And it's $52,000,000,000. That could buy 75 billion bottles of Bud Light, enough to get the entire world tipsy (and maybe get JJ a fat Christmas bonus). It looks like the world's second largest brewery (Belgium brewery InBev) is aiming to buy America's largest brewery to create one helluva super brewery, Anheuser-Busch InBev.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/14/anheuser.inbev.ap
After reading this article, I felt relieved not to have learned about it in Pike's back lounge - because I can imagine the moaning and groaning that'll be going on. Having once been, I know how disgruntled drunken college boys will feel about our biggest brewery going Euro. Sure enough, I received an invite to join "Boycott the un-Americanizing of Anheuser-Busch" on Facebook before lunchtime. Personally, I rarely drink AB products so I don't give much of hoot about the deal (which still needs to be approved by shareholders and antitrust regulators). Though admittedly, I'd be a little apprehensive if I heard a brewery like Dogfish Head were to be sold to a foreign company, so I understand. But in this case, InBev makes better beers than Anheuser (not to mention AB has been responsible for the importation of many InBev beers) so I'm somewhat in favor of the purchase. Really, I'm just curious to see how it all unfolds.
At least I got to tour the Anheuser-Busch factory in St. Louis while it still was the Anheuser-Busch factory.
P.S. JJ's company makes bottles. In case you didn't get it.
Update: I found this online, and I have to admit it's pretty funny.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I dunno, I'm kind of sad that such a large American symbol won't really be American anymore. I really don't drink AB products either, and I know the beer itself won't change a damn bit, but I did always appreciate the national pride of having the second largest beer brewer in the world. But I guess the true AB zealots will have the final word.
ReplyDeleteTo get technical [after a little wiki research] Anheuser-Busch is (or was) the fourth largest brewery in the world behind SAB-Miller, InBev, and Heineken. After a little more thought, it does feel a little depressing to lose the last giant American brewing company. I learned today that Miller was bought by SAB in 2002, and I also learned that Coors is really the "regional division" of the Molson-Coors brewing company (the fifth largest brewery) though it isn't clear whether that company is technically American or Canadian. I was thinking "oh well, we still have Miller and Coors," but now I care a little more.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for my company, the CEO of InBev is the giantest penny pincher in the whole god-damned world. We're probably going to be hurt by this deal since we have catered a LOT to AB, and we didn't really give a shit about InBev before this. Now, InBev is going to want consistent pricing throughout their worldwide bottle purchases which means we're going to have to lower prices or lose lots of business. This is all of course if the acquisition is approved. I also feel obliged to say that after reading this, you now sort of have insider info into the company and it is illegal for you to buy or sell stock based on this information.
ReplyDelete... and I don't get bonuses :-(
ReplyDeleteDamn you, JJ! I haven't been this pissed since I read the rules to the sandwich punch game. Now I know how Martha felt.
ReplyDelete