For a lot of people, this may seem to be just another business transaction but in my mind it is totally spitting in the face of craft beer. Solidarity in the industry rises from the fight against the Big Three. Not fucking joining them. AB’s portfolio accounts for 48.3% of all retail beer sales.

Goose, you are dead to me. And I’m sorry for my friends who work there, it’s nothing personal of course.

Now I’ll go back to supporting the independent area breweries like Metro, Two Brothers, Half Acre, Three Floyd’s and all of our wonderful brewpubs (Rev,Haymarket, Flossmoor, Piece, etc.)

Edit: Letter from Goose founder John Hall. And a more detailed article onBeerAdvocate (looks like the offical press release).

(via SeaofStatic and FYC)

I’m not going to go as far as boycotting (although Two Brothers and Half Acre just went up in my Chicago Cool-Factor book) but I am a little bummed that Goose Island and my beloved 312 is no longer all that Chicago-centric…

For me, the draw of Goose Island beer is that it’s local.  Before I moved to Chicago, I loved coming to town and knowing I could have “that number beer” when I went out.  The night I met Ryan, he had just moved to Chicago 9 days prior…so naturally, the first thing I did was buy the man a 312.

Yes, I’ll drink that last Sofie that’s in our ‘fridge (because it is delicious)… but I am a little sad that Chicago’s Craft Beer isn’t all that Chicago anymore.