Saturday 7 March 2009

Hopping Mad at InBev



Anheuser-Busch of Budweiser fame have always used the same hop in their ubiquitous brew. Although these days, in minimal quantities, they stuck to "Hallertauer Mittelfrüh", an aroma hop variety with a spicy aromatic lemon taste. Now with Anheuser-Busch having been taken over by InBev, the bean counters at InBev have put an end to Anheuser-Busch’s “We have always done it this way”. Hallertauer Mittelfrüh is to be replaced by other hop varieties in Anheuser-Busch’s beers. Hop farmers in the Hallertau are appalled: Hallertauer Mittelfrüh covers ten percent of their total acreage and new buyers will have to be found, though given the general shortage of hops that may not be so difficult, even with bumper crops expected this year.

So there you have another consequence of global domination by the dreaded InBev. Another interersting little outcome of the takeover is that AB-InBev are set to sell off their German breweries including Spaten, Gilde and Hassroder, though the Spaten sale is complicated by the fact that InBev own only the brand, - the brewery is leased to InBev in a complicated deal with the previous owners, which may yet bite each of the parties on the bum.

Finally in this little German round up, Heineken have failed to acquire a majority stake in their joint venture with Bayerische Brau Holding. This means Paulaner / Hacker Pschorr stays in German control, so probably two cheers for that.

10 comments:

Whorst said...

Talismann, do you know anything about a Bass beer called Country Chase?

Tandleman said...

No. I have never heard of it and it doesn't sound a Bass sort of name to me.

Gazza Prescott said...

They use hops? news to me.

Ed said...

I have heard they're down to 8 IBUs now!

Erlangernick said...

Paulaner beers are so lame that they may as well be foreign owned! Same goes for most Munich beers, come to think of it. That Augustiner Edelstoff--why not just switch right to North American Industrial Lager?

Tandleman said...

Gazza - As I said, not much, but they brew a lot of the shitty stuff.

Ed = It was 12 but you don't surprise me

Nick - I think you are being unkind to Edelstoff

Unknown said...

Bumper crops of hops? hurray!!, I like hops.

Erlangernick said...

...Edelstoff...

People rave and rave about this beer, and I've never understood why. It's bland. Sure, it's clean. So are Miller and Stella. They're all bland, very pale, and deliver alcohol at the same rate.

Why's Edelstoff so great--just because it's served in a lovely Munich Biergarten?

Yes, I'm glad to hear about the hop crop this year. Will make the arguments for the hike in this coming Bierkeller season that much more creative, I suspect.

Erlangernick said...

Er...hike in the price of beer, that is.

Anonymous said...

8 IBUs!! No wonder it tastes like piss-water.Come to think of it, after a couple of beers, my piss probably has more IBUs than that.