+ = ??
The rumor of Anhesuer-Busch in talks with Boston Beer left a foul taste in my mouth, and a few short weeks ago would not have given the idea a moment’s thought. The feud between Jim Koch’s Boston Beer Co. and Augie Busch’s little company is, though considerably shorter than Budvar’s, just as legendary. The production company “Ducks In A Row Entertainment Corporation” is supposedly even making a film about their famous feud with the tentative title “Beer Wars.” Last I heard, it was in the editing stage but that was some time ago. The point is, these are two companies that do not feel a great deal of affection for one another.
So my first reaction to this rumor would under normal circumstances be, “no F’ing way.” But that was before A-B inked deals with both InBev and longtime rival Budvar. With those deals, the Earth is already spinning off its axis, so why not Samuel Adams, too?
This particular rumor comes courtesy of Miller’s Brew Blog, who got it from the only other source to mention it so far, Beer Business Daily, a subscription-based beer news service. BBD reported that they have “been fielding about a half dozen inquiries a day from readers with the latest rumor du jour making the rounds out there: A-B and Boston Beer hooking up.” To no one’s surprise, neither side would comment on the rumors. But that was the same as the InBev rumors, at least, so who knows?
I’ve heard Jim Koch speak personally about his feelings concerning A-B and their business practices and given that, and all of the trouble they’ve tried to cause him over the years, it just seems incredibly unlikely that he’d entertain any offers from them. But at the risk of repeating myself, I keep coming back to how often the seemingly impossible has been happening these days.
I do not think it is that far fetched at all. There are already Anheuser-Busch distributors who carry Sam Adams in some states. It has probably helped those brands due to A-B’s leverage at key accounts.