MdV: Merchant du Vin beer e-newsletter – Wednesday, December 21, 2005: Brewery Ownership

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale 2005-2006 – the first British Winter Warmer ever imported to the US – is available now at great bars, restaurants, and stores. More at:

http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith_winter_welcome.html

The Vegan Society has awarded Samuel Smith’s Organic Ale the “Best Animal-Free Drink Accolade.” (No, all beers are not vegan. Some are made with fining agent isinglass, a fish product.) Full press release linked to the Merchant du Vin news page . . .

“Where” magazine has published its annual Readers’ Poll, and the Pike Pub was chosen as “Seattle’s Best Pub.”

Beer festivals, dinners, and events are offering beer lovers all across America a chance to discover the classic styles; fine beer coverage in the media continues to grow . . . Full national news & event listing at:

http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/1_about/news.html

Beer Chat from the Beer Court Jester: Brewery and Brand Ownership

All the beers imported by Merchant du Vin are from family- or abbey-owned breweries. We have noticed that many times a brewery will not mention on the label if it is owned by a larger entity. Is small and independently-owned better? Maybe these large corporations think so . . . here’s an ownership review of some of the beers available in the US, in rough order of sales volume. Most of the parent companies are publicly-traded and publish their sales & profits:

Almost one of every two beers sold in the US today is from Anheuser-Busch, headquartered in St. Louis, MO. In addition to their light lagers & malt liquors, they brew World Select, B E (“B to the E”), Bare Knuckle Stout, Ziegen (Texas only), a holiday lager, and a blueberry lager that is currently in some test markets. A-B has an “equity agreement” – i.e. partial ownership – with Red Hook and Widmer, and considers them to be “alliance partners.” They also own a large stake of Grupo Modelo, brewers of Corona.  A-B operates 12 breweries in the US.

Miller Brewing was acquired by South African Brewing (SAB) in 2002, and the corporate name changed to SABMiller at that time. They sell about a fifth of the beer in the US and their brands include Miller, Red Dog, Icehouse, Leinenkugel’s, Henry Weinhard’s, Hamm’s, Olde English, Mickey’s, Milwaukee’s Best, Foster’s, Pilsner Urquell, Sheaf Stout, Carling, Peroni, and Radegast. Corporate headquarters are in London, but Milwaukee remains the North American HQ. There are six Miller breweries in the US.

Coors Brewing, which merged with Canada’s Molson to form MolsonCoors in 2005, is the third of the American “Big 3,” selling over a tenth of the beer in America. In addition to the Coors/Coors Light and Molson families, they produce Blue Moon, Aspen Edge, Keystone, and malternative Zima. They operate two US breweries.

Pabst, now based in San Antonio, TX, contracts with SABMiller to brew their beers, which include Stroh’s, Olympia, Lone Star, Schlitz, Old Milwaukee, and Colt 45.

Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo produces Corona – the best-selling import in the US – as well as Modelo, Negra Modelo and Pacifico. A-B has significant ownership in Grupo Modelo.

Another large Mexican brewer, Fomento Economico Mexicano SA, or FEMSA, makes Tecate, Carta Blanca, Sol, and Dos Equis.

Heineken – for many years the only imported beer with significant sales in the US – brews Heineken, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Affligem, Amstel Light, and Murphy’s Stout.

InBev, based in Belgium, resulted from a 2004 merger between Interbrew (slogan “the world’s local brewer”) and Ambev. Now using the slogan “the world’s largest brewer by volume,” they have a very wide portfolio: Stella Artois, Beck’s, Labatt, Brahma, Rolling Rock, Leffe, Spaten (and Franziskaner), Hoegaarden, Bass, St. Pauli Girl, Belle-Vue, Boddington’s, and Tennant’s.

Scottish & Newcastle, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, owns Newcastle, Theakston’s, McEwan’s, Caledonian and Grimbergen, as well as Strongbow cider.

Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick’s are owned by Diageo, the largest beverage alcohol company in the world. Diageo has many spirits and wine brands.

A review of American beer menus or package store shelves will quickly reveal that the vast majority of beer sold in the US is produced by one of the large-to-huge corporations listed above.

But what about the flavor in the bottle? Are corporations -- with slick packaging, really cool promotions, superstar spokespeople, and cost accountants -- in a better position to make great beer?

Or do the really great beers come from independent brewers, families with their name on the label, Trappist abbeys, or great local brewpubs?

Take home some Merchant du Vin beer: Samuel Smith’s, Ayinger, Lindemans, Melbourn Bros., Pinkus, Traquair, Orval, Westmalle, Rochefort, or Pike. Taste them, then decide for yourself.

Merchant du Vin, America’s Premier Specialty Beer Importer Since 1978

www.merchantduvin.com