Opinions about the Boston Beer/Dogfish Head deal announced yesterday are a mixed bag, ranging from dread to, well, “let’s wait and see.” So far, I haven’t heard anyone outside of either brewery get terribly excited about the $300 million merger/sale.
Three quick observations:
1. There are an awful lot of beer freaks who really don’t like either Sam Adams or Dogfish Head. The former I can understand – it’s the big guy (at least in craft brewing), and nobody likes the big guy (even if it makes the likes of Boston Lager, Utopias and Sam Adams Double Bock). But I just don’t get the disdain I hear about Dogfish Head. People literally compare some of their beers to paint thinner, which is ridiculous. The brewery was built on so-called “extreme” styles, including 90 Minute IPA, Indian Brown Ale and dearly departed Raison D’Etre, which are indisputable world classics. Yes, tastes change and the tiny brewery with people standing in line for the latest hazy IPA is the Hot New Thing. But Dogfish Head is as innovative as ever and dismissing it out of hand is just stupid.
2. I’m not hearing a lot of “sellout” talk about Dogfish Head. Certainly not to the level that we heard about Wicked Weed or any of the other ABI acquisitions. I think that’s largely due to the leaders of the two breweries. Jim Koch of Boston Beer has been a true apostle of craft beer, supporting home brewers, start-ups and others with generosity, supplies and business education programs. And Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head is simply a good guy – and a lot of people have experienced that on a first-hand basis over the past 20 or so years.
3. In any of these big money deals over the years, has the beer itself improved? Ballast Point, Oskar Blues, Lagunitas, Terrapin, Anchor, even Victory; heck, go all the way back to Red Hook in 1994. Post-deal, can you really say the beer has gotten better? Maybe better branding, wider distribution. But flavor? At best – as in the case of Ommegang/Firestone Walker under Duvel Moortgat – the beer has held its own. At worst (Southern Tier, Goose Island), it has declined.
-30-
Fully agreed with both.
The last time I talked with Sam at a pre-SAVOR event, I was percolating an article on the looming transitions bound to occur as the guys who started the craft beer revival aged out, found it was time to retire, or even died off.
Sam was ready and eager to talk my ear off about the issue. It was obvious that he was already formulating some form of “exit strategy,” and said outright “If you don’t have an exit strategy for a brand like this, your brand is doomed.”
I never did write that article, but I should have.
Both Sam and Jim are good, craft beer oriented guys. Their portfolios mesh well together. SA produces quality classic beer styles. When they stray they miss the mark (Cranberry Lambic…) DFH practically invented the extreme beer category. Sam commented to me that “together they are stronger.” and that makes sense. I would much rather see them get in bed with another craft producer than with the multinational devils!