Mitch Perry
Since its inception in 2009, Joey Redner’s Cigar City Brewing has enjoyed tremendous growth and critical acclaim, winning international awards for its high quality craft beers.
Among those admiring from afar apparently is the apotheosis of “Big Beer,” Anheuser Busch InBev, the world’s largest beer company in the world.
According to a story in Sunday’s Tampa Tribune written by James L. Rosica, representatives from the beer giant has a meeting with Redner, but he says that doesn’t mean there are any active discussions going on about the Tampa brewery being purchased by the beer conglomerate.
“I am not in discussions with ABI,” Redner texted Florida Politics on Sunday morning. “We had a meeting where interest was expressed. That was months ago. We haven’t had a second meeting.”
The growth of the craft beer brewing industry has been well noted locally, and no Florida craft brewer has received more plaudits that Cigar City. Two weeks ago Anheuser Busch purchased Seattle-based Elysian Brewing Company for an undisclosed amount, and last year they acquired several other well known craft brewing companies.
Redner says he’s not surprised that the brewing conglomerate would come knocking on his door considering those recent acquisitions, but says “they haven’t seen our books, they haven’t looked into the fundamentals of the company. It was just a casual meeting where they expressed an interest.”
“Say it ain’t so, Joe, ” wrote Ed Pucetas in the comments section. “..a large part of the charm of craft breweries is their independent nature. The flexibility to brew a large variety of beers, many with local flavors…is a large part of the reason why craft breweries have captured market share from the corporate mega-brewers. I know it will be difficult to say “no” when INBEV shows up with a dump-truck full of money…I just can’t imagine that AB INBEV will do anything to improve the brand.”
“I won’t drink a beer owned by AB,” wrote Larry Laing.”Hopefully Cigar City doesn’t fall to the venom too.”
