Little Creatures Selling Up?

[Doubleplugga]

Apologies if someone has already posted this guys, I am overseas at the moment and only just saw it.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/local-...3-1226398481788

 

[dougsbrew]

so sad,
corporate greed.. and the directors always sing the same tune - we advise shareholders to accept..

 

[gap]

so sad,
corporate greed.. and the directors always sing the same tune - we advise shareholders to accept..

It is the law that they have to if the offer fits within the criteria of being financially acceptable for
the shareholders.

 

[tricache]

It is the law that they have to if the offer fits within the criteria of being financially acceptable for
the shareholders.

Still sucks though

 

[beerbog]

There goes another good bunch of beers! :beerbang:

 

[chunckious]

Hoping that the single batches keep their integrity, ala Mad Brewers. That's all I was buying anyhows, awesome beers.

 

[QldKev]

noooo - more beer to be dumbed down for the masses. Glad I'm a homebrewer

QldKev

 

[warra48]

Interesting post by Gadfly of Brisbabe in the discussion thread to that article.

Here it is copied for those interested:

Not a problem. Any competent all-grain home-brewer can reproduce Little Creatures as it was. Here's my version: 50% Australian Pale Malt, 45% Australian Pilsner Malt, 3% Medium Crystal Malt, 2% CaraPils Malt. Mash at 66C. Bitter to 35 IBUs with East Kent Goldings Hops, then use equal additions of Chinook & Cascade Hops at 15 minutes and 2 minutes before end of boil. Dry hop with Chinook Hops 7 days into fermentation. Ferment at 16 degrees C with "Safale US-05" or "Wyeast 1056" yeast. This recipe makes a beer that looks & tastes EXACTLY like Little Creatures before they started to mess with it! Google "All Grain Home Brewing" to find out how, and break the tyranny of the big brewers forever.

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

Your like the harbinger of bad craft beer news cats. Will be interesting to see who (brewers ) stays with them in Perth.

 

[tricache]

Your like the harbinger of bad craft beer news cats. Will be interesting to see who (brewers ) stays with them in Perth.

If they get a nice big pay rise I dare say most of them will

 

[mattyra]

Not a problem. Any competent all-grain home-brewer can reproduce Little Creatures as it was. Here's my version: 50% Australian Pale Malt, 45% Australian Pilsner Malt, 3% Medium Crystal Malt, 2% CaraPils Malt. Mash at 66C. Bitter to 35 IBUs with East Kent Goldings Hops, then use equal additions of Chinook & Cascade Hops at 15 minutes and 2 minutes before end of boil. Dry hop with Chinook Hops 7 days into fermentation. Ferment at 16 degrees C with "Safale US-05" or "Wyeast 1056" yeast. This recipe makes a beer that looks & tastes EXACTLY like Little Creatures before they started to mess with it! Google "All Grain Home Brewing" to find out how, and break the tyranny of the big brewers forever.

The new version will be, 30% Australian Pale Malt, 30% Australian Pilsner malt, 40% sugar. Bittered with POR.

 

[fawnroux]

People forget that Lion already owned 35% of Little Creatures before this happened.

Also, it should be noted that we wouldn't have Little Creatures beers in just about every bottle shop in Australia and increasingly in pubs if it wasn't for Lions distribution chain. From what I understand, that was the whole reason Lion was given a stake in LC originally (could be wrong about that).

Little Creatures has done so much for craft beer and better beer education in this country, and large part of that is due to Lion being a substantial share holder. We can bemoan the fact that the brewery is now '100% foreign owned', but it is still an Australian brewery with Australian workers. How much stuff in your house is Australian made and owned? Very little I doubt.

Personally, I'm confident that this deal will see growth of the LC brand and cheaper prices of the beers. I can't wait for the day when I go to a bbq and everyone is sitting around, drinking Bright Ale without even thinking about it. I'm also confident that Lion will keep the integrity of the beers. Maybe they won't, maybe they'll f#$k it up like they did Malt Shovel, time will tell. But my personal opinion is that this will be good for craft beer in general. The industry IS growing and will continue to do so, as long as quality beer is being made and sold cheaper to compete with the swill. Awareness of 'different' breweries and beer styles will see, over time, more potential customers for craft breweries. And if they do make the beer ****, sucks to be them because another brewery will come in and take the market they lost.

That's my opinion/2 cents.

*Disclaimer* I am NOT an employee of Lion or a LWB share holder.

 

[chunckious]

The new version will be, 30% Australian Pale Malt, 30% Australian Pilsner malt, 40% sugar. Bittered with POR.

That one's already taken.

 

[tricache]

People forget that Lion already owned 35% of Little Creatures before this happened.

Also, it should be noted that we wouldn't have Little Creatures beers in just about every bottle shop in Australia and increasingly in pubs if it wasn't for Lions distribution chain. From what I understand, that was the whole reason Lion was given a stake in LC originally (could be wrong about that).

Little Creatures has done so much for craft beer and better beer education in this country, and large part of that is due to Lion being a substantial share holder. We can bemoan the fact that the brewery is now '100% foreign owned', but it is still an Australian brewery with Australian workers. How much stuff in your house is Australian made and owned? Very little I doubt.

Personally, I'm confident that this deal will see growth of the LC brand and cheaper prices of the beers. I can't wait for the day when I go to a bbq and everyone is sitting around, drinking Bright Ale without even thinking about it. I'm also confident that Lion will keep the integrity of the beers. Maybe they won't, maybe they'll f#$k it up like they did Malt Shovel, time will tell. But my personal opinion is that this will be good for craft beer in general. The industry IS growing and will continue to do so, as long as quality beer is being made and sold cheaper to compete with the swill. Awareness of 'different' breweries and beer styles will see, over time, more potential customers for craft breweries. And if they do make the beer ****, sucks to be them because another brewery will come in and take the market they lost.

That's my opinion/2 cents.

*Disclaimer* I am NOT an employee of Lion or a LWB share holder.

I think everyone is just worried that now that it is 100% foreign owned that how things were done might change...people are scared of change is the main reason I think.

 

[Midnight Brew]

It's a bit sad but when they're made a good offer they have to take it which is such a shame cause the Geelong operation wasnt far off which would have seen them as a major player being the big guys in VIC and Australian owned. Lion had backed them for a long time so I'm guessing it was a matter of time before they wanted full stake. I dont think there will be a price drop either.

 

[Bribie G]

Lion don't have a Vic Brewery - interesting about Geelong, I wonder if that's a foot in the door?

 

[probablynathan]

People forget that Lion already owned 35% of Little Creatures before this happened.

Also, it should be noted that we wouldn't have Little Creatures beers in just about every bottle shop in Australia and increasingly in pubs if it wasn't for Lions distribution chain. From what I understand, that was the whole reason Lion was given a stake in LC originally (could be wrong about that).

Little Creatures has done so much for craft beer and better beer education in this country, and large part of that is due to Lion being a substantial share holder. We can bemoan the fact that the brewery is now '100% foreign owned', but it is still an Australian brewery with Australian workers. How much stuff in your house is Australian made and owned? Very little I doubt.

Personally, I'm confident that this deal will see growth of the LC brand and cheaper prices of the beers. I can't wait for the day when I go to a bbq and everyone is sitting around, drinking Bright Ale without even thinking about it. I'm also confident that Lion will keep the integrity of the beers. Maybe they won't, maybe they'll f#$k it up like they did Malt Shovel, time will tell. But my personal opinion is that this will be good for craft beer in general. The industry IS growing and will continue to do so, as long as quality beer is being made and sold cheaper to compete with the swill. Awareness of 'different' breweries and beer styles will see, over time, more potential customers for craft breweries. And if they do make the beer ****, sucks to be them because another brewery will come in and take the market they lost.

That's my opinion/2 cents.

*Disclaimer* I am NOT an employee of Lion or a LWB share holder.

+1

Great post fawnroux :icon_cheers:

 

[Where's Jim?]

Lion don't have a Vic Brewery - interesting about Geelong, I wonder if that's a foot in the door?

That seems logical, especially considering the geelong site has massive room for expansion.

Either way, i doubt the qualiy of the beers will change in the near future as production will stay at Fremantle, Healesville and soon to be Geelong. There may be a few teething issues once Geelong opens but I doubt the LC guys will settle for anything less than what they want.

Heres hoping the odd squire tap turns to a LC one. :icon_cheers:

 

[Bizier]

People forget that Lion already owned 35% of Little Creatures before this happened.

My exact thoughts, the local rag failed to mention this as far as I could tell ( read it over someone's shoulder this morning on my way out

How much stuff in your house is Australian made and owned? Very little I doubt.

All my posessions are Australian owned

 

[Bizier]

[quote name='Where's Jim?' post='925318' date='Jun 19 2012, 08:06 AM']Heres hoping the odd squire tap turns to a LC one. :icon_cheers:[/quote]
Here's hoping their Pale Ale ingredient budget is more solid than Squires.