# Asahi buys Mountain Goat Beer



## crowmanz (28/9/15)

http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2015/09/asahi-buys-mountain-goat-beer/


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## BrutusB (28/9/15)

Wonder how much they sold it for? Didn't they get an offer a few years ago for a rumored $19m?


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## DU99 (28/9/15)

Whose next..


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## chrisluki (28/9/15)

BrutusB said:


> Wonder how much they sold it for? Didn't they get an offer a few years ago for a rumored $19m?


At a stab, I am thinking they would have to be paying in the $50's for The Goat?

Good luck to Cam n Dave if it did go for that high!!!


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## Nizmoose (28/9/15)

Whilst I think it sucks, there is no way i can even begin to try and put myself in the shoes of someone with millions of dollars on offer, I can't blame someone for setting themselves up for life I'd probably do the same.


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## kaiserben (28/9/15)

You can't begrudge them for taking a stack of money. 

But they're sticking around at/with the brand? I assume that must be a contractual obligation? You'd have to think the ultimate goal would be to ride out the contract and then start again under a new name?


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## eMPTy (28/9/15)

Nizmoose said:


> Whilst I think it sucks, there is no way i can even begin to try and put myself in the shoes of someone with millions of dollars on offer, I can't blame someone for setting themselves up for life I'd probably do the same.


Exactly. Don't like seeing it, but understandable.

Imagine they could always start a new brewery down the track.


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## Moad (28/9/15)

another one bites the dust. I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to have that kind of money on the table. Would be very very hard to pass up.


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## zeggie (28/9/15)

kaiserben said:


> But they're sticking around at/with the brand? I assume that must be a contractual obligation?


Pretty common condition in buy outs. Prev owners are 'kept on' as 'consultants'
a ) to let the punters think the original guys will still be creating the product so they dont boycott
b ) as a pseudo non-compete clause so they cant set up shop elsewhere (and dent asahi's profits).

They sold 100% stake so I doubt they will have any influence in any decisions going forward.

I can sorta begrudge them because I'm sure their could of been plenty of options to sellout to...but they did the deal with Asahi which will suck the soul out of MG beer.


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## chrisluki (28/9/15)

kaiserben said:


> You can't begrudge them for taking a stack of money.
> 
> But they're sticking around at/with the brand? I assume that must be a contractual obligation? You'd have to think the ultimate goal would be to ride out the contract and then start again under a new name?


For sure...they all do it in one way or another.


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## 2much2spend (28/9/15)

Nooooooo!!


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## wide eyed and legless (28/9/15)

It is a business, and the aim of the business is to make money, good luck to them, if it is between $20 & $50 million why would anyone bother about starting up again when contractual obligations end, life of Riley from here on in.


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## Judanero (28/9/15)

I don't begrudge them taking the offer at all, they built something great and then get paid ~ 25 mil each (assumption)... That is a great success story if you ask me.

If I got offered 25 mil and knew I could set myself and family up for life, and spend my days comfortably doing whatever I wanted... well I wouldn't even think twice!


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## Dips Me Lid (28/9/15)

Best of luck to them, MG have done the hard yards and it's good to see them succeed. In regards to the doom sayers on the subject of beer quality going downhill after the takeover, I say wait and judge for yourself when you have the beer in hand.


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## crowmanz (28/9/15)

You could see it coming, with Asahi already brewing some their beers and getting rid of their IPA. Good on them though they have put the hard yards in for 18 years.

A bit more of an opinion piece here http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2015/09/mountain-goat-this-day-was-always-coming/


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## Elz (28/9/15)

Sell out. Craft bear is not about large scale multinational beer companies. Oh well. Another one off my list.


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## Drick (28/9/15)

Pretty sad. It seems the moment a Brewery get to a certain level of maturity and are brewing good beer, one of the big fish come along, buy them, and slowly unravel all their hard work.


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## luggy (28/9/15)

^ if you started a business then toiled for 18 years and got an offer worths millions of dollars you might change your tune


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## Elz (28/9/15)

Easy for me to say, but its should not be about the money. Love the craft ( make a living etc). Plus why not take over anther craft bussiness and expand on your own terms.


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## malt and barley blues (28/9/15)

Drick said:


> Pretty sad. It seems the moment a Brewery get to a certain level of maturity and are brewing good beer, one of the big fish come along, buy them, and slowly unravel all their hard work.


True, but there are always others to take their place.


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## MastersBrewery (28/9/15)

Many of us have 'the dream' of starting our own micro. If you already had the bills paid and 25 mil in the bank I'm sure the dream would be a comercial style bar next to the heated pool. So you could brew fabulous beers for you and your mates. And maybe take out the odd National comp for best of show.


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## eMPTy (28/9/15)

Elz said:


> Plus why not take over anther craft bussiness and expand on your own terms.


Totally see your point here, but there is a fair difference between a guaranteed multi-million dollar payout (and at least for now, keeping your job in some capacity) vs. having to fork out the cash to takeover another brewer. It would then have to be incorporated into your portfolio, with all the additional costs and hassles that entails for a player of Mountain Goat's size.

edit - that also assumes there is another craft business happy to take the money... and not remain entirely their own entity.


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## technobabble66 (28/9/15)

Elz said:


> Easy for me to say, but its should not be about the money. Love the craft ( make a living etc). Plus why not take over anther craft bussiness and expand on your own terms.


Because they still can.
Only now they'll (hopefully) have a big stash of cash behind them to start with.

Or just holiday for the next 50 years.

I'm very sad about it also, but i wouldn't begrudge them for a second for doing it.
Tell me if someone dropped $5mill+ on the table to walk away from your job you wouldn't do it?!
Don't forget they've slaved for many years on MG, and i'm guessing have taken on a mountain of debt to do so. I know one or two of the guys down there (not the brewers unfortunately), and they've had some hard years down there a while back.
I hope they can both walk away with a truckload of cash, take a massive stress-free holiday, and one day get back into the Melbourne Craft Brewing scene.
Bastards.
Totally jealous!! h34r: 


FWIW, at least in japan, Asahi (& Kirin) put our megabrewers to shame with their quality and diversity (i.e.: good beer, more than 1 style), so hopefully they don't degrade MG too much. Fingers crossed.


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## spog (28/9/15)

Half their luck,they busted a gut getting the brewery established and now are reaping a reward.
If it were me I'd start a never ending quest to find the perfect counter meal Australia wide.


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## manticle (28/9/15)

Money or not, I just hope good beer continues to be made by the goat. Some great beers are under the umbrellas of brewing giants. If the market is good enough to buy, the market is good to maintain (excepting ulterior morives to buy and squash which I doubt is the case here). Good luck to Cam and Dave and if the asahi owned product is close to as good, I'll keep buying it. If it isn't, I won't.


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## claypot (29/9/15)

Nooo!!

I don't blame them though I'd do the same. 
You may of seen or tried 'Stoke' beer ( from IN Zid bro). Well they used to be Mac's (Hop rocker, sassy red some of my favourite mainstream craft styles). 
They were bought out by Lion (owed by Kirin). After a break and after their contractual time requirements not to brew again were over they cranked up the old brewery again. Who knows they may sell the label again. I know I would!
All I can say is it paves the way for other up and coming micro craft breweries to go ahead. As much as I hate to say it I think some of my favourite beers are about to go the same way as some of my old favourites, such as Little creatures Pale and Fat Yak as inevitably the recipe is tweaked to suit mainstream high volume brewing....
So who's next dare I say it, Feral?


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## 2much2spend (29/9/15)

I wonder what 'efficiency' the Japanese giant will want to implement?


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## Mardoo (29/9/15)

The brewing pioneers who got in early in the States got this sort of option. Many sold out. Some didn't. Some tanked. Same thing here. The good thing about being a pioneer is the potential to become a cornerstone of the market. The bad thing is the potential to lose early and lose big.

I have heart that MG have said No many times along the way to buyout offers, and good on 'em for sticking with it. Good on 'em too for grabbing the golden ring when they felt the time was right. I'll be sad to see what was one of my locals (I worked around the corner from the brewery) slide towards mediocrity, if indeed that happens. It often did in the States, and so far it often has here.

Congratulations guys. I hope this will open up some space in the market for someone like Boatrocker to step into the spotlight they deserve from the drinking public.


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## Liam_snorkel (29/9/15)

Pretty sure this is what they have been working towards for a while. Most of their beer has been brewed at Asahi's Laverton brewery for the last 3 years anyway. It's good for them, and doesn't affect me in any way whatsoever, so that's a win/win situation. I'll happily continue not buying their regular beers (rare breeds have generally been great).
I guess there are two types of breweries - the local, brewpub type, and the ones who are concerned about spreading their beer around to as many people as possible. When breweries become brands and beers become products, I lose interest unless the beer is exceptionally good, and I don't find MG to be exceptional.


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## TheWiggman (29/9/15)

Cue the onslaught of "it's lost its hop flavour" and "it just doesn't have the same taste since the buyout" that will no doubt ensue from now on, ala Little Creatures. I think the biggest difference will be the distribution of the product and perhaps better rates on ingredients. 
Same equipment, same brewers, same recipes and technique - I'm not betting the beer will change except in some of our minds.


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## Liam_snorkel (29/9/15)

did anyone try the surefoot stout from the can? It was watery & shit.


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## Mardoo (29/9/15)

Sure foot has been sub-standard for a couple years now. I had one last Autumn to give it one last go. No way. I couldn't work out why someone would brew that beer.

EDIT: And that was on tap at the brewery, so not storage issues.


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## Liam_snorkel (29/9/15)

This was the last time I had it:


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## Parks (29/9/15)

Liam_snorkel said:


> This was the last time I had it:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No wonder it had no forking roast flavour!


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## kaiserben (29/9/15)

Liam_snorkel said:


> did anyone try the surefoot stout from the can? It was watery & shit.


Yep. Agreed. 

Actually, recently I've found pretty much all of their regular range to be average at best (just a bit dull or thin or both, whether from can or on tap). 

However I absolutely loved their GABS beer (a RIS called 'Nightcap'). It was amazing and my top pick at GABS.


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## Dave70 (29/9/15)

Liam_snorkel said:


> This was the last time I had it:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice glass of black velvet you've got there..


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## Nizmoose (29/9/15)

kaiserben said:


> Yep. Agreed.
> 
> Actually, recently I've found pretty much all of their regular range to be average at best (just a bit dull or thin or both, whether from can or on tap).
> 
> However I absolutely loved their GABS beer (a RIS called 'Nightcap'). It was amazing and my top pick at GABS.


I never thought this until just the other night I had their summer ale, I would say that I am biased in favour of Mountain Goat but even then I just couldn't get past how much it was lacking in almost every area :/


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## pat_00 (29/9/15)

I hope they still do their collaboration brews, they have been some of the best beers I've bought recently.


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## Weizguy (29/9/15)

Drick said:


> Pretty sad. It seems the moment a Brewery get to a certain level of maturity and are brewing good beer, one of the big fish come along, buy them, and slowly unravel all their hard work.


 Not always a slow unravel either. Does anyone remember Bluetongue? First takeover -> Boom! (expansion) Second takeover -> Bang! (bullet, back of the skull).
Money doesn't care about your beer; only their profits.

For my part, their beer (that I have tasted) has been very meh for the last 10 years. Maybe it's the quality coming out of the place, or just the quality of storage and transport.
Probably was still nice at the source, as it was about 15 yrs ago at the old site, but that's not so accessible as I'm nowhere near that source.

Either way - Congrats and good luck. Look forward to the next venture.


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## pist (29/9/15)

I'm surprised with the popularity of pacific ale that such a pitch hasn't been made (and accepted) at stone and wood yet


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## jlm (29/9/15)

Elz said:


> Easy for me to say, but its should not be about the money. Love the craft ( make a living etc). Plus why not take over anther craft bussiness and expand on your own terms.


Very easy to say when its not your money involved. As soon as it becomes a business, its all about the money. 

Do people really have misty eyed notions that those 2 blokes have been anywhere near the brewery floor in recent memory (perhaps other than a photo op for media releases etc)?

They built a brand with the initial product they put out which was their own creations and had some success........they got big enough to hire folks to do it for them.......they then focused on pushing their brand and building it to where they got to a point where they where able sell it for a tonne of dollars.

Breweries/brewers who do it for the love must either have a lot of coin coming from elsewhere or thrive on the fact some neckbeard at a beer festival somewhere took a selfie with them and **** all else.


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## Liam_snorkel (29/9/15)

pist said:


> I'm surprised with the popularity of pacific ale that such a pitch hasn't been made (and accepted) at stone and wood yet


Highly unlikely, Brad Rogers is ex mega-brewery. Reason for the popularity is that he knows how to run a business. They bought back Little World (creatures) 20% share when they were bought out by Lion, for instance.


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## Elz (29/9/15)

Personally if I put my blood sweat and tears into a craft beer, the last thing I would wanna do is sell out to the big boys. Easy for me to say as I'm not in their shoes!! However I reckon that brewing craft beer, albeit a business, also inheritally includes holding onto some ethics. Mmm maybe antiestablishment, anti big business. My thoughts anyway.


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## TimL (29/9/15)

Good on em,they've worked their arses off for 18 years,time to cash in,ethics?,it's a business,they haven't done anything unethical.Have always loved the hightail.


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## crowmanz (30/9/15)

Craftypint with an article here with words from the new GM about the direction of the goat. Basically saying not much will change as most beers are already brewed at the Asahi owned brewery in Laverton.


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