Macrobrewers & the Craft Beer Market Part 2 - Market Trends & The Future

Macrobrewers & the Craft Beer Market Part 2 -  Market Trends & The Future

In the previous post on this topic, I mentioned at the very end that Anheuser-Busch has started buying up craft breweries to add to its portfolio. I already talked about the purchase of Goose Island, which is/was arguably the most high profile of their purchases. Last year, Anheuser-Busch purchased 10 Barrel Brewing based out of Bend, Oregon & Blue Point Brewing based out Patchogue, New York. However, when it was announced early this year that Anheuser-Busch was going to purchase Elysian Brewing, the craft beer community was in shock since Elysian had been a long cherished member of the craft brewing scene; Though rumors of a buyout had been floating around for a couple of months

Oh and remember that commercial from Budweiser? You know, this one.....

Did you catch the part where it talks about fussing over a pumpkin peach ale? A few months prior to Anheuser-Busch's buyout, Elysian actually released a pumpkin peach ale and many took this as a thumb-and-nose gesture on behalf of Budweiser. Upon hearing this information, many people were, understandably, rather upset.


As I've mentioned before, macrobrew sales have been declining steadily over the past few years while craft beer sales continue to grow with each passing year; Which could explain the buyouts we've seen over the past few years. However another reason why sales have been falling is because there is not only to a wider selection as far as beer in concerned, but also many of us (i.e. Millennials) don't have the brand loyalty that our parents had and what we want in a beer is, for lack of a better term, a higher quality of flavor.

Speaking from a Millennial perspective, it's not that I don't have brand loyalty, though you would never guess from all the reviews I do. It's just that I was introduced to craft beer fairly early on, about a couple years after I started drinking beer in general. At the risk of sounding snobbish, my standards as far as the quality of flavor I expect from a beer are considerably higher than what people my age expected 20 years ago.

Furthermore, there are actually few beers that I have as a go-to option when I'm not feeling like writing or I'm just looking to relax for the evening. They're not necessarily amongst the best beers I've ever had but they're great beers that I know I'm getting my money's worth for when I buy them.

So what happens from here? Will craft beer one day reign supreme while AB-InBev & MillerCoors go extinct? Will Budweiser, Heineken & Miller Coors join forces to form a Voltron-like robot and try to wipe out everything craft beer? Truthfully, I don't see any of those happening but I do have an idea of what we will start to see in the foreseeable future.

1. BMC (Budweiser MillerCoors) will continue to buy craft breweries.
   
   I mentioned in my previous post that macro-brewers will want to retain their share of the marketplace and we've already seen the expansion of Goose Island to a national level and it has worked favorably for Anheuser-Busch. Whether you like it or not, this is a trend that will continue. Given the recent purchases made on behalf of AB-InBev, don't be too surprised to see MillerCoors start to buyout various craft breweries around the country.
   
   
2. Craft Beer will continue to grow its market share
   
   This shouldn't really come as too much of a surprise, but the craft beer industry will continue to grow its marketshare. At the time of writing this, craft beer accounted for approximately 11% of the beer industry in the United States. While I don't expect to see craft beer breaking the 25% marker for at least quite a while, I don't expect to see the growth stopping anytime soon.
   
   
3. Expect to see Macrobrewers release their own interpretations of popular craft beer styles.
   
   For the past couple of years, we've been seeing AB-InBev & MillerCoors release beers with higher-than-normal ABVs in an attempt to draw in the craft beer drinking crowd. The results have been....not so good with just one that I would consider to be tolerable. The thing is that macro-brewers have the capability and resources to make the same thing as craft breweries but they aren't really making an effort to do so.
   
   I see that changing in the very near future and I expect to see Budweiser or Miller release their own IPA or Saison. This would no doubt be an effort to draw in the craft beer crowd and the quality of the beers would inevitably come into question upon release. Besides... if Blue Moon can make a White IPA that is actually good, I don't see any reason why Budweiser wouldn't be able to do the same.
   
   
4. Microbreweries buying other microbreweries.
   
   Here's one that I don't think many people really consider since many craft beer drinkers have adopted an "Us Vs. Them" mentality. We all know that some craft breweries come in all shapes and sizes but they are still businesses nevertheless.
   
   Given the growth at which craft breweries are undergoing, I believe that it's inevitable that we're bound to see other microbrewers merge with or buy up other microbrewers. One prime example I've seen is with Bent Brewstillery, a local Minnesota brewery, merge with Pour Decisions, another Minnesota-based brewery.
   

So there you have it, my predictions for the future of the craft brewing industry and the brewing industry as a whole. Regardless of what happens, it's going to get very interesting here in the next few years and we all have a front row seat to all the action.

Bud Light Platinum Review

Name: Bud Light Platinum
Brewed By: Anheuser-Busch
Style: American Adjunct Lager
ABV: 6%

You want me to let you in on a little secret? Of all of the articles I have written, the post that has the most views isn't a great beer like AleSmith's Wee Heavy or Schell's Arminius. No No. The post with the most views is none other than my review of Miller Fortune, a beer that I enjoyed about as much as a case of appendicitis.

Why does this matter? Well Miller Fortune, in a way, owes its existence to Budweiser. You see back in early 2012, Anheuser-Busch unleashed Bud Light Platinum, presumably as a way to reel in craft beer drinkers with its higher-than-normal alcohol content. You also may notice too that Bud Light Platinum clocks in at 6% ABV, which definitely lands it far outside the realm of what is considered to be light beer. Did I mention it just has 8 less calories than regular Budweiser?

What can be said about Bud Light Platinum aside from the blue bottle? For starters, I've had this before and it was back in February of 2012 while I was watching a Minnesota Wild game with a couple of friends. My initial reaction was that it tasted like rusty dishwater, so I'm not exactly looking forward to having this again. Just remember, I drink it so you don't have to.

Bud Light Platinum pours a clear pale yellow color with some mild visible carbonation. The head starts out thin, even with an aggressive pour, before disappearing into nothingness. As for the lacing......well there is none!

The nose consists of pale malts, some cereal grains, a strong boozy scent and a some light barley. Well, it certainly doesn't smell any different than what I remember.

The taste starts out with a strong booziness followed by some metallic rust, pale malts, cereal grains, cardboard and even more booziness. On the plus side, it feels crisp.

Remember that rusty dishwater comment I made earlier? Well in the almost 3 years since I've had this, pretty much nothing has changed in the flavor so I would say that comment still holds up quite well. Much like Molson XXX & Miller Fortune, I would turn this down if it were offered to me at a party. My only wish is that people will read this review and heed my words. I just hope my Summit glass will forgive for pouring such a terrible beer into it.

Bud Light Platinum - 1/10

Budweiser Black Crown Review

Name: Budweiser Black Crown
Style: Amber Lager
ABV: 6%

Early this year Budweiser released Budweiser Black Crown onto the market. According to the company, In 2012 they asked 12 of their brewmasters to come up with their own beer and of those twelve, six were sampled nationally. This was part of their "Project 12" campaign and I remember it because I recall seeing Budweiser Project 12 Sampler Packs on store shelves, though I never really bothered checking them out.

After doing the sampling, it was the Los Angeles Budweiser Brewmaster's creation, Black Crown, which won the hearts and minds of beer drinkers everywhere and thus a new addition was added to Budweiser's line-up.............at least that's what they told the public. In my eyes, it's just another attempt to try and market to the craft beer drinking market.


This also isn't their first attempt at targeting the craft beer drinkers. Just a few years ago they released Budweiser American Ale which is, coincidently, also an Amber beer.

But let's approach this with an open mind, shall we?

Black Crown pours a clear golden color with a soapy & fizzy head. The amount of carbonation visible is quite high and the lacing is....not there.

In the nose, I'm getting some caramel, barley, pale/munich malts, toffee and a slight hoppiness.

Wait a minute....

A Budweiser with a hoppy smell? Did hell just freeze over or something?! It had to have because hops in a Budweiser is just unheard of!!!!

Sadly the hoppiness that peaked it's head through in the aroma is not present in the flavor, which is mainly your macro cereal grains, light caramel, barley, and malt sweetness. Not really much in terms of aftertaste, in fact it's quite dry.

The body is very light and on the watery side, though the carbonation is actually quite moderate and the end result is a smoother body than regular Budweiser.

Black Crown is a beer that shows some promise in the aroma. However once you drink it, you are reminded very quickly that you're drinking a Budweiser product. To Black Crown's credit, it's a lot more tolerable in terms of flavor and mouthfeel. Though as a beer I wouldn't recommend buying this unless you are absolutely curious to try it out.

Budweiser Black Crown - 5/10

Budweiser (Original) Review

Name: Budweiser 
Style: American Adjunct Lager
ABV: 5%

What can be said about Budweiser? Well, for starters it's become as American as Apple Pie, Baseball, McDonald's, Ted Nugent, and the Liberty Bell all rolled into one, despite being first brewed by German Immigrants.

Brewed by Anheuser-Busch, it's a staple of American culture and is one of the most widely recognized brands in the world. It's been referenced in movies & TV shows, produced some of the most memorable commercials in recent memory and can be found at the majority of professional sporting events, grocery stores, and households in the US.

Now I must confess, I never have had a Budweiser before. When I first started drinking beer, I was drinking primarily Miller Lite and Natty Ice. I never really took notice to Budweiser mainly because when I was first starting out in college, it was more expensive and no one was really drinking it. It wasn't until I was a junior in college that I discovered craft beer and have since never really gone back to Macrobeers, doesn't mean I'm a snob but it's more out of personal taste. Every beer serves some sort of purpose. If someone offers me a beer, I'm gonna take it no matter what it is; only a mad man/woman would refuse free beer.

I was rummaging through my fridge when I noticed a few bottles of Budweiser sitting on the side shelf, more than likely left over from the Wild game house party we had a couple weeks back. Being the opportunist I am, I've decided to review The King of Beers itself.

Budweiser pours a clear straw yellow color with tons of carbonation flying up from the bottom. Fizzy head stays around for a couple of minutes before dissipating into a filmy top.

The nose consists mainly of cereal grains, grass, cardboard and some malt sweetness. For what it is, it isn't particularly good. The aroma brings back memories from my childhood while trying to grab some food for myself at one of my parents' get-togethers, I would always catch a whiff of Budweiser coming from one of the many open bottles that I would just so happen to walk by.

The flavor is also pretty consistant with the smell with cereal grains, cardboard, sweet corn and malts. Again, it's taste is not what I would call "great". The taste brings back memories of sitting in my dorm drinking Miller Lite while playing Call of Duty 4 with my roommates, and both are very similar in taste.

The body is light and the carbonation is extremely heavy It tries to come off as crisp, but it just comes off as more aggravating on the palate than anything else.

I wasn't expecting much when I decided to review this and my expectations were rightfully set. The smell and flavor are rather bland and it feels like club soda when drinking. To Budweiser's credit however, the flavor is not what I would consider offensive or skunky like other adjunct lagers out there. Doesn't mean it's good, far from it, but they could've done worse in the flavor department. Would I ever buy this for myself? No. Would I turn it down if it's offered to me for free? No. My philosophy is just because a beer is not well-liked by beer enthusiasts doesn't necessary mean you have to be a prick about it.

Bottom line: Budweiser may be well known in our culture, but it's rather bland and forgettable when it
comes to flavor.

Budweiser (Original) - 4/10