re: Wicked Weed purchased by AB

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They will get more cash, better equipment, easier access to ingredients and easier distribution nationwide.

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They will transform their new warehouse into one giant 10 acre foeder.

I support local independent breweries first and foremost. Ab in bev is a big player in lobbying the state of TX to prevent smaller independents from growing and having any sort of advantage at all. I can't support that.

Now if I'm at a party and all they have is bud light and hopadilo I will still drink one. But given any other choice I'm sticking with independents.

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AB isn't buying these to change them, they just know they need craft beers in their portfolio.

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This is wrong.

They are buying them to maximize revenue. That means cutting costs, which includes people and quality of ingredients. It doesn't mean a total reworking of everything, but Goose Island is absolutely the hallmark of such cuts.

No more Juiceless

This sucks. My favorite brewery in NC, only sours I've ever craved, but there are no shortage of options. I'm sure their bank accounts will make the owners feel ok but it had to be hard to look themselves in the mirror this morning.

I'll still buy WW stuff, but like every other brewer that sold out, they've moved to the bottom of the list when I go beer shopping.

frick. Alright, well time to find a new favorite brewery in NC.

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This is wrong.

They are buying them to maximize revenue. That means cutting costs, which includes people and quality of ingredients. It doesn't mean a total reworking of everything, but Goose Island is absolutely the hallmark of such cuts.

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I don't think this is how it has played out based on their other acquisitions. This is all just my opinion, but they aren't going to purchase a brewery that has poor business practices, and certainly not one losing money. With that said, I doubt they are going in these places and replacing recipes or SOPs unless they are nonexistent or poor. I don't think their goal is to affect the beer, but rather to tap into a demand and utilize their rather large distribution system to sell more. Based on what I've seen, their goal has been to identify the best selling "regular" beers and exploiting the distro. That doesn't mean the other beers will go away, they just won't be subsidized with AB supply chain as much as the more regular lineup.

All that to say I prefer to support independent breweries, so I won't be looking for WW anymore. Not to say I won't enjoy one of their sours when they are the best option at the moment, but that's it.

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frick. Alright, well time to find a new favorite brewery in NC.

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Burial is your answer.

FWIW, I love WW sours. Some say they are overrated, i think they are fantastic. Most of it stems from my vacation to Asheville last year and the great time we had. So every time i taste a WW sour, i think of the funkatorium and the beautiful scenery in that area.
And admittedly, i've reacted differently to this buyout than some of the others. Maybe it's because of my love for the beer, or maybe because i'm getting older and just want to drink good beer, regardless who makes it. I was saying the same with Karbach when they were getting blasted by the self-righteous on facebook. I don't fault breweries for "selling out". They worked hard for their product and scraped by for many years on razor thin margins. And to have AB come along and basically say, "You won't have to worry about money for the rest of your life, and you get to keep your brewery", i certainly can't fault any brewery for saying yes. I do understand the reaction from the public. And many people may stop buying their beer because of it. That is the expense of these deals. I'll still buy their stuff enthusiastically. However, if there is a decline in product, i will be very disappointed and will seek other beers.