So long, Bud...sort of

Once again I’m way behind on reviews. I have to write about my recent trip to the Twin Cities, the beer I sampled along the way and a couple of pretty wild beers I tried recently. I’ll get to that soon.

The beer and financial world was taken aback recently by Belgian conglomerate, Inbev’s aggressive acquisition of Anheuser Busch. While a dedicated beer snob such as myself couldn’t care less if the world never sees another drop of Bud Light, it’s important to note that Inbev has assumed control of a number of major beer brands and so far nothing has changed. Canadians still enjoy their Blue even though Inbev purchased the Labatt Brewing Company a few years ago. So far, the biggest change we might see in the AB family is the liquidation of non-beer business interests. Later we might see Inbev sell off or drop less popular brands but the flagship will remain untouched. That’s good news for Bud fans.

Before we all start throwing a pity party for dear old Bud, let’s remember that Anheuser Busch is a bit of an evil corporation in itself. This is not a little brewery that got swallowed by an unscrupulous powerhouse. This was a corporate consolidation of capital.

The same sense of greed that brought forth ill-conceived products like Tequiza and Bud Dry is what prompted the corporate executives at AB to broker the liens on their souls to Inbev. If anything this purchase is good for the consumer because Inbev actually respects the consumer and aspires to sell products they want, rather than hypnotize the masses into believing that Bud Light will make them sexy.

For years AB has been struggling with what to do about the craft beer revolution. Initially it was dismissed as a trend and ignored but as craft brewers grew and more people ventured into the business , the marketing people at Budweiser got nervous. Their most recent advertising campaign promoting the mythical “American Lager” that is Budweiser was intended to be a staggering uppercut thrown at the craft brew industry. The uppercut missed.

You can spin your pasty yellow lager anyway you like but the growing number of people who love craft beers aren’t buying it. Everybody who knows anything about beer understands that AB’s top brand is based on a stolen recipe that was watered down to maximize profits. The legacy of the American Lager is one of cowardice and greed. Granted, most people prefer it but AB’s problem is they weren’t happy with most people. AB never liked dealing with competition from so-called microbreweries.

When craft-brewers united to fight against liquor laws that limited the sales of stronger beers AB was right there with checkbook in hand supporting the opposition. Why would a company that made billions hawking near beer want to compete with more robust beers? Better to keep the status quo and limit consumer choice.

Small brewers and consumers prevailed throughout the 1990s as many of the states allowed for the distribution and sale of stronger beers. Arbitrary limitation still exist but for the most part consumers can buy Imperial Stouts, Belgian Tripels and Double IPAs right next to those cans of fizzy nonsense George Clooney got paid a mint to promote. Having failed miserably at keeping market restrictions in place, AB recently switched to using Rob Riggle of The Daily Show, to promote the intricate perfection of Budweiser. Lagers, Riggle says in one spot, are clear and don’t hide imperfections.

Except for that one glaring imperfection some of us like to call lack of flavor, Rob. Clearly that was an overt shot at US craft brewers who specialize in the art of ales. Especially big, dark, unfiltered ales sometimes poured straight from the cask at room temperatures. They aren’t for everybody, but why was Anheuser Busch so determined to convince people that they’re inferior? To Budweiser? Please.

So maybe I’m enjoying this recent acquisition by Inbev with a sense of glee. Inbev’s been managing to make a killing around the world without insulting the intelligence of beer aficionados or assaulting the artisan brewers who continue to cultivate the rich culture of brewing. Maybe now AB will stop picking on the little guy and stick with doing what it does best. Which is market products.