The Big Brewer’s Brands
Anat Baron, who directed Beer Wars, kept getting asked about a list of which brands are owned by which of the two big beer companies operating in the U.S., Anheuser-Busch InBev and Miller Coors. I thought I’d help out by putting together this list, which still probably isn’t exhaustive since it doesn’t include experimental releases being test-marketed (or brands I simply missed). Putting together a list of this type is harder than it looks, because so many of the arrangements between InBev and MillerCoors and their subordinate brands aren’t all straightforward ownership deals. Some involve partial ownership, distribution rights, limited ownership (in certain markets) and limited distribution rights (ditto). What should be included and what shouldn’t? Good question. I tend to think that if the brand is controlled in a particular market (usually that would be through distribution) then it should be included, though such details should likely be annotated, which I’ll keep working on if you’ll keep pointing out potential errors or brands needing annotating.
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Jay:
Great list. I want to create a list of all (not just top) brands that A-B I and MC sell in the US. Next project. And include partial ownership as well.
Anat
“Bass Ale” is owned by InBev. Coors UK merely owns the former Bass brewery and they brewed Bass under license for InBev for a while after the purchase but I thought that ended. Where exactly the bottled Bass Ale currently exported to the US is brewed is a bit of a mystery- the labels list “Luton, UK” but as I understand it, that’s only the corporate home of InBev UK- there’s no longer a working InBev brewery there. Cask Bass Ale in the UK comes from Marston’s but I don’t think they brew the bottled Bass we get in the US.
Czechvar is imported by the A-B-Inbev subsidiary “Import Brands Alliance” but is still (so-far) independent. Seems to me that makes it less an “A-B-InBev” brand than the minority-owned beers of the Craft Brewers Alliance (Redhook, Widmer, Goose Island, Kona) that you didn’t list.
I confess the ownership arrangements for the Bass deal always confused me, and I was shooting from memory (never a good idea). I know Coors got the brewery and Carling and Worthington’s, but I also thought they retained Bass outside the UK, and InBev inside the UK, but that’s clearly wrong now. I think bottled Bass is brewed at brewed at the Samlesbury, which is owned by InBev.
The tougher one is distribution rights, which is why I listed Czechvar since they “control” the brand in the U.S. I did list Red Hook and Widmer, but not Kona or Goose Island as I’m still unsure if their arrangement is similar or not. The last time I asked Rich (from Kona) about this (at the Seattle CBC, so it was a while ago) he insisted it was a distribution-only arrangement. But they should probably be there too for the same reasons I listed Czechvar, I just need to label it better. It took a surprisingly long time to pull this list together, even rushing it. was up until after 2:00 a.m. just to get it done, so I know there are errors. Thanks for letting me know some of them.
Cheers,
J
Canned, and I’m guessing kegged and bottled, Bass is brewed at the Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow — home of Tennent’s. However, that would be a contract arrangement now, since A-B InBev recently sold Wellpark and the Tennent’s brand to C&C, makers of Magner’s Cider and Tullamore Dew, among others.
Great work, Anat and Jay.
Maybe there’s room for a list of the beers brewed for Pabst (and by whom)?
Great job Jay and Anat!
I have a suggestion. How about breaking it down into “families” (of sorts). For example, Blue Moon is a direct child of Coors of course, but it seems that they might be distant-cousins to, say, Zolotaya. MillerSAB brought their extended family to this Brady Bunch. Line them all up alphabetical, and it’s a challenge to understand the relationships within the families.
And when you’re done with that, make it all into an infographic poster. OK? Cool. You’re awesome! ;-]-=
Cheers,
Greg
Now the obvious followup question would be: How many of these beers are virtually indistinguishable from one another?
Wow, I had no idea AB-InBev had significant stakes in Widmer and Starr Hill. They do good beer.
Add 1 more to the Miller/Coors list: Creemore Springs recently purchased Granville Island Brewing, BC’s original craft brewer. Other than seasonals brewed at the Vancouver brewpub, GIB has strayed from it’s craft roots. Not that the products are bad, they’ve just gotten away from their ‘hand-crafted’ beginnings. All of their bottled products are brewed in a large factory brew site hundreds of miles away.
I don’t think it is accurate to say that GIB has strayed from its craft roots. The original brands have not changed and the newer brands are full-flavoured and true to style. All malt with real hops (no extracts) and appropriate yeast strains. I think GIB just doesn’t use as much hops as Andy would like. They can’t all be hop bombs ;).
As for the bottled products being brewed in a factory brew site, clearly Andy hasn’t seen that site. GIB’s main brewery, located in Kelowna BC, is smaller than each of Rogue, Stone, Sierra Nevada and many other craft brewers. It is an older brewery with some good updates, but still very hands-on.
Seeing as you are identifying countries, Castlemaine XXXX in the AB-InBev list is Australian.
@ Mitch
AB does not have any ownership in Starr Hill. It is strictly a distribution deal, as noted in the list. There is no influence as to what happens with recipes (sometimes people are afraid that beers may becomes ‘dumbed down’ or the like) and the course of the business remains in the hands of the owners and their management team.
Yes, but the question is, “Why did they not use a local distributorship like Hop & Wine or Specialty Beverage?” It may not affect the beer now, but as the margins keep getting squeezed the recipe will begin slipping. (Perhaps this is why Starr Hill isn’t very good in the first place!) There are lots of options for distribution out there.
I know it’s a formality, but you should put Plank Road Brewery under Miller/Coors and then put Red Dog, Southpaw and Icehouse as their products. Yes, it does come from the same brewery, but it is technically a different “brewery.”
Excellent list!
Thanks for the list, Jay. I’m ready to print it out and take it on my next shopping trip. I knew of most of these, but some were under even my radar. I appreciate the effort to keep the industry honest.
I drink a number of imported English and German beers, as well as some domestic “craft” beers (well, mostly one), and I’m proud to say NONE are on this list! I won’t go into the matter of taste for the beers on these lists, since for most beer lovers, that issue speaks for itself.
pge
Personally, I find it funny to see the ‘fear’ that lists like this bring about. I like my beer separate from my politics…but that is just me. But I have another to add to your list, it would be the Modelo Brewing line (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico) as ABI has an ownership interest in that company as well. While they don’t control the importing or distribution for the US, Constellation’s Crown Imports does, they do share in the profits of those sales.
Jason,
Thanks for your comment. It’s not funny for the smaller brands that struggle to get their beers on store shelves. The reason large breweries have so many brands is precisely so they can have more shelf space, more market share. You’re free to laugh at whatever you want, of course, but I don’t understand why anyone would find something that harms small brewers and small businesses “funny,” but, as you say, that’s just me. As for preferring your beer separate from your politics, good luck with that. The only way the two can ever be separate is if you ignore reality. They are connected and no amount of wishing can change that fact.
J
Jay,
I think you took my use of the term ‘funny’ further than was intended. My point was that of course big companies have a lot a brands for precisely the reason you outlined. At the same time all breweries are businesses even if some don’t want to realize or acknowledge it. Each business has their own view on market share and profits but one difference is that the big brewers openly acknowledge that they are trying to gain as much market share as possible, after all they are publicly traded companies.
My desire is for a marketplace that allows brewers to be successful and consumers to buy beers that they want (how we get that is always going to involve some heated debate). As with any business venture some will find that the rules aren’t fair and that some competitors will engage in activity that you find unacceptable. I guess I’m just trying to say life isn’t fair so we just need to do the best we can.
As for politics and beer I choose to try as many beers as I can and ownership of the beer doesn’t matter to me as long as the beer is good I will buy it again. I realize that some are VERY passionate about goods being local or sustainable – I’m not one of those people. If I find a local product that is equal to or better I will buy it, but at the same time it is not right to ask me to support what I find to be an inferior product just because it is local.
Ultimately, I have no problem with lists like this being compiled as I think an educated shopper is the best. I think you and I just have a different world view. At least there is plenty of good beer to enjoy and if you’re strictly supporting local brewers and it makes you happy all the more power to you.
It would be interesting to see what percent of some of the craft breweries ABInbev owns. I know with Craft Brewer’s Alliance it is 30ish%. It is an important distinction in whether that have a majority or minority share.
Great point! This is a big issue. Goose Island is now 58% ABInBev. Not good for Goose Island quality…
Can we keep this list up-to-date? Maybe we could put a most recent publish date on the list so that people know how accurate this list is. I run a wine and beer shop and we make it a point never to carry any of these brands. But as has already been said, it is tricky due to ownership of distribution rights, minority ownership and such. Thanks!
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