versus crafty" debate. If the big boys are pushing unfair monopolies by preventing the little guys from having the chance to sell their product (say, by unfair manipulation of the three tier system), then they should be smacked down and fined heavily by the government.
Click to expand...

I agree, and that's why I don't buy into that whole conspiracy.

Hell, there's far more craft beer available in Arizona than there was just 2-3 years ago. And the selection is getting better by the month.

If BMC were truly out to crush the "little" guys, they would. But they're also a business that (like ALL buisness') are out to make money. Rather than crush what is clearly a growing market (non light American lagers), they're doing the smart thing by embracing it and attempting to become a part of it.
 
homebrewdad said:
Go ahead and blast me, but I find these kinds of lists to be pretentious and tiresome

I honestly do not "get" the hangup over the whole "craft versus crafty" debate. If the big boys are pushing unfair monopolies by preventing the little guys from having the chance to sell their product (say, by unfair manipulation of the three tier system), then they should be smacked down and fined heavily by the government.

Drink what you like, and leave the snobbery to the world of wine.
Click to expand...


Yeah but this thread is about creating a list, not whining about creating lists.

It's an attempt at creating a resource for the OP and others who want it.

Why would you want people to not put together a list? Why wouldn't you just not read the thread if you found it pretentious and tiresome.
 
mike_in_ak said:
Yeah but this thread is about creating a list, not whining about creating lists.

It's an attempt at creating a resource for the OP and others who want it.

Why would you want people to not put together a list? Why wouldn't you just not read the thread if you found it pretentious and tiresome.
Click to expand...

Make all the lists that you want to make, please do not let me stand in your way. The last time I checked, this was a discussion forum, so I thought to discuss the motivation behind such lists. For the record, I was not even the first such person to do so.

By all means, carry on.


mike_in_ak said:
And is there a non-pretentious way to say "tiresome?"
Click to expand...

Edit - also, please allow me to further apologize for the use of words that did not meet with your approval. Truly, you have put me in my place this day.
 
I always buy, reference and research, beers from anyone who interests me with their product. Regardless of how big they are.

I buy some beers to only re-enforce the fact that I make a better clones than they make original. And I give out samples of both to friends just to make sure.

pb --- Keeps me on my toes,... kinda :ban::rockin:
 
AbInBev (Anheuser Busch InBev, Belgium) www.ab-inbev.com

Click on the “brands” tab… You’d be surprised “who” they own. They also just announced buying the Modelo Group (Corona, etc…)

And then there is SABMiller (England) www.sabmiller.com
Again, click on the “brands” tab…

There ya’ have it… All the brands owned by the “big guys.”

Cheers,

-JM
 
I just find it a bit disingenuous that the big corporations "hide" their affiliation with these alleged microbrews. Doesn't make it a bad product. Man-- I wish like hell I could find regular Coors in the bottle around here in Florida anymore. I don't care where the company is based-if I like something I will keep on drinking it.

Well-except for American made Beck's. A man's gotta draw the line somewhere!!!!
 
I think this list is a good idea. I would rather support a independent business than a behemoth corporation. Whether it's beer, restaurants, or retailers.

There is also the issue of the mega-brewers widening their product lines as a retail strategy, rather than producing an interesting beers.
 
Here's my thinking. BMC buying craft brewers is a good thing. That created an attractive payday for the craft brewers investors. That makes them and others more likely to invest in craft, bringing more investors to fund craft startups.

But if we collectively spurn awesome craft beer just because of who owns it, that business model dies, and funding craft becomes harder.

Now the reality is that it is unlikely that these craft houses will be able to continue making great beer forever. Fact is most big corporations are soulless entities managed by bean counters. I doubt true craft will survive for long under that umbrella. But so long as Goose Island keepsaking fantastic beer, pricing it competitively, and distributing it to a place I can buy it, I'm going to do just that.
 
Ive done a couple tastings of Goose Islands Year rounds and Belgians before and after the merge with AB.
To me, it does not change much,
BCBS and its varients will still be one of my favortie stouts as well as there IPA on draught being a #1 when at a ballgame

Cheers to the haters!
 
ManhattanProjectBrewing said:
AbInBev (Anheuser Busch InBev, Belgium) www.ab-inbev.com

Click on the “brands” tab… You’d be surprised “who” they own. They also just announced buying the Modelo Group (Corona, etc…)

And then there is SABMiller (England) www.sabmiller.com
Again, click on the “brands” tab…

There ya’ have it… All the brands owned by the “big guys.”

Cheers,

-JM
Click to expand...

Lots of garbage beer. I still enjoy a few of those though. I still like St. Pauli Girl and Sapporo, though Sapporo is noticeable different since being sold. Disappointed that Negra Modelo will change now.
 
It is DOCUMENTED that ABInbev takes an accepted recipe, intentionally "cheapens" it, keeps the packaging and price the same, loses some market share, (that's right! They KNOW that some people will notice the crappier taste and actually PLAN on losing customers) but makes more money off of the ignorant masses who still buy the product with their now higher profit margin.

Ignorance is bliss? Knock yourself out!!!!

For me?

F*CK INBEV and the horse they rode in on.
 
cheezydemon3 said:
It is DOCUMENTED that ABInbev takes an accepted recipe, intentionally "cheapens" it, keeps the packaging and price the same, loses some market share, (that's right! They KNOW that some people will notice the crappier taste and actually PLAN on losing customers) but makes more money off of the ignorant masses who still buy the product with their now higher profit margin.

Ignorance is bliss? Knock yourself out!!!!

For me?

F*CK INBEV and the horse they rode in on.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I could careless that they make cheap beer, what pisses me off is the number of good beers they ruin.
 
homebrewdad said:
Make all the lists that you want to make, please do not let me stand in your way. The last time I checked, this was a discussion forum, so I thought to discuss the motivation behind such lists.
Click to expand...

So don't discuss it?
 
homebrewdad said:
Go ahead and blast me, but I find these kinds of lists to be pretentious and tiresome.

Goose Island made fabulous craft beer. InBev made them an offer that they couldn't refuse, but Goose Island still retains recipe and quality control. By all indications, the beer continues to be excellent. I will happily continue to buy their beer - and apparently, I'll have way more chance to do so now, seeing as I don't live in the Chicagoland area.

I'm not saying that the OP is going this far, but lots of beer snobs seem to think that being successful somehow makes your beer inferior. These guys are living the American dream, are they not?


As for 3rd Shift - I've had exactly one of their beers (the Amber lager). It wasn't amazing, but it was reasonably tasty, and I'll happily buy it again. Oh noes! MillerCoors is going to get money from me!


I honestly do not "get" the hangup over the whole "craft versus crafty" debate. If the big boys are pushing unfair monopolies by preventing the little guys from having the chance to sell their product (say, by unfair manipulation of the three tier system), then they should be smacked down and fined heavily by the government.

But the thing is, drinking beer is supposed to be about pleasure. Leave your politics and your economics at the door. Choose with your taste buds, not your pretentions.

I don't drink typical BMC becaue I don't care for it. Likewise, I avoid quite a few craft beers because I don't care for them. Most of the beer I buy *is* craft beer, but a good chunk is "crafty", and I don't apologize for that. To me, the fact that BMC is buying up craft brands/starting their own crafty brands shows that they get that there is a niche to fill. If they answer that need by ensuring that more quality beer is available, how is that bad?

Drink what you like, and leave the snobbery to the world of wine.
Click to expand...



Good answer
 
Clann said:
Good answer
Click to expand...

Suppose I take over your FAVORITE brewery. I take your FAVORITE beer and change the recipe slightly. I make it cheaper to brew by using less of the specialty ingredients, I sub a little rice for grain, I use less hops and hops of lesser price and quality.

I leave the label the same. I tell you nothing of this, and sell it to you at the same price.

You are not pissed? If not because I deceived you, then at least because I took a really good beer and watered it down, forever making it less of a beer?

Suit yourself.
 
cheezydemon3 said:
Suppose I take over your FAVORITE brewery. I take your FAVORITE beer and change the recipe slightly. I make it cheaper to brew by using less of the specialty ingredients, I sub a little rice for grain, I use less hops and hops of lesser price and quality.

I leave the label the same. I tell you nothing of this, and sell it to you at the same price.

You are not pissed? If not because I deceived you, then at least because I took a really good beer and watered it down, forever making it less of a beer?

Suit yourself.
Click to expand...

SOMEbody likes it. So did they make it worse... Or different?
 
cheezydemon3 said:
Suppose I take over your FAVORITE brewery. I take your FAVORITE beer and change the recipe slightly. I make it cheaper to brew by using less of the specialty ingredients, I sub a little rice for grain, I use less hops and hops of lesser price and quality.

I leave the label the same. I tell you nothing of this, and sell it to you at the same price.

You are not pissed? If not because I deceived you, then at least because I took a really good beer and watered it down, forever making it less of a beer?

Suit yourself.
Click to expand...
I can agree with this statement.

ericbw said:
SOMEbody likes it. So did they make it worse... Or different?
Click to expand...
if the recipe has been change to something different, it's not the same beer. if it still tastes good, then it's different. if I don't like it, it's worse. personal taste is a hell of a thing.
 
I would really prefer to avoid a battle about craft vs. big companies.

I just want to compile a list for anyone interested. It doesn't mean the bought out companies cannot make great beers, it is just for reference. It intrigues me how larger companies either buy or try to market like craft companies do. If you are interested, Beer Wars on netflix is a great documentary. This is sort of like an addendum to where they left off.
 
sa1126 said:
I would really prefer to avoid a battle about craft vs. big companies.

I just want to compile a list for anyone interested. It doesn't mean the bought out companies cannot make great beers, it is just for reference. It intrigues me how larger companies either buy or try to market like craft companies do. If you are interested, Beer Wars on netflix is a great documentary. This is sort of like an addendum to where they left off.
Click to expand...

Yes, let's stick to the topic and keep our opinions to the Debate forum (if you want to debate it) or to the other kazillion threads about BMC.

The topic of this thread is compiling a list as stated.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Tobor_8thMan
Commercial Beer Masquerading as Craft Beer -- Help Keep List Up-to-Date
Replies
30
Views
4K
m303wb
M
theheadonthedoor
Beer Buyouts
2
Replies
70
Views
4K
jensek
J
Moose_MI
Faux and Formerly Craft Breweries and Their Owners
Replies
6
Views
1K
Baja_Brewer
Baja_Brewer
beernerds
BREAKING: Anheuser-Busch InBev in final talks to buy a Texas Brewery
Replies
18
Views
2K
Lutter
Lutter
M
  • Article
Do We Really Care Who Makes Our Beer?
Replies
12
Views
1K
MaddBaggins
MaddBaggins

Latest posts

Back
Top