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posted by martyb on Sunday May 12 2019, @08:59AM   Printer-friendly
from the cheers dept.

Two major craft breweries are merging. But is it still "craft"?

Dogfish Head's merger with the maker of Sam Adams fundamentally disrupts the world of craft brewing — and beer lovers have mixed feelings

Boston Beer Company, which makes Sam Adams beer, is acquiring Dogfish Head, a Delaware craft brewery. "Not only are Dogfish Head and Boston Beer two original American breweries, but Jim Koch and I worked hard with other leading craft brewery founders and the Brewers Association to develop and champion what defines independent American brewers," the Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione said in a statement on Thursday, referring to the Boston Beer founder and chairman. "This merger better positions Dogfish Head and our coworkers to continue growing within this definition for many years to come." [...] The merger of the publicly traded Boston Beer Company, which also produces Angry Orchard cider, with Dogfish Head, the well-known craft brewery prominently featured in the 2009 documentary "Beer Wars," is sure to shake up the brewing industry.

[...] Dogfish Head posted a photo on Facebook and Twitter of Calagione sharing a drink with Koch. Though one Facebook user tagged the pair as "shill" and "sellout," not everyone who commented on the post had such a negative reaction. "To the haters: Samuel Adams / Boston Beer may not be perfect, but few people have been as vocal a proponent of craft beer for as long as Jim Koch," one Facebook user said. "I'd much rather DFH merge with them than get bought by Constellation or (gasp!) ABInbev-SabMillerCoors. We know that BBC won't force through drastic changes and expansion into other markets that the brand can't or won't handle."

[...] Not everyone was convinced, however. "Sam Adams has been completely out of touch with actual craft beer for a decade at least," one person wrote. "I don't see how this is good." Another added that Dogfish Head was the "last brewery on earth that I thought would sell out." "Not a fan," another Facebook poster wrote. "Dogfish Head has always been fiercely independent with a focus on unique and sometimes challenging beers. I've been to the brewery 6 times, to the brewpub many times. I spent my 31st birthday there and made some incredible memories. This is the last thing that I expected from DFH. What a shame."

Also at CNN and Brewbound.

Related: Playing Small is Okay, Says Judge in "Craft Beer" Case
Congress May Lower Beer Taxes, Sam Adams Could Cease to be "Craft Beer"
Craft Brewing Industry Saved Small Hop Growers
Craft Hard Cider Booming in the U.S.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 12 2019, @07:26PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 12 2019, @07:26PM (#842739)

    [...] I would be most saddened if Sam Adam's kills that beer....

    It's doubtful they'll kill it. They'll most likely dilute it with fluoridated water, & add weight-loss drugs to it.