No To Big Beer | A craft beer social media campaign

A Craft Beer Social Media Campaign

1 Celebrate craft beer through photography
2 Educate about crafty beer brands owned by Big Beer

Breaking Brews

Support Independent Craft Beer

Mass produced lager beers like Budweiser, Coors Light, and Pabst Blue Ribbon will always have a place in the American beer market, but when it comes to craft beer, the No To Big Beer campaign is about supporting independent craft beer.

Big Beer tries to control shelf space in stores and taps at restaurants with their crafty beer brands. Craft beer consumers can send a message to Big Beer by not buying these crafty brands, but rather, choosing craft beer from independent craft breweries.

Say "No To Big Beer" when you choose independent craft beer.

Craft Beer Defined

The definition of craft beer comes from the Brewers Association.

Small

Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to rules of alternating proprietorships.

Independent

Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

Brewer

Has a TTB Brewer’s Notice and makes beer.

Big Beer Crafty Beer Brands

Buying Craft Breweries Since 2011

Anheuser-Busch InBev - Brewers Collective

AB InBev is a Big Beer behemoth based in Belgium. In 2011, Goose Island Beer Company was their first American craft beer brewery purchase, although they already had part ownership (31.3%) of Craft Brew Alliance. Since then, the Goose Island brand has been promoted globally through brewpubs in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, England, South Korea, and China. In 2020, Anheuser-Busch InBev closed a complete acquisition of Craft Brew Alliance and it's seven crafty beer brands, including Kona Brewing.

Purchase years: Goose Island Beer Company (IL, 2011), Blue Point Brewing (NY, 2014), 10 Barrel Brewing (OR, 2014), Elysian Brewing (WA, 2015), Four Peaks Brewery (AZ, 2015), Golden Road Brewing (CA, 2015), Breckenridge Brewery (CO, 2016), Devils Backbone Brewing (VA, 2016), Karback Brewing (TX, 2016), Wicked Weed Brewing (NC, 2017), Platform Beer Company (OH, 2019), and Craft Brew Alliance (OR, 2020).

Craft Brew Alliance purchase history: In 2007, Redhook Ale Brewery (WA) and Widmer Brothers Brewery (OR) merged and CBA was born. Kona Brewing (HI, 2010), Appalachian Mountain Brewery (PA, 2018), Cisco Brewers (NH, 2018), and Wynwood Brewing (FL, 2018). Omission Brewing was created in 2012 by CBA and therefore has never been a craft beer.

Molsen Coors

Canadian Big Beer's American Crafty Brands

Molson Coors - Tenth And Blake

Tenth And Blake is the U.S. "crafty beer" business unit of the Canadian company, Molson Coors. Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company became Molson Coors' first American craft beer brewery purchase in 1988.

Purchase years: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (WI, 1988), Saint Archer Brewing (CA, 2015), Hop Valley Brewing (OR, 2016), Terrapin Beer Company (GA, 2016), Revolver Brewing (TX, 2016), and Atwater Brewery (MI, 2020).

Constellation

Big Beer Importer

Constellation Brands - Beer, Wine and Spirits

In December 2015, Constellation Brands, the largest Big Beer importer in the United States, made its first American craft brewery purchase with Ballast Point Brewing. In a twist of fate, Constellation Brands sold Ballast Point Brewing to Kings and Convicts Brewing of Chicago in 2020, returning Ballast Point to craft beer status.

Purchase years: Funky Buddha Brewery (FL, 2017), and Four Corners Brewing (TX, 2018).

North American Breweries

Big Beer Conglomerate

North American Breweries, aka Florida Ice & Farm Co.

The North American Breweries group is made up of three crafty beer brands: Magic Hat Brewing, Pyramid Brewing and Portland Brewing. The Florida Ice & Farm Co. beer portfolio consists of other Big Beer brands like Labatt, Genesee Brewing, Imperial and Honey Brown Lager.

Purchase history: In 2008 Magic Hat Brewing (VT) purchased Pyramid Brewing (WA) and Portland Brewing (OR). In 2010, the 3 craft breweries were purchased by North American Breweries. Florida Ice & Farm Co. purchased NAB in 2012.

Fake Brews

Don't Be Fooled Never Been Craft Beer

Big Beer born and raised.

These popular beer brands were created by Big Beer to compete on store shelves and bar taps across America with real craft beer. Blue Moon and Colorado Native Lager are MillerCoors brands, Shock Top and Veza Sur are owned by AB InBev, and Omission Brewing was created by Craft Brew Alliance.

Big Beer Investment

Partially Owned By Big Beer

Not craft beer as defined by the Brewers Association.

Often before Big Beer buys out a craft brewery, it invests in partial ownership of the brewery or brewery group. Fordham & Dominion Brewing has an investment from AB InBev. Founders Brewing and Avery Brewing are 90% owned by Spain's Big Beer, Mahou San Miguel.

Initial investment years: Fordham & Dominion Brewing (DE, 2007), Founders Brewing (MI, 2014), and Avery Brewing (CO, 2017). As of 2020, Founders Brewing purchased 100% of Avery Brewing and Mahou San Miguel's investment in Founders Brewing was 90%.

International Big Beer

Crafty Brands Owned By International Big Beer

In 2017, two iconic Bay Area craft beer breweries were sold to Big Beer: Lagunitas Brewing Company to Heineken and Anchor Brewing to Sapporo. The Bay Area lost another brewery in 2020 when Magnolia Brewing sold in a package deal with New Belgium to Lion Little World Beverages, a subsidiary of Japanese Big Beer, Kirin Holdings Company Limited. Duvel Moortgat, Big Beer from Belgium, owns Boulevard Brewing Company and Firestone Walker Brewing Company. In 2022, Sapporo purchased it's second American craft beer brewery, Stone Brewing.

Big Beer purchase history: Lagunitas Brewing Company to Heineken (CA, 2017), Anchor Brewing to Sapporo (CA, 2017), Boulevard Brewing Company to Duvel Moortgat (MO, 2013), Firestone Walker Brewing Company to Duvel Moortgat (CA, 2015), New Belgium Brewing Company to Kirin Holdings Company Limited (CO, 2020), Magnolia Brewing Company to Kirin Holdings Company Limited (CA, 2020), and Stone Brewing to Sapporo (CA, 2022).

Craft Beer Matters

Is craft beer a beer style or beer lifestyle?

Craft Beer Apps

Mobile apps for spotting crafty beers from Big Beer.

Not Everyone Sells Out

We're proud to share this video we found on YouTube.

Meet Dick Cantwell, Owner and Head Brewer at Elysian Brewing in Seattle before the brewery was sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2015. Dick voted to not sell out, but his two partners overruled.

Last Tango In Tangletown video from Matthew Byrne.

Celebrate Educate

Connect with @NoToBigBeer.