Top beer makers to join forces to face industry challenges

[KamaAina]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ab-inbev-sabmiller-ok-principle-set-beer-merger-065625336.html

The world's biggest beer maker has clinched a deal to take over its nearest rival to stave off two key threats facing big name brands: the surge in popularity of craft brews and weakening sales in the rich markets of the U.S. and Europe.

SABMiller accepted in principle a takeover bid worth 69 billion pounds ($106 billion) from Anheuser Busch InBev in a deal that seeks strength in size: the combined company would control nearly a third of the global market....

In rich countries, people are turning to locally brewed beers or other drinks like wine. Giulio Lombardi, senior director at Fitch Ratings, notes that in the U.S., craft beer sales account for 10 percent of beer volumes — against virtually nothing a few years ago. The same could soon apply in Europe, he said.

"The global beer market overall is largely flat and in some regions is declining as other beverages such as wine continue to penetrate," said John Colley, professor at Warwick Business School in England. "Micro brewers and their highly differentiated cask ales also continue to make progress."

[MineralMan]

1. Man! They're going to have to breed more Clydesdales.

That's a lot of beer they'll need to produce. Here's what I'll be having before the debate tonight:

[KamaAina]

2. I see what you did there.

[MineralMan]

6. After a Google search, I found this, so maybe

there's a patent issue. Could be a cease-and-desist letter going out to this small brewery soon:

[hifiguy]

8. YUM.

I drink Grain Belt, Surly and Summit. Minnesota-owned, Minnesota brewed.

Big Beer is miserable. Life is too short to drink boring beer when there are so many good beers to easily be found.

[MineralMan]

9. I don't usually drink beer, but when I do,

it's locally brewed in small batches.

I may not be the most interesting man in the world, but I insist on interesting beer.

[HuckleB]

3. I wonder how this might affect distribution of smaller breweries.

Hmm.

[meow2u3]

4. Bad idea

The bigger the companies that merge, the worse the quality of the beer and the more it'll cost us.

[Historic NY]

5. I'm sticking with crafts, my county has a 1/2 dozen now

along with distillerys. If that is not enough many of the distributors have crafts on tap for growlers.

[KamaAina]

7. Six in one county?!

[MineralMan]

10. You should see the Twin Cities.

A new craft brewery opens almost every month around here. My most recent visit was to Sidhe Brewery in St. Paul. Good beers and an interesting tap room.

http://www.sidhebrewing.com/

[hifiguy]

11. Yep.

Most of Colorado has breweries popping out of the ground like mushrooms and that's not the only place. A friend in Prescott AZ - and a serious beer geek - says it's the same way in his state.

Twenty years ago Minnesota had only Summit and now there are so many interesting breweries it's impossible to keep track of them all.

[msongs]

13. now that pot is legal beer can be drunk for quality experience, not just to get drunk cheaply nt

[Sherman A1]

12. Once again......

It appears that the large corporation has the answer. Unfortunately they do not know the question....