:o
I think in protest, everyone should send their WW beer to be disposed of. Send me a message for my, um I mean, the disposal address. 
We haven’t had any acquisition news in a while, but this is a big one!
They weren’t in business that long, big payout. I liked their beers well enough, but there are many other options in Asheville.
A few months ago ABI acquired Karbach in Houston. That didn’t make a lot of news outside of Texas because they don’t make any hype beers but they were a brewery that built out quickly and distributes a lot of staple styles across Texas. It also wasn’t big news because there had been speculation for years that the owners had built the brewery with the goal of being acquired so there was zero shock to the news, even here in Texas.
WW is definitely bigger news because they are the first acquisition that is part of the sour beer community and the first ABI acquisition in the US best known for non-easy drinking styles. It will be interesting to see if they are cast out of that crowd after this news.
It will really help them scale.
They have been opened for 5 years and have expanded almost every day they have been opened after the first year.
Sure, and now they have access to unlimited capital, a network of suppliers they didn’t have before, and a network of high tech brewhouses across the country/world.
Another case of ‘vote with your $’. I choose to vote NO. Each his own.
That’s how I feel.
Honestly, we’ll be passing through Asheville on the starts of a camping trip later this summer…though we’ll only have time for one brewery stop, Wicked Weed wasn’t even on our radar…Mills River, on the other hand, seemed the clear choice.
If you haven’t been, go. Maybe line up the free tour, reservations online.
We’re going to try to, travel timeline permitting. August reservations haven’t opened up yet, and I’ll be ready when they do…
I heard about this first thing this morning from our sales person who said “I need to get up there before they get all corporate” and I reminded her that, in spite of their image, with all the money and expansion they have behind them they are already 100% corporate before the buy out.
I went to a seminar late last summer on the breweries that AB INBEV is taking over and they aren’t taking over breweries who are meandering in their marketing or sales or breweries that are “bucking the mainstream”. They are taking over competent breweries who already have their sh!t together. And, believe it or not a lot of craft breweries are preening themselves for such a take over.
Breweries looking for an exit? I don’t believe it! [emoji6]
To be clear, I don’t begrudge somebody for selling their brewery. It’s part of free enterprise. Just not gonna buy from ABI craft breweries.
Would you turn your nose up at a billion dollars? A hundred million dollars? Ten million dollars?
Again, I agree. I don’t believe for a minute that “big beer” is evil, I just think ABI is evil. Guinness’s recent work with the Maryland Brewer’s Association is a great example of big beer helping out everyone.
If the payout was right I would sell out in a heart beat.
They’ve been open for what, 4 years?
Seems like startup mentality. Make a company just to get bought out. I thought they were better than that.
My wife and I went to their brew pub location a couple years ago and the Funkatorium last fall. We had a great time and enjoyed all of their great beers. The evening we were at the brew pub they were selling Pernicious for $2.50 a draft. That said, I find this incredibly disappointing.
I don’t begrudge any business owner from making a business decision and I understand the sale of Wicked Weed is ultimately a business decision. Good for the owners for building a successful business and selling it for what I presume is a massive windfall.
This still feels like a punch in the gut, however. I’m also sure the City of Asheville is just thrilled to have ABI in the heart of their downtown right now. I will not be purchasing any more Wicked Weed products going forward. There is a plethora of great, GREAT craft breweries in North Carolina that aren’t owned by ABI. Jade IPA by Foothills is just as good if not better than Pernicious.
Damn it Keith. My unwarranted romanticized vision of you has been ruined.