Anheuser Busch sells out!

[Guest Vitamin X]

This may come as something of a shock to most people, since Anheuser Busch was certainly not in any kind of financial trouble or anything, but it looks like Belgian-based InBev made them an offer they couldn't refuse, and so America's largest, most dominating presence on the market just got bought out.

 

Link to article

Anheuser-Busch has agreed to sell itself to the Belgian brewer InBev for about $52 billion, the two companies confirmed Monday in a joint release, putting control of the nation’s largest beer maker and a fixture of American culture into a European rival’s hands. <a href="http://" target="_blank"></a> The board of both companies have approved the deal, the statement said.

 

The all-cash deal, for $70 a share, will create the world’s largest brewer, uniting the maker of Budweiser and Michelob with the producer of Stella Artois, Bass and Brahma. Together, the two companies would have sales of more than $36 billion a year, surpassing the current No. 1 brewer, SABMiller of London.

 

The combined company will be named Anheuser-Busch InBev, fulfilling a promise by the Belgian company to include the Anheuser name in the new brewer’s title. Anheuser will be given two seats on the board, including one for August A. Busch IV, the company’s chief executive and a scion of its controlling family.

 

For those who aren't aware of the beer market, Anheuser-Busch was the last of the "Big Three" (the other two being Coors and Miller, obviously) to sell out to an overseas rival. Miller was bought out by a South African brewery some years ago, and Coors is owned by Molson of Canada. InBev actually makes some great beer- Stella Artois being their main export I like (I hate Bass and don't remember if I've tried Brahma). Now, between the Big Three, they control something around 75-80% of the American beer market, which includes sales in bars, liquor stores, and supermarkets, so it's pretty significant news especially for those people like me who prefer to support microbreweries not just for the taste and being for independent business, but apparently now to keep that money being spent in American hands. This is, in a way, sort of sad since it signals how much farther America's status in the world keeps dropping.

 

Also, for what it's worth, it became something of a presidential issue, with Barack Obama lobbying to keep Anheuser-Busch indepedent, and John McCain (with his wife having strong connections to Anheuser) leaning towards it being sold.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

The product will still be the same American garbage.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Reading the story on CNN yesterday had me pissing myself. All the Americans out there acting like a piece of their country has been raped and pillaged is fucking top-shelf comedy.

 

"I was drinking a Bud Light when I heard about it and honest to God I couldn't finish the beer."

 

The article itself doesn't elaborate on whether he didn't finish because of the news or maybe the person realized he was, in fact drinking a watery drink under the guise of beer.

[Red Baron 0]

InBev also makes Becks which is another solid beer. This sale is nothing new though. It has been circling for three months about the merge of the two companies. Now what is the largest American based beer operation? Sam Adams?

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yup! It's Sam Adams now, followed by Yuengling (Pittsburghers will rejoice), and then Sierra Nevada.

[Guest The Elements of Style]

While I'm irritated that the fodder for Lord of the Curry to mock the United States never stops--which is our fault, not his--he's right to mock people who care deeply about Budweiser products. These people probably like NASCAR.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I honestly didn't mean to offend anybody and I hope that there are Americans (like Czech) who are sensible enough to see the humor in this.

[Red Baron 0]

While I'm irritated that the fodder for Lord of the Curry to mock the United States never stops--which is our fault, not his--he's right to mock people who care deeply about Budweiser products. These people probably like NASCAR.

 

I got a free Budweiser cowboy hat when I purchased my 24 of Bud.

[starvenger 0]

The article itself doesn't elaborate on whether he didn't finish because of the news or maybe the person realized he was, in fact drinking a watery drink under the guise of beer.

To be fair, Bud Light is arguably the best tasting beer-flavoured water in the US.

 

But regardless, maybe LotC can help me out on this - did we (meaning Canadians) get all up in arms when InBev (then Interbrew) bought Labatts?

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I don't recall anything but I suppose it's possible. I don't drink a lot of Canadians macro beers so it doesn't matter to me. Now, if the Steamwhistle Brewery in Toronto got bought out and was changed around, then you'd hear some bitching from my end.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Yup! It's Sam Adams now, followed by Yuengling (Pittsburghers will rejoice)...

 

Never heard of them. But, uh, yay and stuff.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I don't remember a big deal over Labbatt's being bought out.

 

American Bud, which I'm told is a different brew than its Canadian counterpart, is pretty good. And I didn't realise Yuengling was so big; My grandparent cross the border to either Rochester or Syracuse about once a year, and they always buy some. They're the only people I've heard mention it. It's not bad, almost a cider-y taste.

 

And re: the Cowboy hat. That picture of us in our hats, in front of the Bud wagon is a hit on Facebook.

[starvenger 0]

I don't recall anything but I suppose it's possible. I don't drink a lot of Canadians macro beers so it doesn't matter to me. Now, if the Steamwhistle Brewery in Toronto got bought out and was changed around, then you'd hear some bitching from my end.

Oddly enough, our company just landed an IT contract with Steam Whistle, and we got 2-12s out of it in addition to whatever ridiculous price we charge for services. Even more odd, most of my colleagues hadn't tried Steam Whistle before.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Delicious stuff. Though my favorite beer right now is the Raspberry Wheat Ale I get at the Village Idiot on McCaul. Yum.