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[XiaNaphryz]

https://www.eater.com/beer/2017/5/4/15545732/lagunitas-heineken-sale

California-based brewery Lagunitas — one of the nation’s largest in the craft beer space — announced today that it’s selling its full operations to Heineken International, the global beer conglomerate that owns more than 160 breweries worldwide. Since September 2015, Heineken had owned a 50 percent stake in Lagunitas, which is best known for its India Pale Ale and its pin-up adorned Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ ale. Today, founder Tony Magee deftly called the sale a “decision to connect Lagunitas completely with Heineken.”

“They are a very big company and we are a small company but at the core we both want the same things,” Magee wrote in a public Tumblr post. “By going deeper into the heart of Heineken we will be able to build a bridge from the vision for craft beer that Amsterdam shares with us and the [Operation Companies] who know their beer lovers.” Magee will stay on as Lagunitas’ executive chairman.

The sale of the 24-year-old Lagunitas comes at a moment of major consolidations within the beer industry, with many beloved brands selling to the big boys like Heineken, the world’s second-largest brewer, and Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest.

Just yesterday, Asheville, North Carolina’s beloved five-year-old Wicked Weed Brewing announced its own sale to A-B InBev. “Nothing’s going to change,” co-founder Walt Dickinson told USA Today, citing a desire to be available in more markets as the reason for the sale. In the past three years alone, A-B InBev has been quietly building its craft portfolio, acquiring respected local brands like Seattle’s Elysian Brewing, Bend, Oregon’s 10 Barrel Brewing, Virginia’s Devils Backbone Brewing, and Colorado’s Breckenridge Brewery (among others).

The Lagunitas sale is certainly a big one for craft beer fans. The company has long had a perceived independence at heart, even after selling half the company to Heineken in 2015. It also operates massive facilities in several different parts of the country, including an under-construction brewhouse in Azusa, California, just east of Los Angeles, that only last week opened their tap room for the first time.

But with Lagunitas’ latest plan to “connect completely” with mega-label Heineken, it’s likely some fans will begin their own “conscious uncoupling” from the brewery.

 

[Taco_Human]

I don't know how I feel about this, they were one of my favorites. Guess I still have my green mountain head.

 

[johnsmith]

 

[jon bones]

get paid my dudes

i've still got dogfish head

 

[Nista]

Oh well, guess we won't be buying their 6 packs anymore. Plenty of other local CA breweries to buy from instead.

 

[Nafai1123]

One of the many reasons why Russian River Brewing Co will always be superior to Lagunitas.

 

[Toxi]

Well that sucks.

get paid my dudes

i've still got dogfish head

Dogfish Head is fantastic.

 

[JohnsonUT]

Consolidations continue in yet another industry.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Shame. Bye.

 

[Lys Skygge]

get paid my dudes

i've still got dogfish head

I would be so sad if Dogfish Head ever sold out. The owner is one of the most passionate beer fans in the industry.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I give this sale the ol Hairy Eyeball.

(That beer hits like a fucking truck good lord)

 

[Technosteve]

shit wicked weed got bought i hope it gets better distro outside

 

[vern]

One of the many reasons why Russian River Brewing Co will always be superior to Lagunitas.

Main reason is their beer is so much better.

 

[Kelsdesu]

Lagunitas is dinner beer.
Good for them.

 

[ReAxion]

i can't hate. i'd take the money, too. just don't compromise quality. heineken tastes like dirt.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Putting the PUB back in publicly traded.

 

[InfiniteBento]

I would be so sad if Dogfish Head ever sold out. The owner is one of the most passionate beer fans in the industry.

Dogfish Head just cop'd a James Beard Award so I don't imagine they'll be selling any time soon.

 

[BeardyChan]

Thats alright Russian River just gets more of my buisness. Apparently there was a lot of pressure from local politicians in making the deal happen. My uncle once tried to help them out in the early 00s before leaving Anheuser busch corporate. Somehow I think that he saved them from going corporate then, sadly that didnt last too long.

 

[Primus]

Big Beer coming at the craft breweries like a freight train. Wicked Weed yesterday, Lagunitas today.

 

[2Smashed4U]

Can't wait for Rhinegeist to sell out here. Probably to Sam Adams.

 

[perfectchaos007]

I don't know why people get so upset when a small brewery gets bought out. It's not like they change up the formula or ingredients when they get bought out. Sure it won't be made with as much love and care, but you can't taste love and care.

 

[matt360]

So will anything actually change? I remember they used to go big for Star Wars day and have people from the 501st and Rancho Obi-wan come to the brewery since they're both in Petaluma. Hopefully they'll keep doing that. Also had me a couple Little Sumpin's yesterday for my Rogue One viewing. Lagunitas is one of the best craft beers that's consistently available here in Japan.

 

[Doomsayer]

I don't know why people get so upset when a small brewery gets bought out. It's not like they change up the formula or ingredients when they get bought out. Sure it won't be made with as much love and care, but you can't taste love and care.

Except they actually do.

When big beer buys out craft breweries they don't allow the brewmasters to take the same risks as they are accustomed to. It becomes more about pushing out beer to be distributed around the country instead of making unique beer for the tap rooms. There is a lot of nuance involved in this. You forget about the sense of community in craft beer.

If you want an example, Wicked Weed from Asheville, NC just got bought out by Anheuser-Busch. Check out all of the backlash they are getting from fellow breweries who have done collaborations with them. Many are pulling out of the festival they are throwing in July.

 

[opoth]

That's a shame - I feel like they'd stepped up over the past year or two with things like their High Westified Imperial Stout, Unfiltered Born Yesterday and Waldo's Special Ale - 3 of the best beers being made by one of the big boys.

 

[pablito]

Interesting. I remember Goose Island got bought out by Anheuser Busch. We don't get much of their beer here, so I haven't been able to test them out to see if anything changed.

Anyways, I don't really like Lagunitas. If it had to be one my Cali breweries, at least it was them.

 

[ErnieMcCracken]

I don't know why people get so upset when a small brewery gets bought out. It's not like they change up the formula or ingredients when they get bought out. Sure it won't be made with as much love and care, but you can't taste love and care.

Founder of Jester King had a nice reply regarding the sale of Wicked Weed:

http://beerpulse.com/2017/05/jester-king-announces-it-will-stop-carrying-wicked-weed-following-news-of-sale-to-a-b-inbev-5195/

Main point being:

With that said, we have some core principles that define who we are as a brewery, and those principles must not be compromised. One of our core principles is that we do not sell beer from AB In-Bev or its affiliates. We’ve chosen this stance, not because of the quality of the beer, but because a portion of the money made off of selling it is used to oppose the interests of craft brewers. In Texas, large brewers (and their distributors) routinely oppose law changes that would help small, independent brewers. We choose not to support these large brewers because of their political stances, and in some cases, their economic practices as well.

They're effectively selling out to an entity that wants to limit them and restrict their growth as much as possible.

 

[radios shipping overview]

 

[Yaboosh]

Magee was always very outspokenly negative towards selling out. Oops.

 

[Bandini]

I mean, if they keep making good beer and gain better distribution and marketing, good for them. Hopefully their employees don't get boned.

Lagunitas IPA is B-Tier for me so I have no strong feelings either way.

 

[The Argus]

Sad to see this. One of my favorite buy anywhere "Micro" Brews. Love their flavored Sculpins.

Did Stone recently do this as well? I swear they're everywhere now.

 

[One Eyed Willy]

I enjoy me a lot of craft beers, I have 9 local breweries within 4 miles of my house. However my go to shelf brand IPA that I can get anywhere and consistently enjoy is Lagunitas. I'll hang with them for the time being.

Get paid dudes.

Sad to see this. One of my favorite buy anywhere "Micro" Brews. Love their flavored Sculpins.

Did Stone recently do this as well? I swear they're everywhere now.

Sculpin is Ballast Point not Lagunitas. They sold out to Constellation a year or so back, but not wholely. And no Stone is still 100% privately run and owned. This is mainly because always they had their own distribution chain both domestically and in Europe. They don't need a buy out. But who cares about IPAs guys that is like so 8 years ago.. get on the sour train!

 

[Doomsayer]

Sad to see this. One of my favorite buy anywhere "Micro" Brews. Love their flavored Sculpins.

Did Stone recently do this as well? I swear they're everywhere now.

Ballast Point.

 

[Z_Y]

God I got to try Waldo's Special Ale this 4/20. Probably won't be around next spring.

11.something % and 120 IBUs. Shew. 2 of those and it was nap nap time. Loved it.

 

[Lys Skygge]

Elysian Brewing selling out still hurts. I remember there was quite a bit of backlash when that happened.

 

[Madness]

I don't know how I feel about this, they were one of my favorites. Guess I still have my green mountain head.

The big brands trash craft beer but then buy it up whenver they can. When Elysian from Seattle was bought by AB-InBev I knew it was inevitable for a lot of good craft beer brands to be snatched up. In a world where green is all that matters no one can turn it down. They will say the usual schtick about how they can reach more customers, nothing will change etc. But just like Goose Island it always does.

Meanwhile they will still put out snarky commercials making fun of craft beer drinkers, or attempt to pretend they are a craft beer like Blue Moon. No I am not a hipster, I love Heineken. But I hate when they are acquired like this.

 

[rec0ded1]

Weak, well I hope they don't mess with the formula I guess.

 

[Beer Monkey]

The founder of Lagunitas, Tony Magee, got a gig for his shitty white blues band at my local tavern in 2015. He dropped the n-bomb a few times and the bar banned his beer and him too. That's the last time I drank Lagunitas. The guy is a dick.

 

[sir_kevith]

Elysian Brewing selling out still hurts. I remember there was quite a bit of backlash when that happened.

10 Barrel out of Oregon was painful too. Then they tried to act like they were "banned" from the craft brew festival when they just no longer qualified. Too bad.

The market in the NW is overcrowded though. There's all these new beers that seem to only last for a season and then pretend craft beers that just look the part. It's hard to know what you're buying or who you're buying from without googling. It's probably smart sell right now.

 

[Lil Marco]

They sold out just like Blue Moon

friends dont let friends drink IPA's.

 

[pablito]

The founder of Lagunitas, Tony Magee, got a gig for his shitty white blues band at my local tavern in 2015. He dropped the n-bomb a few times and the bar banned his beer and him too. That's the last time I drank Lagunitas. The guy is a dick.

Welp that makes it all the more easy to not give a shit

 

[RebornYeti]

Hopefully their brewery in Petaluma stays the same. It's a nice little place with a great atmosphere. I enjoyed my time there and would definitely go again if given the chance.

 

[DudeWithNoName]

Is there a list somewhere of what beers are NOT owned by conglomerates?

 

[Yaboosh]

They sold out just like Blue Moon

friends dont let friends drink IPA's.

Blue Moon was always a Coors brand. There was never a sell out there.

 

[Nafai1123]

Main reason is their beer is so much better.

I mean, obviously I also appreciate they've been completely opposed to selling out, or for that matter changing anything despite their popularity. Supposedly they are expanding out to Windsor though, so who knows what will happen with them in time.

 

[Bsigg12]

Wicked Weed out of North Carolina sold out to AB InBev as well. It's a god damn travesty because their beer is phenomenal but I will not support AB InBev and their shitty practices.

 

[Christine]

That's a shame. No more 12th of never for me I guess, fun while it lasted though

 

[ErnieMcCracken]

Is there a list somewhere of what beers are NOT owned by conglomerates?

Found a Google doc that keeps track of those that have sold out. Looks to be actively updated as Wicked Weed is on there.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PVMuFsFoccOVnFAk_K619wAUruLLEe7kPqpd_sjoxuI/edit#gid=0

 

[Madness]

They sold out just like Blue Moon

friends dont let friends drink IPA's.

The fact you think Blue Moon is craft or didn't sell out means their tricks worked. Blue Moon was always a big brand beer from the start meant to portray a craft beer.

 

[Primus]

I would probably die if Maui Brewing Company sold out, we had a scare a couple months ago due to a completely wrong article in the Great Lakes Brewing News that said that MBC had sold out to Constellation Brands. Luckily, MBC's owner is staunchly and vocally independent, and they have a fantastic relationship with Stone Brewing Company as well.

 

[Just_myles]

I don't get it.

Do you guys think by them selling Lagunitas completely to Heineken that they will dilute the brand or phase it out? Context would be helpful as the article in the OP provided none.

I mean, will they not allow them to operate as they have? Meaning, they can no longer do what made them successful?