Xenophobia and the craft beer industry...?

Question

Will InBev's acquisition of Anheuser-Busch cause more patriotic Americans to buy locally brewed quality craft beers, or will conglomerate consolidation in the beer industry threaten the livelihood of the little guy?

Answer 1

Honestly, I don't think anything is going to change, other than a lot of money is going to leave our economy.

People that drink Budweiser drink it because that is what they like. I am a huge craft beer fan, I can't stand the Macro's but thats my tastes.

It would be great to see a lot of people switch over to local brews, but if I can't convince close friends of mine to give something that isn't "Light" a sip, I don't think the the change of ownership is going to sway them at all.

I also don't see small craft brewers being taken over. The big 3, Boston (sam adams), Sierra Nevada, and New Belgium, would be likely targets, but I really couldn't see any of them selling out. They are in the business of making good beer first, and making money 2nd (at least thats what they want us to believe) I think they take a lot more pride in their work and would be very reluctant to be bought out.

Answer 2

I don't think the conglomerate consolidation will have any effect on the little guy.  It's not as if A-B is going away or getting bigger here in the US, but it will open up more advertising opportunities for beers like Stella Artois which is owned by InBev here.  So maybe bringing these beers into a more mainstream setting will take some business away from craft beers, but just as many people might stop drinking former A-B products to balance it out.

I don't see the little guy having problems other than from the weakening dollar which makes it more likely for them to be bought by outside intrests.

Beer is such a complex drink that can be made with so many different formulas and variables that there will always be room for the little brewers to come up with their own versions. Accordingly, there will always be a percentage of people who will seek out these different flavors and styles of beer, instead of the mainstream commercialized version.

Answer 3

globalization is here to stay

Answer 4

US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch agreed to a $50 billion takeover by Belgium-based InBev NV, which in turn will create the world's largest beer maker. Anheuser-Busch was started 148 years back in St. Louis, when Eberhard Anheuser bought Bavarian Brewery in 1860. Later on, his son-in-law Adolphus Busch took over and then began the Busch family’s dominance. InBev was formed when Leuven-based Interbrew SA bought Sao Paulo- based Cia.de Bebidas das Americas, or AmBev, in an $11 billion transaction. Its portfolio includes more than 200 brands.

This takeover comes after a month of court fights and public disputes over the future of Anheuser-Busch. InBev’s improved purchase offer of 70-dollar-a-share has put an end to their hostility. Three months earlier, it had offered 65-dollar-a-share. Once this deal gains regulatory approval, it would be the largest in alcoholic drink history and the second biggest of a U.S. consumer-goods company. The combined company will be called Anheuser-Busch InBev. The combination of Anheuser-Busch and InBev will create the global leader in the beer industry and one of the world's top five consumer products companies. It would offer consumers about 300 brands, including Anheuser's Budweiser and Bud Light and InBev's Stella Artois and Beck's.

The company will make St. Louis, Missouri the headquarters for the North American region and the global home of the flagship Budweiser brand. Anheuser-Busch will get two seats on the new company's board, its current president and CEO August Busch IV and another current or former director from the Anheuser-Busch Board.

The expanded company will aim to have leading positions in the world's top five markets - China, U.S., Russia, Brazil and Germany and balanced exposure to developed and developing markets. The transaction will create significant profit potential both in terms of cost savings and revenue enhancement.

Answer 5

With any luck, more people will start trying craft beers and realise what they've been missing.

Budweiser is not and never has been beer. It's made with rice, not barley malt.

Answer 6

If it took Patriotic Americans the sale of A.B. to InBev to buy locally then I'm all for it. Finally many Americans are going to really taste beer for the 1st time now so I don't think the little guy is going to be squeezed out. Most avid enthusiastic Bud drinkers will go through a three step process. 1) Anger, Anger, Anger 2) denial and 3) Acceptance ...and they will go back to buying A.B. products. They (A.B.) are marketing savvy (they have to be the product is nothing more then beer flavored water) and have a massive advertising budget and are in every sport known to man. You can barley go a day without seeing something related to the product. They anticipate this reaction and you can bet your hop-head they already have a slick little campaign to win those loyal drinkers back to A.B. as if nothing ever happened. Hopefully there will be a large number of consumers that will see right through this and in fact try local and realize just how much better micro brewed beers are and never look back. However,It is the doom of man that he soon forgets as the reality is people are creatures of habit and no matter what the situation many will go back despite what they say.