World's Biggest Brewer Created

[benh82]

FYI all...

http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27...6-31037,00.html

Ben

 

[raven19]

$36 billion = a lot of beer!

 

[Fermented]

The fallout from that will be interesting to observe.

The Budwar/Budweiser argument has been going on for years and I doubt it will be solved unless the EU somehow declares it as an appellation (like Champagne, etc, etc) therefore outlawing the use of the Budweiser name for any product not from that place.

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[PostModern]

This quote really got me:

"Together, we will achieve our goals far more effectively than either company could on its own.''

ffs, what brewing goal could need US$52b? Crush the competition by fierce price wars? Own more labels than another other conglomerate? Corporate goals and quality goals seem to be at odds to me.

 

[Fermented]

It's all about "shareholder value".

Given that a goodly proportion of senior management, and also some mid management, in these organisations take part of their remuneration package as shares, share options and the like, what they really mean is "we want to make more money for ourselves."

Naturally enough, the bill of materials for their breweries is looked at more by accountants than brewers.

$52b? The truth of earning is too much is never enough. However, how you get there and if you can look yourself squarely in the mirror in the morning and know that no bad has been done, no one has been hurt and that some positive ethic is being employed for economic, social and self benefit then all is well. None of which stands true for the majority of significant corporations, in my opinion.

If you take a look at the documentary "American Beer" (mentioned in another thread in these forums), there is an interesting interview with Maytag, the owner of Anchor Brewery (San Franciso). His comments about the quality of beer accepted by the American market post prohibition are interesting. The rest of the documentary is amusing and an interesting insight into US microbreweries and their response to the existing culture of Coors, Michelob and other Milwaukee megaswill.

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[peas_and_corn]

For some reason when I read the thread title I thought "world's fattest homebrewer??"

 

[brettprevans]

a shame to think that with $52b they could effectively steer the market back towards quality beer and reinstill the principles of craft brewing. but they wont.

+1 for appellation (like Champagne, etc, etc) in beer so we can get rid of all these bs 'blonde beers etc. must strictly adhere to say BJCP stylelines or something.

 

[buttersd70]

I'd like to see the BS beers go as much as the next person....but sticking to BJCP? Strictly? Easiest way to stifle any sense of creativity in beermaking, imho. It's true that some sense of codefication is required to be able to compare apples to apples, but BJCP is not the be all and end all. Try telling a fifth generation brewer in some backwater in Yorkshire that his Best Bitter isn't in fact a Best Bitter because his gravity is too low, or its a shade too dark to comply with BJCP standards........

 

[benh82]

For some reason when I read the thread title I thought "world's fattest homebrewer??"

hahaha....I'm a big unit mate, but certainly not world's fattest....

-1 for hurting my feelings (lol)

 

[brettprevans]

I'd like to see the BS beers go as much as the next person....but sticking to BJCP? Strictly? Easiest way to stifle any sense of creativity in beermaking, imho. It's true that some sense of codefication is required to be able to compare apples to apples, but BJCP is not the be all and end all. Try telling a fifth generation brewer in some backwater in Yorkshire that his Best Bitter isn't in fact a Best Bitter because his gravity is too low, or its a shade too dark to comply with BJCP standards........

i didnt mean bjcp exclusively or have it 'the be all and end all'. i just meant in relation to naming conventions etc to illistrate my point. just like appealation has given wine making guidelines (a shiraz could be 8% or 16%, so long as it has shiraz grapes etc). A completely differant system would have to be set up but i thought it illistrated my point. sorry for any confustion. and I guess its a little OT

 

[peas_and_corn]

Like breweries' implication that draught is a style?

 

[kook]

a shame to think that with $52b they could effectively steer the market back towards quality beer and reinstill the principles of craft brewing. but they wont.

+1 for appellation (like Champagne, etc, etc) in beer so we can get rid of all these bs 'blonde beers etc. must strictly adhere to say BJCP stylelines or something.

Like "Leffe Blonde" - one of their products? h34r:

 

[buttersd70]

i didnt mean bjcp exclusively or have it 'the be all and end all'. i just meant in relation to naming conventions etc to illistrate my point. just like appealation has given wine making guidelines (a shiraz could be 8% or 16%, so long as it has shiraz grapes etc). A completely differant system would have to be set up but i thought it illistrated my point. sorry for any confustion. and I guess its a little OT

All is cool, no offense intended on my part....I do see your point, I just read into your first post a little too literally, methinks....comes from having so many (other) people taking what is meant to be a guide, and quoting it as gospel.

Back OT...I think this takeover is a very sad day indeed for brewing, worldwide. Massive corporation, with massive advertising revenue, perpetuating that sub-standard beer is fine. No doubt they refer to output in terms of 'units', instead of 'beer'......

 

[matti]

I Skimmed through the announcement and saw Beck and Stella Artois.
In my fridge I had a 6 pack of Stellas.
My wife had placed a Beck in there as well without my knowledge.
I drank it not looking to closely at the label thinking I was drinking another Stella.

Next day my wife said, Where is her beer?
What beer? Huh, just grab a Stella.

She then told me that I have had her Beck last night, and sure enough in the recycling bin the empty was lying.

I like lagers but the Stella Artois has either lost its Zing or I can't taste the difference any more.

Now the same brewing company is making Bud and so forth.
I hope they use different plants making the different beers.

Some thing gets lost when brewing under licence...

 

[Fermented]

Leffe Blond belongs to these guys? Wow - I didn't know.

Matti - Stella out here has gone down in quality. Quite a few years ago it was rather good. Somehow along the way it seemed worse and worse. Ditto Asahi. Ditto quite a few. Liek so much in this day and age, I'm sure the accountants are messing with the recipe in the name of profitability. If more spoke up maybe something would happen, as it did with the Cascade fiasco of late.

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[kook]

Leffe Blond belongs to these guys? Wow - I didn't know.

Leffe, Hoegaarden, Belle-vue, Boddingtons, Bass, Franziskaner, Lowenbrau just to name a few...

 

[Fermented]

Damn... I think I will just go get a beer - and cry in it!

Ditto on the Lowenbrau out here being pretty ordinary too.

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[white.grant]

This quote really got me:

"Together, we will achieve our goals far more effectively than either company could on its own.''

ffs, what brewing goal could need US$52b? Crush the competition by fierce price wars? Own more labels than another other conglomerate? Corporate goals and quality goals seem to be at odds to me.

I think the preceeding line was a little more chilling

"We have created a first-class international consumer products company...."

mmm yum, just thirsting after some more of that consumer product....