They just don't get it....

[DaYooper]

http://allaboutbeer.com/10-barrel-brewi ... ser-busch/

I dont doubt InBev or other biggies can buy a craft brewery and keep quality. If the brewery was profitable from the beginning, with InBev's massive purchasing power they can make it even more profitable and can grow the brand via their distribution network. This is not a "crafty beer" scenario. As the one brewer noted, he loves that he will now have near unlimited resources.

Where the problem comes in is the massive scale similar to mom & pop appliance stores competing with Best Buy and the internet. See any of those around anymore? InBev has such massive purchasing power they get huge discounts, making it difficult for the little guys to play. And who's to stop them from going to Hops Union and saying "yes, we want ALL of your Cascade," leaving everyone else out in the cold or paying top dollar? This would not be good for us home brewers either, as anyone who can remember the hop shortage can contest. Luckily, the hops production in Michigan is really taking off, and we tend to sell to Michigan breweries so hopefully that wont affect us all too much.

Other major problem is their distribution network. What is to prevent them from claiming more and more shelf space by threatening not to sell them Bud and saying the same thing to the bars? Yes, there are some craft-only bars, but the majority of the bars make their money on BMC so of course they would give in, as they too are competing with "Liquor Lotto" across the street.

SWMBO and I make it a point to support Michigan beers seeing as that is where we hang our hats (we also have some good beer), and augment with some of the ones touted on the Borg, etc. to broaden our horizons. But we are the minority as well as working to start a local business so can understand what is happening unlike the +95% of the demographics. It would kill me if InB came in and bought Founders, Bells, or Shorts amongst others as it would further make obvious what these giants are doing to the industry. Then again, I still drink Leinies so I guess that sort of makes me a hypocrite.

[Brewbirds]

I watch the financial section headlines on the Google News page and see that all the "biggies" are reporting low earnings on slowing sales so it makes since in the dog eat dog of corporate global greedy ruthless no holds barred business practices that the strategy would not be to improve themselves but to annihilate choice for there consuming public.

Offer a big enough payout to the founder of a popular product and they will most often take the money, pack up the wife and kids, and head for that dream mansion in Naples Fla. not just in the craft beer industry it has been going on forever.

[FedoraDave]

It's troubling, but times of change are always troubling.

It will be interesting to see just how things stand after the dust settles.

[Gymrat]

InBev is all about keeping their stockholders happy. They could care less about their customers

[The_Professor]

If you buy the "competition" they are no longer "competition". 'Nuff said. And what you say today about keeping things the same has nothing with the sh** you will spout tomorrow about things being the same when they aren't. People would get wise to "corporate bullsh**" if they weren't so good at driving things their way. Any small brewery bought out will be dead in a few years. Just like some rich guy marrying your daughter and then divorcing her a few years later.