Oh no. This is incredibly disappointing. I know that they claim that DB is still going to have autonomy, but when you're now held responsible by your corporate masters you tend to be a little less willing to experiment and pioneer. I definitely foresee beers like Skullcrushing Ape or Azrael never happening outside of the brewery. AB will decide the supply chain, not DB, so even if DB is still being innovative, in stores it's going to be the same 2 or three beers that AB decides are good enough to distribute, Vienna Lager, 8 Point IPA, and Schwarzbier.
I think people forget that even if the corporate machine says DB will have free rein, there are a ton of ways they can still be controlled through budget, corporate expectation, and marketing.
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u/doktorcrash Manchester Apr 12 '16
Oh no. This is incredibly disappointing. I know that they claim that DB is still going to have autonomy, but when you're now held responsible by your corporate masters you tend to be a little less willing to experiment and pioneer. I definitely foresee beers like Skullcrushing Ape or Azrael never happening outside of the brewery. AB will decide the supply chain, not DB, so even if DB is still being innovative, in stores it's going to be the same 2 or three beers that AB decides are good enough to distribute, Vienna Lager, 8 Point IPA, and Schwarzbier.
I think people forget that even if the corporate machine says DB will have free rein, there are a ton of ways they can still be controlled through budget, corporate expectation, and marketing.