The association that represents the nation’s independent craft brewers wants to buy a beer industry heavy-weight: Anheuser-Busch InBev.
The Brewers Association, which represents more than 4,000 U.S. breweries, on Monday launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $213 billion to buy the Belgium-based international suds conglomerate. Tagline: It only seems impossible if you really think about it.
— which had raised more than $830,000 by Monday afternoon — is a kind of tit-for-tat move that notes craft brewers upended the brewing industry and as a result, the big guys, .
“Since 2011, Anheuser-Busch InBev has quietly acquired 10 small and independent breweries, but they won’t tell you that on their packaging. Just try to name all 10 without Googling … exactly,” the campaign says in a video featuring a “Andy” bearded beer fan wandering through a craft brewery. “Big Beer creates an illusion of choice,’ but we are presenting them with a reality check, and hopefully, at the end of the day, with a real check too.”
to raise awareness more than an actual play to purchase Anheuser-Busch. We imagine this campaign will garner some mainstream media support, which will in turn help raise the profile of independently owned craft brewers and the challenges ABI has presented the craft brewing industry over the past few years.”
Pledges to the crowdfunding campaign will only be collected after all $213 billion has been secured, according to a news release. “Until then, free swag will be distributed to all contributors.”
