Charlottesville Area Masters of Real Ale

In the news lately, a proposed buy out of AB by InBev (Belgian), the largest distributor of beer in Europe and maker of Becks and Stella Atois  for $46 Billion dollars javascript:void(0);
Shocked.

Will it affect supplies to we little fellas who brew?

I don't think it will effect us or homebrewers in general.  I have found it facinating to go to the grocery store and see that AB and Miller are now offering styles of craft beer to try to get some market share back from the ever growing craft beer industry.  I think that the InBev owners would continue that trend, but I can't see them hoarding hops or otherwise impacting us as homebrewers.

Christopher sent me this link, which is a very interesting "spin" on AB's place in American culture

http://saveab.com/

Informal poll: What was the last AB product you've consumed and when?
As for me, I think it was a 12oz Bud tall boy about 6 years ago. I think it tasted somewhat similar to beer. With all that killer equipment and knowhow its too bad AB doesn't make too much worth drinking.

I bought "Shocktop," which is a Belgian wit that AB makes (I think it is AB) about 4 or 5 months ago and it was ok.  The finish was a bit too sweet, but it certainly tasted better than their other offerings.  I have a friend who is allergic to gluten, and she swears by Red Bridge, which is a gluten-free beer that AB makes (again, I am pretty sure it is AB, but it could be Miller).  She says it tastes a bit like what she remembers Killians tasting like, but she is very biased, as she is just so happy to be able to drink beer again.

I think it was last year when I did the "Brewmasters" thing at Busch Gardens.  They rolled out several really bad beers and, even worse, various flavorings you could add to the beers to make them worse. 

The only one I could muscle myself through was the Bare Knuckle Stout.  It wasn't bad and it tasted like there was nitrogen in the pour.  I really like nitrogen infused drafts, but I think they cover up some of the flavors, which may have been an advantage with this one.  Not bad, but nothing interesting or I'd buy even to save AB from a buy out.

Hm, I drink them here and there...whatever's in the cooler at a non-homebrewer's party. I'll bring my own, too, but sometimes, when it's hot out and you're tossing bocce around the yard, there's nothing better than a Lite American Lager (See: BJCP Style 1a). Lite American Lager / Standard American Lager aren't my favorite styles by a long shot, but they're styles nonetheless---and I don't tend to judge the beer on which style it is, but rather, the overall quality and how it fits in the style. In other words, I like me some bud or PBR, but Keystone and MilBeast are poor examples of the style. I dunno...when I first started drinking craft brew, I got all uppity about it, but once I started brewing, I realized that it's a valid style of beer like any other, and that it doesn't deserve my ire.