The Globalization of Local Craft Beer

By Julian Hayda
In this Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 photo, cans of Budweiser beer, owned by AB InBev, sit next to cans of Snow beer, in which SABMiller has a 49 percent ownership stake, on a grocery store shelf in Beijing. A potential prize for AB InBev in its bid for SABMiller is a Chinese beer, Snow, that is the world’s biggest seller. But any deal will face Chinese regulators who have barred the two brewing giants in the past from cooperating. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
In this Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 photo, cans of Budweiser beer, owned by AB InBev, sit next to cans of Snow beer, in which SABMiller has a 49 percent ownership stake, on a grocery store shelf in Beijing. A potential prize for AB InBev in its bid for SABMiller is a Chinese beer, Snow, that is the world’s biggest seller. But any deal will face Chinese regulators who have barred the two brewing giants in the past from cooperating. Mark Schiefelbein / AP Photo
In this Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 photo, cans of Budweiser beer, owned by AB InBev, sit next to cans of Snow beer, in which SABMiller has a 49 percent ownership stake, on a grocery store shelf in Beijing. A potential prize for AB InBev in its bid for SABMiller is a Chinese beer, Snow, that is the world’s biggest seller. But any deal will face Chinese regulators who have barred the two brewing giants in the past from cooperating. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
In this Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 photo, cans of Budweiser beer, owned by AB InBev, sit next to cans of Snow beer, in which SABMiller has a 49 percent ownership stake, on a grocery store shelf in Beijing. A potential prize for AB InBev in its bid for SABMiller is a Chinese beer, Snow, that is the world’s biggest seller. But any deal will face Chinese regulators who have barred the two brewing giants in the past from cooperating. Mark Schiefelbein / AP Photo

The Globalization of Local Craft Beer

By Julian Hayda
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With Octoberfest upon us, many are turning to their favorite brews to settle into the fall. In the past, those interested in good beer would search high and low for their favorite microbrew or craft beer. Sometimes the beers were made in the same venues where they were consumed, or could only be purchased in select stores in a specific region. But in recent years, many craft brewers have been bought out by large multinational conglomerates. Chicago’s own Goose Island is now owned by Brazil and Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev. Goose Island is now served on every continent. Lagunitas, whose flagship brewery opened on the south side of Chicago in 2012, is now wholly owned by Heineken International. To discuss trends in international consolidation in the beer industry, we’re joined by the Chicago Tribune’s beer and spirits columnist, Josh Noel. He’s the author of Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out: Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch and How Craft Beer Became Big Business.