In a not to serious attempt to take over world’s largest brewing conglomerate AB InBev, Colorado-based Brewers Association (BA) said on Monday it's seeking to raise $213 billion through a crowdsourcing campaign.
“Over the past several years, Big Beer has been attempting to buy their way into the craft beer movement by acquiring small breweries at a rapid rate and using their acquisitions to invent craft brewing bona-fides,” the BA says.
"This time we're going to take on the oppressive, big beer machine before they can bleed the passion out of the independent craft brewing culture forever," says Andy , a fictitious lover of craft beer in BA’s Take Craft Back campaign.
“Since 2011, Anheuser-Busch InBev has quietly acquired 10 small and independent breweries, but they won’t tell you that on their packaging,” says Andy. “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.”
“Pledges will only be collected after all $213 billion has been secured,” BA says. ”Until then, free swag will be distributed to all contributors and perhaps a few toasts will be raised along the way.”
In June, the BA launched a new seal to be applied on bottles and cans as a means to differentiate independent craft beer from beer made by larger beverage corporations. “As Big Beer acquires former craft brands, beer drinkers have become increasingly confused about which brewers remain independent. Beer lovers are interested in transparency when it comes to brewery ownership. This seal is a simple way to provide that clarity – now they can know what’s been brewed small and certified independent,” Bob Pease, president and CEO of the BA said at that time (inside.beer, 28.6.2017).
