From Goose to Goat:: Goose Island Stabs Chicago in the Back

From Goose to Goat

The reaction to the announcement that Goose Island has sold out Anheuser-Busch has been swift and negative. After my jaw dropped this morning, I started to come across the onslaught of negative comments toward Goose Island both on comment forums and on Twitter. Goose Island said it is to add capacity and cash to its operations and to expand its distribution base (which was the original intent of the deal in 2006 for the 40 percent stake in the company). Even though Greg Hall took to the press to address accusations of selling out, it is palpable that people in the craft beer community feel that this move is exactly that: selling out.

From my view, it comes down to money. Hall argues that they couldn’t keep up with demand and needed AB to provide much-needed relief. Even though Dogfish Head cut back to maintain its independence, Goose Island was all to ready to abandon its operations. From the rumors online of mismanagement, it almost seemed inevitable. Whether this is a new development or something that has been in the works, it seems Goose Island no longer wanted to be independent.

Right now both Goose Island and AB are talking about their commitment to quality and how they will expand their offering with “high-quality regional beers.” This is what they are expected to say: commitment to jobs, commitment to quality and commitment to community. However, many of us feel that what will happen in a few years time will be quite the opposite. Look no further than what happened at Rolling Rock when AB moved the jobs from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. Why maintain brewers in Chicago when there is extra capacity in St. Louis?

AB is about destroying the competition. Instead of developing and crafting its own beers, it is looking to enter the craft beer market through a competitor. I’d argue that only the name will stay, and I bet that in a few years it will be rolled into some other brand. Goose Island will become nothing but another brand to manage, and unfortunately, sometimes brands can get lost in a large organization. Will it get the attention it deserves? Will it still encourage beers like the bourbon stout? Will AB pour money into creating high-gravity craft beers if the profit margins are too thin? Will AB look to cut corners on cost? There are simply too many questions, and honestly, we are not given many answers.


It feels much like Goose Island is abandoning the city and looking for a way to get out of the craft beer business while getting profit a healthy profit. I'm sorry, but I just don't buy the argument that "new structure will preserve the qualities that make Goose Island’s beers unique, strictly maintain our recipes and brewing processes." I also find it naive that John Hall believes the beers won't change. After selling out, he won't have any input. They will almost certainly change, and believe it or not, Hall will become marginalized at such a large corporation. 

AB doesn't understand craft beer. That's what makes this so infuriating and what feels like a stab in the back by Goose Island. Apparently, Hall doesn't understand craft beer drinkers either. Craft beer drinkers are in it for more than innovative new styles or taste. It is the idea of community and the idea of supporting a local product. It is about supporting beer in your neighborhood, not buying another corporate brew that only cares about brands and marketing. I identified Goose Island with Chicago. Now it is another beer in AB's (and InBev's) stable of global beers. Instead of being truly innovative, these companies look to destroy the competition. Watch the movie Beer Wars to get an understanding.

Many craft brewers view themselves as the little guy going against the corporate behemoth. That what makes it fun to support craft beer. That is what makes this announcement sound like Judas. I'm sure that's why the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative: we feel that we lost someone in our fight against the globalization of beer. For a group of people that value local and regional flavors, the selling out of Goose Island is just confirmation that you really can't win against these guys.

Even with Goose Island gone, there are other smaller breweries in Chicago, such as Metropolitan and Half Acre, that still brew local beers. Goose Island might be dead, but craft brewing in Chicago lives on.