Kona Brewing Company, best known nationally for their three craft brews, Longboard Island Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale, and Wailua Wheat Ale (as well as lesser known Big Wave Golden Ale and Pipeline Porter), has taken their 9 year partnership with Craft Brewers Alliance to the next level. They are now recognized as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. Craft Brewers Alliance brands also include Red Hook, Widmer, and Goose Island Beer Company. CBA was named as the eighth largest U.S. brewer, based on domestic shipments in 2009. Craft Brewers Alliance is paying 13.9 Million for the acquisition of Kona Brewing Company. Continue Reading »

It is official, Anheuser-Busch and InBev and are merging into, wait for it, Anheuser-Busch InBev, making them the largest brewing company in the world, and one of the top five largest consumer products companies in the world. I suspect it is Anheuser-Busch’s control of the “Chelada” brand that tipped the scales of this merger into a capitalistic orgasm. Now the new super company will control over 100 brands including Budweiser, Michelob, Bass, Beck’s, Grolsch, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Rolling Rock, Busch, Bacardi Ice, and my personal favorite, Hurricane Ice Malt Liquor. Continue Reading »