But it’s good to know that beer companies aren’t failing with the rest of the failing markets. So we’ll be poor but drunk. Maybe if no one can afford beer, they’ll drop the price?

Post from: EveryJoe

Super Beer Giant Created

We’ve reported on the sale of Anheuser Busch and its flagship Budweiser brand beer to InBev. At this point, A-B and Budweiser are effectively synonymous, at least in the US, but there was a time when there were many different Budweiser beers across the US (including one brewed by Miller). Indeed, the name “Budweiser” really just means “from Budweis” in German, much as “Pilsener” means “from Pilsen.” US brewers, familiar with the long brewing history of Budweis, used the name in the US to connote old-world brewing quality.

The last of the American Budweisers was brewed by the DuBois brewing company of DuBois, Pennsylvania. DuBois first started brewing its Budweiser in 1905, long after A-B, but the St Louis giant failed to challenge the small Pennsylvania brewery until some 35 years later. The dispute was solved once and for all in 1972, after DuBois was purchased by the Pittsburgh brewing company. DuBois stopped brewing shortly thereafter, and the brewery building was razed in 2003.

That leaves A-B’s Budweiser and it’s international archrival Budweiser Budvar, from the Czech Republic as the only two Budweisers left.

image courtesy of Mark, public domain

Post from: EveryJoe

And then there were two …

Hmm, wasn’t that Bud’s slogan?

You can see what else Pattyn had to say here:

Post from: EveryJoe

Quel Surprise! Belgian Beer Expert Doesn’t Like Budweiser

Post from: EveryJoe

Another look at the A-B Acquisition

Do you know the new pecking order? Quick, name the three largest American-owned breweries after A-B becomes (gulp) Belgian!

The answer is after the jump.

1, Samuel Adams
2, Yuengling
3, Sierra Nevada

An interesting turn of events, for sure.

Post from: EveryJoe

Move Over, A-B, There’s A New Sheriff in Town

The Missouri based Anheuser-Busch was America’s largest brewer and the world’s second largest. Its brands include Budweiser (”the great American lager”), Bud Light, Michelob and Busch.

InBev’s brands include Stella Artois and Becks.

InBev claims that it will use St. Louis as its North American headquarters. InBev has also promised that it will keep open all 12 of Anheuser-Busch’s North American breweries, which are located in:

- St. Louis, Missouri (world headquarters)
- Baldwinsville, New York
- Cartersville, Georgia
- Columbus, Ohio
- Fairfield, California
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Houston, Texas
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
- Merrimack, New Hampshire
- Newark, New Jersey
- Williamsburg, Virginia

InBev has not promised to retain all A-B employees. It is widely believed that the company will see cutbacks as cost-cutting has been a central theme of A-B’s failed preservation plan. How significant those cutbacks will be is yet to be seen.

There’s a lot of speculation about the result of the merger – but not a lot of information. What do you think? Is this a bad thing for beer?

Post from: EveryJoe

Hallo Budweiser!

InBev finally gave A-B what they really, really wanted: more money.

After swearing that they would never sell, after claiming the sale would be anti-American and against the law, A-B execs changed their mind when InBev waved an extra $5/share at them for the company. Funny how money can resolve your differences.

InBev hopes to become the largest brewery in the world and did so by offering A-B shareholders $70/share.

InBev has promised to keep open all 12 of Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. breweries, and to keep the company’s North American headquarters in St. Louis. Yeah, that and $1 won’t even get you a can of Bud.

Post from: EveryJoe

InBev Sweetens Offer: Anheuser Busch Likely to Give In

As InBev grows more aggressive with respect to its bid to take over Anheuser-Busch, A-B has started fighting back. This week, A-B filed a lawsuit against InBev in Missouri. A key issue in the suit? InBev’s operations in Cuba. According to the complaint, InBev’s “business in Cuba is substantial, with more than 570 full-time employees, distribution centers located throughout the country, and sales accounting for 44 percent of total beer sales on the island.”

And this matters why?

Th US has regulations that prohibit just such a venture, notably the (and I’m not making this up) Trading with the Enemy Act.

For more on what A-B (and its lawyers) have to say about the acquisition, you can read the entire complaint (download here as a pdf). For InBev’s side of the story, check out this InBev web site, created specifically to deal with the proposed acquisition.

Post from: EveryJoe

Anheuser-Busch Plays the Cuban Card with InBev

InBev has offered 35% over the current share price for A-B and 18% over the previous all-time high. Yet, A-B rejected the proposal last month.

Really?

Don’t misconstrue my disbelief. Like Chris, I won’t lose any sleep over the purchase – after all, I’m more likely to pick up an InBev brewed Stella Artois or Beck’s than a Bud. But I’m not gung ho to see another American company sold either.

That said, I can’t imagine how turning down the purchase is good for shareholders. A-B is not in a favorable economic position right. To keep the company, A-B has been forced into an extensive reorganization to increase profits and cut costs, measures that InBev has criticized.

A-B responded to the filing by saying the move “is a self-serving effort by InBev to try to purchase Anheuser-Busch for a price Anheuser-Busch’s independent board already has determined to be financially inadequate and not in the best interest of shareholders.”

Financially inadequate, really? Almost 20% over the high price to date?

Call a spade a spade: it’s clear that A-B doesn’t want to sell. InBev has claimed that the company is unwilling to even enter into discussions on a takeover.

That behavior seems to be what’s not in the best interest of shareholders. The speculation hasn’t helped for sure: shares of A-B closed Monday at $61.74 – still less than the $65 offer made by InBev previously.

Post from: EveryJoe

InBev Gets Tough With Anheuser-Busch

I’ve not been inclined to blog about one of the biggest bits of beer news around, the attempted purchase of Anheuser-Busch by InBev. It’s big news, it’s beer news, and this is a beer blog.

Then I read this article in the Economist and the reason hit me. The loss of Bud to a foreign company may be big news, but this blog is really more about good beer than it is just beer in general. And good beer, Bud is not. Indeed, the article talks about the people of St Louis crying into their beers, but if they use this opportunity to check out some of the good microbrews which are assuredly available in and around St Louis the tears may be tears of joy, not sorrow.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I would hate to see the historic brewery shuttered and jobs lost, it’s just not a big deal for the average advocate of good beer.

Missourians, any suggestions for good brews from the St Louis area?

image from wikipedia, creative commons license

Post from: EveryJoe

This Bud shouldn’t leave you blue