Your "craft beer" may be owned by a large multinational.

[redsturgeon]

For some that might not matter but it would be nice to know and perhaps avoid what happened to the small breweries that got swallowed up by the large corporations the first time around!

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... redentials

Camden Town, Goose Island, Blue Point, Meantime, Hop House 13, Blue Moon, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Lagunitas and London Fields. This pub cellar’s worth of beer brands have one thing in common: they are widely perceived as “craft” brews but are actually owned by multinational companies.

John

[Lootman]

Trust the Guardian to politicise even something as simple as beer. Just because a craft beer producer is owned by some other entity does not mean that the beer suddenly becomes worse. In fact, in many cases it means an injection of capital that enables the craft brewery to expand production, increase its range and improve its quality control. It also means that things like delivery and marketing can be handled by a suit somewhere, leaving the brewery better able to better focus on the product rather than the finances.

Now, in some cases the small brewer may be shut down and production switched to a larger facility. But there are also cases where the small brewer retains its facilities, or is able to improve and expand it. In fact there is an element of the tail wagging the dog here, as the big brewers see a decline in their traditional keg and lager products, whilst craft and "real" ale is the market segment that is growing. Indeed, CAMRA has been one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever.

The Guardian did a good job of supporting CAMRA in its early days, and I used to enjoy reading Richard Boston's beer column decades ago. But now it seems that the paper is just engaging in old fashioned attack pieces on any business that isn't a cute little co-operative with impeccable liberal credentials.

[redsturgeon]

I am afraid that my trust in the likes ABInBev to produce a range of unique and tasty beers is less than yours.

John

[Lootman]

In the interests of balance and presenting both sides of the argument:

http://47hops.com/acquisitions

http://thebrewermagazine.com/?p=3562

[JMN2]

I can assure you that Goose Island IPA has not changed at all, and is still one of the best "old-style" easily available IPA around.

[UncleIan]

Of course, you'd have to be able to define craft beer to know whether something can be classified as a craft beer of not. The ubiquitous Doombar probably isn't a craft beer by any sensible definition (if one were possible), but I'd still gladly drink it if the alternative was John Smiths Smooth.

[UncleEbenezer]

Of course, you'd have to be able to define craft beer to know whether something can be classified as a craft beer of not. The ubiquitous Doombar probably isn't a craft beer by any sensible definition (if one were possible), but I'd still gladly drink it if the alternative was John Smiths Smooth.

Back in the day, Doom Bar was one of our local Big Breweries (along with Snozzle). The takeover lost them a lot of loyal customers in the region. And it's seen in fewer pubs, no doubt both for positive reasons (the rise of so many great smaller breweries) and negative (reduced popularity). Of course I'd drink it if the choice was sufficiently poor, but I seem to be spoilt for choice these days.

[Hallucigenia]

Interesting to see the GBBF being sponsored by ABInBev - although obviously Beerhawk is completely separate....

[redsturgeon]

I am hopefully going to the GBBF on the first day but apparently company tickets are harder to come by than previous years...I am down as the "foreign
beer expert".

John

[Lootman]

I am hopefully going to the GBBF on the first day but apparently company tickets are harder to come by than previous years...I am down as the "foreign beer expert".

Foreign? Where do you live?

I went to the first few GBBF's in the late 1970's at Ally Pally. I lived right there so how could I not? That included the one in the big marquee after the fire.

After that it went walkabout and I got distracted, and so didn't go again until a few years ago, when my kids were old enough to drink (well, OK, they have been drinking since they were 13, but you know what I mean) when I took them to one at Earls Court and one at Olympia.

I have to say that they are just not the same, but then that may just be age-related, rose-tinted nostalgia. These days I prefer small local beer festivals, being an old fart and all.

[redsturgeon]

I am hopefully going to the GBBF on the first day but apparently company tickets are harder to come by than previous years...I am down as the "foreign beer expert".

Foreign? Where do you live?

Foreign beer, expert!

I went to the first few GBBF's in the late 1970's at Ally Pally. I lived right there so how could I not? That included the one in the big marquee after the fire.

After that it went walkabout and I got distracted, and so didn't go again until a few years ago, when my kids were old enough to drink (well, OK, they have been drinking since they were 13, but you know what I mean) when I took them to one at Earls Court and one at Olympia.

I have to say that they are just not the same, but then that may just be age-related, rose-tinted nostalgia. These days I prefer small local beer festivals, being an old fart and all.

Nothing is the same as it was...but what is one supposed to do...give up?
Having said that I'd defy anyone to say that the range and quality of beer available these days either at the GBBF or in general is any less than it ever was.

[JMN2]

As every year, I'll be at GBBF on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday is usually walking around and Thursday finding a base and sitting down.