After my last Goose story I was prepared to steer away from Goose Island. Personally, I feel the topic is getting somewhat old, but the Hall's seem to have a miraculous ability to keep generating stories for this blog. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Greg Hall, exiting Brewmaster of Goose Island, son of the founder, and future brewing consultant to Anheuser - Busch (AB) mistook a pint glass for a urinal while standing in a bar.
The Tribune is reporting that Hall relieved himself in two pint glasses in the bar area of Bangers and Lace and then left the premises. Hall has allegedly admitted he acted inappropriately, but can not recall the entire evening as he was too inebriated. Hall did apologize.
I will be looking into the story more tomorrow as it is almost 9 pm here. I plan contact media relations at Goose Island, AB and Bangers and Lace. I would also like to know if this brazen public urination has been reported to Chicago Police Department, or does Bangers and Lace let people have a complete disregard for decorum and the law? Not only is Goose Island off my list of bars to hang out at, Bangers and Lace is looking that way to....
Check back for more updates or follow me on Twitter @verysmallbeer
Update: As I expected getting no comments across the board.
Showing posts with label Anheuser-Busch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anheuser-Busch. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Goose Island Sale Will Damage Small Brewers
I know you are all sick of hearing about Goose Island and the Anheuser Busch acquisition. I think every beer blogger, writer and news outlet wrote knee jerk responses. I stand by my previous post, but I wanted to write a more thoughtful post especially now that a discussion had occurred. I was faced with a difficult problem while writing on Monday. No one had made an argument for or against this acquisition This blog is not about me proselytizing, but rather about the conversation that occurs within the beer community in which I am one voice.
Beer enthusiasts have fallen into three camps. The people who think Goose Island's sale is a great thing, those who regard it as horrible and the wait and see camp. I think in some respects all three camps are correct. Yes, I think everyone is right. They are right for their own reasons.
The sale is great for Goose Island as a brand. AB will pump up production, and may even bring back some retired styles like Oatmeal and Nut Brown. The two Chicago brewpubs are unaffected, and I read in more than one article that they are evaluating their options. The Hall family got a nice chunk of cash for building the business. With AB at the helm I think people from coast to coast will see Goose Island in their stores over the next few years. No doubt this is a win for Goose Island as a business.
The people in doom and gloom land are right for the same reasons. These people do not like large corporations selling beer to them. They believe in environmental sustainability, drinking local, and the diversity craft beer has to offer. Craft trumps profit and they believe the industry is damaged.
The wait and see people are probably the most reasonable people. AB is promising to let John Hall retain control. They have also said the St. Louis brewery will not be used to produce Goose Island beer, but curiously did not mention the other AB facilities. The recipes will not change and everything will be the same. The question is whether AB holds true to their word or not. These are huge questions and time will tell. AB has not always followed this in the past, although they may have learned from mistakes.
Where do I sit? I believe in all three camps. This is great if your name is Hall or your a Goose Island production worker. Without a doubt a larger corporation is selling the beer. Goose is now a subsidiary. Make no mistake this is not the "partnership" some have tried to frame this as. AB owns Goose Island -do not be stupid. AB will look to make their money back, and they will look to find ways to cut costs. Will those changes come at the expense of quality? Only time will tell. I will put money on AB brewing 312 Urban Wheat Ale in giant brewkettles at their facilities within 3 years which may or may not affect quality.
The people who really need to be concerned are Metropolitan, Half Acre, Three Floyds and other Chicago brewers. Without a doubt AB will flex their marketing muscle to keep their new brand out in front. If AB is able to keep these breweries from expanding their taps and shelf space their business models went to hell. Now imagine if AB is able to go after 5% of a small brewers accounts. Metropolitan Chicago's only strict lager brewery is a strong up and comer. (My review) Metropolitan is sold in about 363 bars and restaurants in the Chicago area. AB would only have to successfully shut Metropolitan out of 18 outlets to hit that goal. Looking at the list it would not be that hard. You can watch the movie Beer Wars to see how the retail side of things works. AB may not need to shove them out, but imagine if Metropolitan's their shelf space went from two facings to one?
Many small startup breweries are running with debt right now. Their business models are built on ever increasing growth. Should AB flex their muscles many smaller craft brewers may be in trouble.
Beer enthusiasts have fallen into three camps. The people who think Goose Island's sale is a great thing, those who regard it as horrible and the wait and see camp. I think in some respects all three camps are correct. Yes, I think everyone is right. They are right for their own reasons.
The sale is great for Goose Island as a brand. AB will pump up production, and may even bring back some retired styles like Oatmeal and Nut Brown. The two Chicago brewpubs are unaffected, and I read in more than one article that they are evaluating their options. The Hall family got a nice chunk of cash for building the business. With AB at the helm I think people from coast to coast will see Goose Island in their stores over the next few years. No doubt this is a win for Goose Island as a business.
The people in doom and gloom land are right for the same reasons. These people do not like large corporations selling beer to them. They believe in environmental sustainability, drinking local, and the diversity craft beer has to offer. Craft trumps profit and they believe the industry is damaged.
The wait and see people are probably the most reasonable people. AB is promising to let John Hall retain control. They have also said the St. Louis brewery will not be used to produce Goose Island beer, but curiously did not mention the other AB facilities. The recipes will not change and everything will be the same. The question is whether AB holds true to their word or not. These are huge questions and time will tell. AB has not always followed this in the past, although they may have learned from mistakes.
Where do I sit? I believe in all three camps. This is great if your name is Hall or your a Goose Island production worker. Without a doubt a larger corporation is selling the beer. Goose is now a subsidiary. Make no mistake this is not the "partnership" some have tried to frame this as. AB owns Goose Island -do not be stupid. AB will look to make their money back, and they will look to find ways to cut costs. Will those changes come at the expense of quality? Only time will tell. I will put money on AB brewing 312 Urban Wheat Ale in giant brewkettles at their facilities within 3 years which may or may not affect quality.
The people who really need to be concerned are Metropolitan, Half Acre, Three Floyds and other Chicago brewers. Without a doubt AB will flex their marketing muscle to keep their new brand out in front. If AB is able to keep these breweries from expanding their taps and shelf space their business models went to hell. Now imagine if AB is able to go after 5% of a small brewers accounts. Metropolitan Chicago's only strict lager brewery is a strong up and comer. (My review) Metropolitan is sold in about 363 bars and restaurants in the Chicago area. AB would only have to successfully shut Metropolitan out of 18 outlets to hit that goal. Looking at the list it would not be that hard. You can watch the movie Beer Wars to see how the retail side of things works. AB may not need to shove them out, but imagine if Metropolitan's their shelf space went from two facings to one?
Many small startup breweries are running with debt right now. Their business models are built on ever increasing growth. Should AB flex their muscles many smaller craft brewers may be in trouble.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tough Topic: Goose Island Changes Hands
On Thursday March 21 I posted a more thoughtful second look.
Given today's breaking news I have opted for a second hastily written Tough Topic post. You should still check out my post on Brewery Tours.
In what is a historic announcement Goose Island's ownership sold the production brewery and beer portfolio to Anheuser-Busch. I have no qualms about saying this is historic. Goose Island was a pioneer in bringing craft beer to the Midwest. Several other breweries in the region, and even the nation are headed by brewers who cut their teeth at Goose Island. Goose Island has stood for quality and innovation in a tight knit drinking community.
Goose Island is not just where I became acquainted with craft beer, where I made friends or enjoyed the best beer I ever had. Over the last few years Goose Island really pushed the idea of drinking local with beers like Green Line, and helped fuel the trend for barrel aged beer with the Bourbon County Stout line of beers. While all this occurred Goose Island has had some issues, and long term customers were beginning to grumble about a drop in quality. (See here and here for details.)
I have met the Halls and I never doubted they were in this business to make money. I can not blame them. only idiots go into business to go broke, but a bottom line always seemed to pop up with them. Goose now claims that in order to keep up growth they needed to sell to Anheuser-Busch for $38.8M. Frankly, I think they undervalued the brewery, but I am just a humble blogger. BeerAdvocate has a press release where John Hall founder of Goose Island calls this a partnership. I find it hard to consider someone buying a 58% stake in the business a partnership when the founder is no longer really in charge.
The customary claims that nothing will change are being made and Goose Island will continue operations as is, but with additional support of the resources of AB. However Goose Island's current brewmaster is already stepping down and being replaced by Brett Porter. Brett is a well regarded brewer, but this is evidence of change, and I can only assume that positions will be eliminated. I already had a recently terminated Goose Island employee tell me he expects us to see many more pink slips.
What else will change? Beer selection. I expect to see the Michelob line of beer scaled back. Currently Michelob sells a line of craft style beers in in several traditional styles from English Pale Ale to Bavarian Wheat. Michelob struggled to gain a foothold in this segment and having beer drinkers adopt it as a viable choice. It would realistically make sense for AB to push Goose Island's current well rated and accepted line of beer into the same shelf space.
Harry Schuhmacher has reported on his Twitter feed that Dave Peacock the CEO of AB has stated they will not brew Goose Island's line of beers at the St. Louis brewery. I find the choice of words interesting given that AB operates eleven other facilities in the US and has access to InBev facilities overseas. At some point someone will make a decision that it is cheaper to begin doing runs of certain beers such as 312 or Summertime in a larger facility. I agree we will not see these changes right away, but they are coming. Once capacity opens up we may see the Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown beers return or we may see less profitable beers disappear.
I do think the Chicago facility will continue operation, in fact AB is claiming to pump over a million dollars into the facility in the next year. However, I believe that this will be to focus on smaller batch beers such as Bourbon County and Matilda. It is just too easy to increase profits on some of these beers by transferring production to another facility.
What else will change? I do not think AB will change their position on honesty. I do think Goose Island will have a drop of sales in certain circles such as HopCat's announcement to discontinue sale (#3 Beer Bar on Planet Earth by BeerAdvocate). I do think their sales will likely increase, and Goose Island will sell coast to coast. I have not alway embraced the David vs Goliath philosophy and felt microbreweries biggest competition was each other and not the big guys. I think this acquisition needs to be closely watched by Dogfish Head and Brooklyn Brewery. This threatens them in a way they have not seen.
In any case the next 24 months will have a lot to show. Will this work? Will it grow or die? What will the effect on other establishments be? Come back and find out I plan to watch closely. Given Goose Islands increasing focus on Belgian style beer it is ironic they got bought up by a Belgian conglomerate.
Given today's breaking news I have opted for a second hastily written Tough Topic post. You should still check out my post on Brewery Tours.
In what is a historic announcement Goose Island's ownership sold the production brewery and beer portfolio to Anheuser-Busch. I have no qualms about saying this is historic. Goose Island was a pioneer in bringing craft beer to the Midwest. Several other breweries in the region, and even the nation are headed by brewers who cut their teeth at Goose Island. Goose Island has stood for quality and innovation in a tight knit drinking community.
Goose Island is not just where I became acquainted with craft beer, where I made friends or enjoyed the best beer I ever had. Over the last few years Goose Island really pushed the idea of drinking local with beers like Green Line, and helped fuel the trend for barrel aged beer with the Bourbon County Stout line of beers. While all this occurred Goose Island has had some issues, and long term customers were beginning to grumble about a drop in quality. (See here and here for details.)
I have met the Halls and I never doubted they were in this business to make money. I can not blame them. only idiots go into business to go broke, but a bottom line always seemed to pop up with them. Goose now claims that in order to keep up growth they needed to sell to Anheuser-Busch for $38.8M. Frankly, I think they undervalued the brewery, but I am just a humble blogger. BeerAdvocate has a press release where John Hall founder of Goose Island calls this a partnership. I find it hard to consider someone buying a 58% stake in the business a partnership when the founder is no longer really in charge.
The customary claims that nothing will change are being made and Goose Island will continue operations as is, but with additional support of the resources of AB. However Goose Island's current brewmaster is already stepping down and being replaced by Brett Porter. Brett is a well regarded brewer, but this is evidence of change, and I can only assume that positions will be eliminated. I already had a recently terminated Goose Island employee tell me he expects us to see many more pink slips.
What else will change? Beer selection. I expect to see the Michelob line of beer scaled back. Currently Michelob sells a line of craft style beers in in several traditional styles from English Pale Ale to Bavarian Wheat. Michelob struggled to gain a foothold in this segment and having beer drinkers adopt it as a viable choice. It would realistically make sense for AB to push Goose Island's current well rated and accepted line of beer into the same shelf space.
Harry Schuhmacher has reported on his Twitter feed that Dave Peacock the CEO of AB has stated they will not brew Goose Island's line of beers at the St. Louis brewery. I find the choice of words interesting given that AB operates eleven other facilities in the US and has access to InBev facilities overseas. At some point someone will make a decision that it is cheaper to begin doing runs of certain beers such as 312 or Summertime in a larger facility. I agree we will not see these changes right away, but they are coming. Once capacity opens up we may see the Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown beers return or we may see less profitable beers disappear.
I do think the Chicago facility will continue operation, in fact AB is claiming to pump over a million dollars into the facility in the next year. However, I believe that this will be to focus on smaller batch beers such as Bourbon County and Matilda. It is just too easy to increase profits on some of these beers by transferring production to another facility.
What else will change? I do not think AB will change their position on honesty. I do think Goose Island will have a drop of sales in certain circles such as HopCat's announcement to discontinue sale (#3 Beer Bar on Planet Earth by BeerAdvocate). I do think their sales will likely increase, and Goose Island will sell coast to coast. I have not alway embraced the David vs Goliath philosophy and felt microbreweries biggest competition was each other and not the big guys. I think this acquisition needs to be closely watched by Dogfish Head and Brooklyn Brewery. This threatens them in a way they have not seen.
In any case the next 24 months will have a lot to show. Will this work? Will it grow or die? What will the effect on other establishments be? Come back and find out I plan to watch closely. Given Goose Islands increasing focus on Belgian style beer it is ironic they got bought up by a Belgian conglomerate.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tough Topic: Be Honest
As craft beer becomes bigger business, a few breweries become shady. Some of the larger mass production brewers are making a line of more flavorful beer, but distancing themselves from the new brand to make it look like it is a hometown beer. The two that come to mind right away is Landshark Lager and Leinenkugel's.
Landshark is really a product of Anheuser-Busch. Landshark just uses Jimmy Buffet for branding. Nowhere on their bottle or in any of their material is it obvious that Landshark is a product of AB. In fact they have done such a good job covering this up that good.is created a beer map of the US. In creating this map Good asked readers the following:
A second brewery out there masquerading as a small craft brewer is Leinenkugel's. Now I do enjoy one of their beers from time to time, but I do take issue with how they attempt to pass themselves off. No mention of Miller on the bottle at all. Check out their FAQ page. See the spot where they claim to be a "regional brewery with limited marketing dollars." Bullshit.
Many consumers decide to drink craft beer for its' sustainability, or to support a local business in addition to a more flavorful beer. I am glad to see some of these larger brewers are trying to produce more flavorful beer and there is some attempt to even give back to the communities where they are based. But seriously folks, be honest about who you are.
Landshark is really a product of Anheuser-Busch. Landshark just uses Jimmy Buffet for branding. Nowhere on their bottle or in any of their material is it obvious that Landshark is a product of AB. In fact they have done such a good job covering this up that good.is created a beer map of the US. In creating this map Good asked readers the following:
What is the most awesome, best tasting, sustainably brewed, independently owned, community-oriented craft beer brewed in your state?Landshark is by no means independently owned and it is a shame the people of Florida don't know that.
A second brewery out there masquerading as a small craft brewer is Leinenkugel's. Now I do enjoy one of their beers from time to time, but I do take issue with how they attempt to pass themselves off. No mention of Miller on the bottle at all. Check out their FAQ page. See the spot where they claim to be a "regional brewery with limited marketing dollars." Bullshit.
Many consumers decide to drink craft beer for its' sustainability, or to support a local business in addition to a more flavorful beer. I am glad to see some of these larger brewers are trying to produce more flavorful beer and there is some attempt to even give back to the communities where they are based. But seriously folks, be honest about who you are.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Brewery Review: Anheuser-Busch
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| St. Louis Brewhouse |
People also do not realize the level of influence AB has in many of the most popular craft beers. AB has about a one-third stake in Goose Island and steaks of several others, most notably the Craft Brewers Alliance. Many people from the South think Landshark Lager is a micro-brew. Seriously? When do craft breweries have enough cash to buy naming rights on an NFL stadium? Think I am lying? Scroll to the bottom of their homepage and click the beeresponsible.com link.
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| Beer Bitch Loves The Horses |
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| Pouring From A Finishing Tank |
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Book Review: Great Food Great Beer
Yes, it is a cookbook from the fine people who make you Budweiser. What do I like about Great Food Great Beer
? Almost everything. Many beer cookbooks focus on beer as an ingredient. This book is not like that. Although some recipes include beer as an ingredient, many of the 185 recipes are plain old recipes. Personally I have enjoyed cooking with AB products. They are cheap and the flavor seems to concentrate as it boils down. I would say if you want the beer to be a bold standout flavor then you will likely need to find a bolder beer. I don't want to cry when I dump a bottle of AB in a pot like I would with some other beers. Right now, my cabinet is typically stocked with either pricier beer or something so hard to find I cannot stand to sacrifice it for a meal.
Every recipe has a suggested beer pairing. However, most cookbooks have a suggested pairing with a specific beer named. This book states the style then the matching company product, allowing me to adapt to my preference. Also, the suggestions go beyond just Budweiser and Bud Light. The Michelob line of "craft" beer is also referenced in this book.
The recipes are for the most part not pretentious and easy to make. It is a solid cookbook for novice to intermediate kitchen dwellers. The beginning of the book contains a short history of Anheuser-Busch, and the basics on pairing, pouring and glassware to assist you in entertaining. If you are just starting to cook with beer I suggest you purchase this book.
? Almost everything. Many beer cookbooks focus on beer as an ingredient. This book is not like that. Although some recipes include beer as an ingredient, many of the 185 recipes are plain old recipes. Personally I have enjoyed cooking with AB products. They are cheap and the flavor seems to concentrate as it boils down. I would say if you want the beer to be a bold standout flavor then you will likely need to find a bolder beer. I don't want to cry when I dump a bottle of AB in a pot like I would with some other beers. Right now, my cabinet is typically stocked with either pricier beer or something so hard to find I cannot stand to sacrifice it for a meal.Every recipe has a suggested beer pairing. However, most cookbooks have a suggested pairing with a specific beer named. This book states the style then the matching company product, allowing me to adapt to my preference. Also, the suggestions go beyond just Budweiser and Bud Light. The Michelob line of "craft" beer is also referenced in this book.
The recipes are for the most part not pretentious and easy to make. It is a solid cookbook for novice to intermediate kitchen dwellers. The beginning of the book contains a short history of Anheuser-Busch, and the basics on pairing, pouring and glassware to assist you in entertaining. If you are just starting to cook with beer I suggest you purchase this book.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Cooking with Beer: Budweiser Wings
Ok Ok I know your thinking "Budweiser?" Yes I cook with Bud. Why? Well for one its cheap. Although it may lack flavor in the glass; it has flavor after being reduced at a boil. It provides a simple cheap way to instill flavor in a dish.
6 Pounds of Wings
2 24 oz cans of Budweiser
2 Cups BBQ Sauce
1/4 to 1 Cup Hot Sauce
Open the cans and sit them on the counter a couple hours before you plan on making this dish. I have heard beer can be prone to boil over if not flat. Opening ahead like this flattens the beer considerably. I am in fear of Beer Bitch so I will not test this. To be honest, and in her defense, I am a sloppy cook anyways.
Put the (thawed) wings in a large stock pot. Pour the beer in and bring to a boil. Bringing to a boil took considerably longer than I thought they would. I boiled for about 12 minutes until the wings had lost their pink. I transfered them to a 9x12 dish into a preheated 475F oven. Bake until crispy and brown. (You could also try grilling here)
While baking mix the sauce and hot sauce. I used Sweet Baby Rays and Frank's Hot Sauce. I would recomend adding 1/4 cup of the hot sauce at a time stirring and taking a taste. Half a cup of Hotsauce made a perfect balanced sauce of spicy without being spicy for the sake of spicy.
When the wings are done toss in bowl of sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing and celery on the side.
Served 4 for dinner although would do fine for more as an appetizer. Also this recipe could easily be halfed.
6 Pounds of Wings
2 24 oz cans of Budweiser
2 Cups BBQ Sauce
1/4 to 1 Cup Hot Sauce
Open the cans and sit them on the counter a couple hours before you plan on making this dish. I have heard beer can be prone to boil over if not flat. Opening ahead like this flattens the beer considerably. I am in fear of Beer Bitch so I will not test this. To be honest, and in her defense, I am a sloppy cook anyways.
Put the (thawed) wings in a large stock pot. Pour the beer in and bring to a boil. Bringing to a boil took considerably longer than I thought they would. I boiled for about 12 minutes until the wings had lost their pink. I transfered them to a 9x12 dish into a preheated 475F oven. Bake until crispy and brown. (You could also try grilling here)
While baking mix the sauce and hot sauce. I used Sweet Baby Rays and Frank's Hot Sauce. I would recomend adding 1/4 cup of the hot sauce at a time stirring and taking a taste. Half a cup of Hotsauce made a perfect balanced sauce of spicy without being spicy for the sake of spicy.
When the wings are done toss in bowl of sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing and celery on the side.
Served 4 for dinner although would do fine for more as an appetizer. Also this recipe could easily be halfed.
Friday, July 30, 2010
#2 of 1001 Budweiser
My journey in beer continues as I work through 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die (1001 (Universe)).
For beer number two I drank Budweiser. Yeah thats right AB rears its ugly head in this book. When I first saw it in 1001 beers I was taken aback. Then I read the description, gave it some thought and realized "yeah this belongs here."Tasting beer isn't always about tasting the tastiest beer. It is also about knowing where beer has been and going. Anheuser-Busch (AB) is the epitome of quality control. I have heard they do daily comparisons not just between batches, but also between breweries around the world. A Big Mac in London matches a Big Mac in Des Moines and same with Budweiser. I respect their consistency although I may not be a fan of the taste. I appreciate a beer with more depth and complexity than AB products normally provide. I would say remember AB hires some of the best brewers in the world, although their talents are handcuffed in the name of mass market appeal.
Tasting Notes:
Poured from a 24oz can into a pilsner glass. I had to really sniff to get a whiff of the beechwood. True to form it was crisp and light and well utterly tasteless. I will admit AB makes a few good beers, but this just isn't that great.
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