I have nothing against Belgium. Nor do I have a dispute with their brewing tradition. Far from it.[1] Belgium is great for beer even if most Americans don't even know where it is.[2] What annoys me is that a Belgium company now owns (or will soon own) America's largest brewery.
Anheuser-Busch, while not a brewer of finely crafted brews[3], is an American institution. And now, it's owned by Europeans.
I have enjoyed many an A-B beer. Many. Now, I am less inclined, in fact, not inclined at all to drink a beer that sold out this badly.
Sure, business is important, but what about being true to those who built you up in the first place: The American Beer Drinker (ABD).[4] Thanks for the kick in the nuts you greedy share-holders and executives. You may as well get a job in the gasoline industry. That's where a lot of money can be made screwing over the American consumer.
For InBev and the Belgium investors, good for you. I hope it works out. For those who sold out, I hope you drown in a vat of beer because you couldn't drink it all.
P.S. I will no longer voluntarily consume an A-B product. That should teach them.
[1] Not a sentence.
[2] It's 2nd behind France in closeness to England.
[3] this point could be argued... even by me. But then, I argue with myself too much.
[4] Oh, so that's what that means.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
I don't think anyone who brews with rice can ever be known as a finely-crafted brewer.
Did you know that A-B once almost lost to Schlitz in the Lager Wars? I'm sure I've brought that up before. But then, I like harping on the fact that Schlitz and Bud are the same beer.
A recent redeeming feature of A-B is that they started brewing Michelob without the rice. They started using only malted barley.
I have nothing against the beers A-B makes. I know exactly what I'm getting.
I might be getting my takeovers mixed up, but didn't the boardmembers at A-B try to stop the takeover? In response, In-Bev basically sent them a threatening letter warning them not to do certain things. Not sure the executives at A-B had much choice on this one.
About 15 years ago A.-B. tried to buy the Czech Budweiser - as the investment and also as a solution to the trademark dispute they have had in Europe. (Fortunately this buyout did not happen). The funny part, as a preparation for the planned merger they tested the East-European market, and started importing their canned stuff to Czech republic. It was a complete flop - no-one seemed willing to buy the american Budweiser the second time...Anyway, their microbrews (like Stonemil, etc) are decent if a bit overpriced. I don't like the Bud because of the birchwood ageing, the taste is funny and I seem to get headaches afterwards. Michelob is just average, unremarkable stuff in a nice bottle/
The weak american lager is a product that has its legit uses: After I moved to Florida I became quite fond of Coors Light - not a brilliant brew but there is nothing wrong with its (diluted) taste and I can knock down two bottles of this beer-soda on a hot afternoon without becoming slow and wobbly, like with the heavy stuff.
I have nothing against the beers A-B makes. I know exactly what I'm getting.
You mean water, right?
Ken: I know little about investing and the like, but I heard the same thing.
Milkshake: I know little about marketing and the like, but what I have been hearing is what you described. A-B has done a terrible job globally. They were content to be a national company. Things just don't work like that any more.
Ψ*Ψ: Yup!!!
Unless you're ordering Bud Light. They collect that straight from the Clydesdales.
mmmmmmmmmmmm All natural Bud light.
Is Belgium nearer to England than Ireland?
I did not like your post at all, I find your opinion quite stupid.
Regards.
I should have been clear that I was referring to the continent. Sorry.
I assumed most people (at least most western hemisphere readers) would at least know that Belgium is found in the continent but would not be certain about its exact location.
I find your opinion of my opinion to be more stupider than mine.
Regards
I only drink or eat or whatever stuff that I like, I do not mind who the owner is. For example, I do not eat Mcdonalds because is horrible food or drink Rolling Rock because is a very bad beer for my standards, I do not mind if it is american or chinese.
If you consider that Gibraltar is England, then Spain is the closest country to England in the european continent.
Best regards
What's worse, your ignorance of geography or your one-sided chauvinism ?
Probably my one-sided chauvinism. Yeah, definitely my one-sided chauvinism.
Thanks for you insightful and constructive comments. They have really proved to be pointless.
Post a Comment