> It makes absolutely no sense for "big beer" to try to "crush" craft beer And yet, AB-InBev and SABMiller lobby against laws which make it easier for craft be

> It makes absolutely no sense for "big beer" to try to "crush" craft beer And yet, AB-InBev and SABMiller lobby against laws which make it easier for craft beer to be sold. They fight against self-distribution and for small distributors and for the dissolution of the 3-tier system, so that they can run the One Tied House to Rule Them All. They're happy to buy craft breweries with established names and products, but loathe to compete with them on fair terms. > Finally: I call BS on the idea that Big Beer somehow ruins acquired craft breweries. Goose Island is if anything doing a more consistent and competent job now than they were prior to the acquisition. 1) Any time a brewery gets further from the drinkers its hop-forward beers suffer. Goose IPA being made in New York adds like a week to the time it takes to hit shelves, and for most hop-forward beers, that's a notable amount of time. (Goose, pre-buyout had very few hop-forward beers, and has more now. The focus of the brewery has changed. Many breweries will not scale, because they can't ship fresh enough beer to compete with the local breweries. Even Three Floyds, distributing across state lines can't compete with Revolution, Half Acre, Pipeworks, or Spiteful on freshness) 2) Look at this year's bourbon county release where consumers will be paying drastically more money for less beer, with their money paying for increased marketing and advertising. 3) Goose's other world-class beers are all but forgotten. While Bourbon County has risen to become a status symbol, written about in "What to buy for the man who has everything" articles, the Sisters, Juliet, Lolita, etc., are essentially gone. When they do show up, it's at much higher price points. Goose Island has lowered the quality of its top-line while increasing the availability of its less interesting flagship fare. Your assessment of AB-InBev customers doesn't hold going forward. AB-InBev wants as many customers as they can get, hence their purchase of Goose and so many more. They'd be happy to sell beer to anyone, and they're also happy to sell beer to people who don't realize they're buying from AB-InBev, hence the proliferation of brands.