AB just bought Elysian, thoughts?

Originally posted by mkgrenwel

Originally posted by CharmCityCrab

Craft beer fans didn’t seem to really buy into all-malt Michelob or Shock Top, though the latter sells well to a different market. I think AB-Inbev at that point decided "Hey, if we can’t invent our own version of craft beer in a way consumers of craft beer respond to, why not just buy some pre-existing craft companies and tell them to keep doing what they are doing the way they are already doing?". It might work. How’s Goose Island selling?

This is the way I’m reading it. They’ve had trouble launching their own quality craft brands and being taken seriously by the craft drinkers, so they’re trying the next move: buy established, respected craft brands and see if they can hold on the majority of that cred.

I’m really curious to know the sales numbers on Goose Island. From my vantage point it’s looked remarkably successful. I know Reid has been banging the "GI is a failure in the PWN" drum, but I’m not convinced that’s anything more than limited anecdote and wishful thinking.

This idea that they want to buy these brands so they can corner the market and then go back to selling pale lagers is some tin foil hat level shit. They don’t care what they sell, they just want to make money. They’ve seen craft beer whittle away their market share for a number of years now, and figure if they can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

BY the way why arent Goose Islands beers that are brewed in AB facilities under the Anheuser-Busch page at least?

Sorry to revive this thread again, but out of interest in AB "craft" penetration i looked around many of the places that sell beer in Salem including large retailers.
Goose Island seems to have totally vanished except a few old six packs in Grocery Outlet..and they are selling that for HIGH prices.
10 Barrels is more prominent in the big grocers, they have 6s,12s and bombers all with good space. Its weird their bombers are reasonable/cheap but there 6s and 12s are very expensive..around $2 more than the rest of the pack.
Elysian hasn’t changed yet..a few bombers and the odd six pack. Again bombers reasonable six packs way expensive.
Im finding it hard to discern ABs tactics here..charge far more for their "crafts" so they don’t compete with Shock Top?
I hope so because they have a good chance of failure

and oh the likes of Michelob has all but gone

Just came back from my pre-Superbowl trip to the local grocery store.

Elysian bombers are on sale for just a skosh more than half price.

Originally posted by bitbucket
Just came back from my pre-Superbowl trip to the local grocery store.

Elysian bombers are on sale for just a skosh more than half price.

Its looking obvious to me now that AB-INbev at first thought they could buy Goose Island and ramp up production in their own mega breweries and make GI a nationwide brand probably to compete with Sierra Nevada or even Sam Adams.
It didnt work..at least up here so they needed to buy some PNW breweries to cover.
Damn IT why couldn’t we have at least pretended to buy crappy Honkers Ale!!

Dick Cantwell resigns from AB/Elysian: http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/dick-cantwell-resigns-from-anheuserbusch-elysian/

Originally posted by Prufrockstar
Dick Cantwell resigns from AB/Elysian: http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/dick-cantwell-resigns-from-anheuserbusch-elysian/

I feel awful for Cantwell, really. His baby is not his baby anymore, really. It’s been kidnapped.

He will land on his feet for sure, and probably never needs to work again, anyway (though I imagine he has to give back his share of the buyout proceeds since he is leaving so early).

But that dude basically was that brewery for two decades, and did an awful lot for the Puget Sound region brewing scene. I wish him nothing but the best.

Don’t expect painted bottles, the original illustration of a picket fence, or beer brewed in glass-lined tanks with water from the original area using the same recipe as was used pre-buyout...

Signed,
Bitter Rolling Rock drinker