Lagunitas Brewing sells 50% to Heineken

[TazManiac]

In the most significant deal yet in the American craft brewing industry, Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Heineken International announced a partnership Tuesday to take the fast-growing Petaluma company’s hoppy craft beers and irreverent business ethos across the world.

Heineken will acquire a 50 percent stake in the nation’s sixth-largest craft beer producer for an undisclosed amount of cash and a structure that allows Lagunitas to utilize the Amsterdam company’s global production and distribution network, Lagunitas founder and owner Tony Magee said...

The rest of the article can be found here:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4 ... to-partner

My initial though was- "They broke them off a 'Little Sumpin Sumpin'"

[Typeminer]

Interesting article. I'd heard about the partnership, but not so much detail.

I have mixed feelings about this whole trend. On one hand, Anheuser is brewing probably the best beers they have made in my lifetime (the Bud and Michelob specialty sidelines), and they're selling them cheaper than Yuengling. But I still don't want to buy them, because I won't live long enough to forgive AB for watering down the original Michelob in the late 80s and pretending nothing had changed. They're evil monopolists, even if Adolf Busch did name the city for Saint Louis Pasteur.

On the other hand, I spent a week in Ireland last year, loved the pubs, and learned just how American I am--Boy, did I miss good, strong, hoppy, American pale ale. There's worse things than drinking Guinness every day, but I'm used to more variety.

Never have tasted much, if anything, from Lagunitas, but this is the first bad thing I've heard about them.

[TazManiac]

Huh. You're going to find more of the successful California based micro(craft) breweries have/are starting up facilities east of the Mississippi.
(hey!, I spelled that right on the first try!)

Lagunitas seems to have a Chicago based Tap Room, and Sierra Nevada brewery has a North Carolina based brewery spot now too.

btw, Sierra Nevada makes these... 'terpeedies!'
and these
"... distilled with pure hop oil..."

(Oh my Gerd, they have a Torpedo Room in Berkeley!, who knew?)

And while I've taken it upon myself to at least try some truly revolting concoctions, (back in the Eighties we used to call it ' Worm Juice')
life is too short to drink bad beer.

That now includes Michelob (I agree with you) and stuff like Killian's Red, which Used To Be Good to Drink.

[DinkyInky]

Interesting article. I'd heard about the partnership, but not so much detail.

I have mixed feelings about this whole trend. On one hand, Anheuser is brewing probably the best beers they have made in my lifetime (the Bud and Michelob specialty sidelines), and they're selling them cheaper than Yuengling. But I still don't want to buy them, because I won't live long enough to forgive AB for watering down the original Michelob in the late 80s and pretending nothing had changed. They're evil monopolists, even if Adolf Busch did name the city for Saint Louis Pasteur.

On the other hand, I spent a week in Ireland last year, loved the pubs, and learned just how American I am--Boy, did I miss good, strong, hoppy, American pale ale. There's worse things than drinking Guinness every day, but I'm used to more variety.

Never have tasted much, if anything, from Lagunitas, but this is the first bad thing I've heard about them.

I hear they are better on tap. The only way I've been able to drink Guinness is with a depth charge of Jameson sunk in...which is odd, since other than the Berry Weiss and Summer Shandy(both accompanied by heavilly fresh herbed grilled chicken and veggies), the only beer I've managed to drink that wasn't heavy fresh bread dough flavoured was a creamy dark, what I was told is called a...stout I think?

[TazManiac]

Dinky, seeing as how you've related your experiences and strength of taste, I submit you should continue your pursuit of a good tasting brew- the opportunities abound.

Stouts are dark, creamy and usually a bit sweet-ish.

I seem to dislike most Pilsners myself and have been on a life long quest to find the Perfect Red Ale, but it continues to allude.

For awhile I found succor in the arms of Riptide Red, but it's changed over twenty years.

https://untappd.com/b/beach-chalet-pub- ... -ale/25231
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/882/4217/

Riptide Red
Toasty Red Ale, Caramel Maltiness and a Mild Hop Bitterness ~ 21 IBUs 5.6% abv

It's very true that they all taste much the better for having come from a keg...

[TazManiac]

http://wapsisquare.com/comics/2014-02-0 ... -party.jpg

[GlytchMeister]

*furrows brow*
Is Nudge wearing party war-paint? If that's how she parties... Holy moly...

[TazManiac]

While it could be Party Paint, (see Tina's night out at Club Cerberus...) I think its just that we are used to seeing Nudge in black & white.

[Typeminer]

Dinky, Guinness is a stout. Stout and most porters are technically varieties of ale. Guinness Draught is a dry, low-alcohol stout (something like 4.2-4.5% ABV). I believe it is a bit less robust than the Guinness Extra Stout that used to be more commonly sold here.

A lot of stouts are somewhat maltier in flavor than Guinness Draught (not that Guinness is light on malt), and many are stronger. Russian Imperial stouts are like 9-11% ABV.

I'm not sure how you draw the line between porter and stout. I've tasted microbrew porters that were twice the strength of Guinness and very dark. Might be just the brewer's choice of what to call the product.

No one should drink beer they don't like; there are plenty of styles. Jerks my chain, though, when megabrewers change their flagship beers to sell more beer to people who don't like beer, without admitting that it's different beer.

Dinky, forgive me if this is all obvious; you plainly know more about liquor and cocktails than I do.

[DinkyInky]

Dinky, Guinness is a stout. Stout and most porters are technically varieties of ale. Guinness Draught is a dry, low-alcohol stout (something like 4.2-4.5% ABV). I believe it is a bit less robust than the Guinness Extra Stout that used to be more commonly sold here.

A lot of stouts are somewhat maltier in flavor than Guinness Draught (not that Guinness is light on malt), and many are stronger. Russian Imperial stouts are like 9-11% ABV.

I'm not sure how you draw the line between porter and stout. I've tasted microbrew porters that were twice the strength of Guinness and very dark. Might be just the brewer's choice of what to call the product.

No one should drink beer they don't like; there are plenty of styles. Jerks my chain, though, when megabrewers change their flagship beers to sell more beer to people who don't like beer, without admitting that it's different beer.

Dinky, forgive me if this is all obvious; you plainly know more about liquor and cocktails than I do.

I know. I was saying as one of three beers I like is a creamy stout, you think I'd like Guinness, but without a depth charge o' Irish Whiskey, it's like trying to swallow raw bread dough, and yeah, I'd rather take a header into a brick wall than spit out a Guinness in an Irish pub.
Unfortunately, I'm now sooooo much further away from jwhouk's neck o' the woods where the stuff I like is made(Leinenkugel), that I've not seen it here(not that I'm giving up looking). Until then, guess it's cocktails and highballs and neat and on the rocks for me...

[Typeminer]

Strange marketing. Leinenkugel Berry Weiss and Summer Shandy have been available here for a few years now, and I think I'm further from Wisconsin.

I like Leinenkugel's beers, in general.

[DinkyInky]

Strange marketing. Leinenkugel Berry Weiss and Summer Shandy have been available here for a few years now, and I think I'm further from Wisconsin.

I like Leinenkugel's beers, in general.

I'm no longer in Indiana.