InBud… Who Cares?
The rumors have been circulating for several months: global beverage giant Inbev of Belgium wants to buy Anheuser-Busch. Now, it’s official. Inbev has offered A-B shareholders an unprecedented $65 per share, making this something like a $50 billion deal. The financial pages of every major newspaper and magazine are touting the deal as a new page in the history of beer.
Interestingly, there is a contingent of U.S. citizens in a nationalistic uproar: “Some Ferrinners takin over Amerika’s Beer! How can y’all stand back and let this happen?!” Where was the outrage when Miller was purchased by South African Breweries, or when Daimler took over Chrysler? Frankly, I wish people were more concerned about energy independence and not “Beer Independence”!
America’s beer independence has never been better. With thousands of successful brew-pubs and hundreds of prospering craft brewers making great beer, the U.S. produces some of the finest beer in the world and certainly the widest variety on planet Earth. Why should we care if the stockholders of Anheuser-Busch make a few bucks while simultaneously freeing us of yet one more mediocre lager brand? Heck, the way things are going for the US dollar, Inbev might decide to expand brewing operations over here for many of their other global brands. Besides, we still have Coors! (Hey Diageo, got any spare change?)
One hope I have is that if the In-Bud deal goes through, the new management might stop all of the faux-craft nonsense and the resulting beers like Landshark lager and Shock-Top wheat will meet their deserved demise. My hopes are most likely wishful thinking and certainly not based on what SAB-Miller is doing. They gave us Miller-Chill!
Imagine… The day may soon be at hand when the “domestic beer list” will easily outshine the import selection. I wonder if they will charge “import prices” for Bud? Maybe more bars will opt for American beers on tap instead of those trendy import brands like “Natty Light.”
June 16th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
They charge import prices already for domestic beers like Killian’s; heck, we pay import prices for Iron City, Lone Star, and other out of State–i.e. “foreign”–beers!
June 16th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
In-Bev does an outstanding job marketing authentic brands, take a few minutes to browse their web site. A great example is travel no further than Columbus, OH and you will now easily find Stella Artois available on tap. It’s a great beer with a rich history. I haven’t seen it yet in Charleston but it won’t be long. It’s available on tap in Huntington, Ironton, and Portsmouth.
According to reports Warren Buffet (2nd largest share holder in A-B) is for it, and the Governor and Congressional delegation from Missouri are against it. Hopefully it’s good riddance to Bud Ice Light! Hopefuly In-Bev becomes better able to distribute a larger variety of authentic brands here and sells a few Bud “tall boys” to some unfortunate souls overseas.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Nice to have comments from both of you… I have not seen you guys here before, so Welcome!
Inbev does do a great job of marketing, no doubt about it, as does A-B. As for Stella, for me it’s really an average euro-lager, though better than most; but its presentation has to be admired.
I am not so happy about what these large companies do to brands that are classics, like Hoegaarden (It’s not the same beer as it once was)or what SAB did to Pilsener Urquell. It would be hard for them to take “Bud” down a notch…
Anyways…
Give me an “Amerikin Beer”, like Great Lakes Burning River or Live Oak Pilz…
June 17th, 2008 at 9:58 am
[…] rich ireland wrote a fantastic post today on “InBud⦠Who Cares?”Here’s ONLY a quick extractInterestingly, there is a contingent of US citizens in a nationalistic uproar: “Some Ferrinners takin over Amerika’s Beer! How can y’all stand back and let this happen?!” Where was the outrage when Miller was purchased by South African … […]
June 17th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
UUMM Coors??!!! Coors merged with Molson. So it’s sort of Canadian. Guess what?? They are merging with SAB Miller now!!! Sorry Rich!
Yes America!! Your piss water beers has become 2 huge foreign owned International conglomerates!!
June 17th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Yes Rood, I know that but the company is still based in Denver and is a merger of equals. The MillerCoors thing is just another one of those “who cares” joint ventures. I don’t know why they don’t get it overwith and all merge to form “YellowFizzyBeer Inc.”
June 17th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Most of the negative feelings toward this proposed sale have to do with fear of job loss, not whether or not the quality of A-B’s products will be affected. Let’s face it–who cares whether or not Bud or Bud Light get altered. Bud Light, in particular, could only be better for the change, if you ask me.
However, any loss of jobs does concern me. As one who has been “downsized” in the past, I feel these concerns are more than justified.
On one hand I can see A-B’s position (should they decide to sell), in that it is their company and they should have the right to do with it as they please. After all, I wouldn’t want anyone to tell me that I couldn’t sell my house, car, or whatever else I may desire to part with.
On the other hand, though, I hope A-B’s board of directors thinks this through and weighs the good with the (potentially) bad, rather than getting greedy and simply going for the green.
Too, if one can believe what Carlos Brito, InBev’s CEO, says, it could actually mean more jobs as the A-B brands are expanded globaly. The downside to that is that those added jobs would, in my opinion, likely not be here the U.S.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Personaly it’s the history, and signatue presentation behind Stella that add to its appeal. The silver lining with InBev is they bring the ability to market international brands that we may otherwise never find available here.
One observation about Molson. I spent last week in Vancouver BC and really saw absoutely no one drinking Molson. The natives favored varieties from a local brewer called Granville Island, Sleeman (the Honey Brown was worthwhile), and some horrible crap called Kokanee - the Canadian equilivant of Naty Light “EH”.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Yes, I have been to that brewery on Granville Island. I remember the place having decent beer. Canada has a long way to go with craft beer. Quebec is leading the pack for sure…
June 18th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Personally, I don’t care for Stella, but that’s neither here nor there. Personal taste is like @$$holes, everybody’s got one.
But, more on point, the only thing I care vis-a-vis the InBev buyout is Busch Stadium. PLEASE DON’T CHANGE THE NAME! I know, SAB left Miller Park alone as did Molson and Coors Field. BUT, we’ve lost Jacobs Field, The B.O.B. and PacBell these last few years. Please, please, Please do not mess with one of the great park names left in the U.S.
Oh, and it’s Laidley Field, NOT UC Stadium, Joe Robbie and not ProPlayer, and it will FOREVER be Mountaineer Field, no matter what Puskar gives the U. I refuse to even write the alleged new name.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:09 am
The problem with In-bev is that they close down breweries and make clone brews at a central location. Hoegaarden is the most well known example. In-bev only advances the downward slide into bland.
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Maybe they’ll replace the Eagle with the Manikin Pis?? It’s going to be fun at NASCAR!!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Eh Juice. They’ve reopened the Hoegaarden Brewery.
July 17th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I want to buy the Buschgardens Parks. Call L.E. C. 813=598-6868
July 17th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Sorry… Inbev is rnaming the park “Hoegaardens”.