Who's Goosing Goose Island?

In my neck of the woods, Monday mornings are pretty uneventful. I am usually wishing for the weekend to be longer and excited about the week ahead. This past Monday (March 28, 2011) was an atypical Monday. I got into work and read the headlines "Goose Island Brewery Sold to Anheuser-Busch" Say what?!?! Our very own Chicago institution sold? And sold to a company that mass produces watery garbage. I was angry, disappointed and mostly hurt by these events.

Goose Island Clybourne holds a very special place in my heart. This was the site of a very special first date with someone who would eventually become my husband, Bill. I made sure to order something without any sauce (I'm a huge slob when it comes to eating) and during our conversation knew that this guy was going to be my life partner. Whenever Bill and I frequent Goose Island, I always remember that very first date and how lucky we both are to find each other. Plus, we both enjoy good quality craft beer! We enjoyed coming here, since we were supporting a local business that wasn't yet tainted by a large corporation. Needless to say, reading that headline really struck a chord.



The Internet was buzzing with posts regarding how Goose Island was selling out and others felt that this was a good thing and would eventually increase distribution and production of Goose Island beer. The transactions details is that Anheuser-Busch bought Goose Island for $38.8 million. This includes a $1.3 million expansion of Goose Island's brewing facility and eventual capacity. Goose Island is no stranger to Anheusuer-Busch, as they have used them since 2006 to help distribute across the U.S. Some Chicago bars are now boycotting Goose Island and are not going to be ordering or serving Goose's products in their bar.

So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that Craft Beer is definitely going through a change. I have yet to determine if that's a good thing, but I certainly hope that this will not mean the "Corporation" of Craft Beer and I also hope quality does not suffer. It would be a shame if Goose Island's beers turned into a glorified Bud Light. I personally, am nervous that the quality of the beers will decline. I also feel that craft beer should stay away from the huge corporations. The best part of traveling or being a beer nerd is getting your hands on a beverage that no one else can get in your area. You surprise your friends with this most coveted brew and it's exciting. You can do beer swaps with fellow nerds across the US. We are going to lose that with the current happenings at Goose Island. I think that takes away from the nostalgia of craft beer.

Only time will tell if Goose Island really got goosed by a Bud Light.