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Colorado Brewers Guild splits up, Big Beer cited for the fracture

June 21, 2016Keith Gribbins

New Belgium employees
Employee-owned New Belgium Brewing Co. is one of the biggest of the 14 craft breweries starting a new guild called Craft Beer Colorado.

With global beverage behemoths like Anheuser-Busch InBev buying up small American craft breweries at a pace we’d liken to the Daytona 500, associations are running into complications. Ideas are not mixing like they used to. Suddenly, long-standing independent business owners who are members of guilds, non-profits or state/national associations are being replaced/tweaked/assimilated by members who are now backed by large beverage corporations, investment bankers, enormous distribution power and (usually) different tactics and philosophies to the market.

It’s a problem. Just look at what happened to the Colorado Brewers Guild this month. Fourteen craft breweries split from the guild two Fridays ago to form a new trade advocacy organization. Why? Well, things were getting all Dune guild weird — specifically when it came to what is considered the interests of “Craft Beer'” vs. “Big Beer.” We quote the always informative Coloradoan:

“We felt if we are going to be a craft brewers guild, then there really isn’t any place for international mega-brewers in our organization,” said Doug Odell, founder of Odell Brewing Co.

That’s a reasonable expectation. Most notably, Colorado’s Breckenridge Brewery has been brought up; it being acquired by the Belgium-based Beer Voltron and its Budweiser brand in December of 2015. Apparently, Todd Usry of Breckenridge Brewery is listed as a 2015-’16 board member for the Colorado Brewers Guild. Back to the article:

Doug [Odell’s] wife Wynne resigned from her position on the Colorado Brewers Guild board. So did Brad Lincoln of Fort Collins’ Funkwerks brewery.

“Large breweries (like AB-InBev) have a lot of advantages,” Lincoln said. “They have purchasing power and there’s challenges with access to the market.

“We want a voice for the independent brewers.”

The new guild will be called Craft Beer Colorado, and its 13 other members will include New Belgium; Grimm Brothers Brewhouse; Oskar Blues Brewing; Left Hand Brewing; Wibby Brewing; Epic Brewing; TRVE Brewing; Renegade Brewing; Great Divide Brewing; Bristol Brewing of Colorado Springs; Mountain Sun Brewing of Boulder; and 4 Roses Brewing. Also, Weist Capitol Group, a lobbying firm, left the guild as well to represent the new Craft Beer Colorado.

Further Reading: One-million-bbl buying power: Can a co-op save craft beer independence? 

Odell Brewing wine bar cbb crop
Photos! Odell Brewing opens gorgeous wine bar next to brewery, highlighting its bottled and canned vino
Safer with Foam logo
Colorado Brewers Guild launches Colorado Strong Safer With Foam campaign, encourages beer lovers to visit Colorado craft breweries
More than 100 breweries participating in Colorado Pint Day on July 29
Odell Brewing to open second Denver location in summer of 2020

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. BreweryWastewat says

    June 24, 2016 at 10:25 am

    Colorado Brewers Guild splits up, Big Beer cited for the fracture https://t.co/tC4uKF5LbE via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  2. Jonathan Ayers says

    June 23, 2016 at 8:21 pm

    Jonathan Ayers liked this on Facebook.

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  3. BeallBreweryIns says

    June 23, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    As #BigBeer makes inroads into #CraftBeer, beer guild membership fractures: https://t.co/Dii8j61nHR

    Log in to Reply
  4. KCHopTalk says

    June 21, 2016 at 11:01 pm

    Colorado Brewers Guild splits up, Big Beer cited for the fracture https://t.co/0purLpcTZC

    Log in to Reply
  5. wryan1618 says

    June 21, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    Colorado Brewers Guild splits up, Big Beer cited for the fracture https://t.co/halSTUBOMd

    Log in to Reply
  6. Henrique De Luca says

    June 21, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    Henrique De Luca liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  7. Chris Cassle says

    June 21, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    4 Noses brewing, not 4 Roses

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  8. Adam Holtvogt says

    June 21, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    Adam Holtvogt liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  9. crsimp01 says

    June 21, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    Colorado Brewers Guild splits up, Big Beer cited for the fracture https://t.co/L3Uv0SOiWb via @craftbrewingbiz

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