Beavertown sells to Heineken

[Sadfield]

I think he's implying we all use yeast derived from Heineken's research and lab work in the early 1800s, without them we would all be using wild yeast. Would be an interesting point had it not been Carlsberg.

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[dad_of_jon]

Punk ipa was my favorite, the recipe changed I found other better beers and moved on. If beavertown's beers get dumbed down i'll go elsewhere but at least now I can get them in waitrose although the nearest waitrose is 50 miles away. So I pick up a couple of bengali's in my local spoons instead. if it's good beer who cares who makes it?

 

[simon12]

Just got an email from Westerham brewery that reads
"One of the biggest stories in the beer world over the past week is the acquisition of a minority stake in Beavertown Brewery by brewing giant Heineken for an undisclosed sum. The deal was made official last Thursday. This sale will allow Beavertown to build a brand new £40m brewery, and expand its annual production tenfold from 45,000hl to 450,000hl. To put that in to context, Beavertown will be brewing more beer annually than Fullers and Shepherd Neame.

Not everyone is happy with the deal, and many smaller breweries (such as Cloudwater and Brew By Numbers) are withdrawing from Beavertown's annual beer festival (known as the "Beavertown Extravaganza") much to the disappointment of their usual customers and craft beer fans. Furthermore, some independent bottle shops and suppliers such as Hop Burns & Black and Hereford Beer House have stopped stocking the Tottenham-based brewery claiming that they are no longer independent, with Hereford Beer House even going as far as calling them 'hypocrites'.

Luckily Westerham Brewery still remains a fiercely independent, local producer of award-winning beers, so you can always count on us to supply you with a great tasting beer."

 

[-Bezza-]

Hadn't noticed those production numbers before.

Still fail to see why giving one brewery and injection of cash that allows them to complete with the massed-produced lager crap we have to put up with in the mainstream is a bad thing.

I wonder if Hereford Beer House had been offered a wedge of cash just to sell a minority stake they would have said no? "No, we don't wish wealth beyond our wildest dreams and no we don't want to take our nice beer to a bigger audience".

 

[MyQul]

More than Fullers? Wonder if they'll be able to sell it all? Obviously Beavertown/Heineken must think so

 

[MyQul]

Hadn't noticed those production numbers before.

Still fail to see why giving one brewery and injection of cash that allows them to complete with the massed-produced lager crap we have to put up with in the mainstream is a bad thing.

I wonder if Hereford Beer House had been offered a wedge of cash just to sell a minority stake they would have said no? "No, we don't wish wealth beyond our wildest dreams and no we don't want to take our nice beer to a bigger audience".

That's what I thought when I read Simon12's email. Smacks of sour grapes to me

 

[JonBrew]

More than Fullers? Wonder if they'll be able to sell it all? Obviously Beavertown/Heineken must think so

I guess Heineken will give them better access to Europe and beyond so more new customer interest/opportunities etc.

 

[MyQul]

I guess Heineken will give them better access to Europe and beyond so more new customer interest/opportunities etc.

Ah, of course. Didnt think of that. I was just thinking about the domestic market

 

[jceg316]

Probably going to get ripped into for this but it happens to be true so... As msot of you probably know the UK is not the only country where Heineken has targetd smaller breweries. There are a bunch over here in Prague that are now owned by Heineken. I reacted in much the same way as most posters here but I must admit, its true to say, that one of the brands has improved exponentially since the takeover. Krusovice used to be one of the worst crappy pilsners here, you'd actively avoid a Krusovice pub (most Czech pubs not free houses so you get beers from one brewery only - usually their 10 degree and 12 degree pilsner (beer here measured by plato not abv) and maybe a dark lager (or in the case of Pilsner Urquell brands from their group so Urquell, Gambrinus and Kozel for instance). Anyway, I digress. One of the breweries that came under heineken was Krusovice and nowadays I thoroughly enjoy it, especially their 11 degree unfiltered. Some pubs have "tank" 10 degree as well which is great. So putting the ideological perspective aside and focussing bleary eyed on the beer, not always a bad thing.

Difference being I suppose that the improvement is much along the lines of consistency and perhaps ensuring pubs don't screw it up. I guess they don't have as much experience in the "craft beer" market.

I'm going to Prague in September for my birthday, anywhere you could recommend for beer? I love pilsners (real ones, not mass produced crap) and so would like to go.

Was thinking of having a day out in Plzen as well. Would be good to go to Urquell and maybe a couple of other places. Knowing nothing about the place other than it's the birthplace of lager, is it worth a whole day?

 

[Leon103]

Cloudwater blog talks about how they (Heineken) go about business in some areas of the world.

And it slightly annoys me that people say it's only a minority stake. It could be 49% which as been reportes. Ok a minority it's not like they have paid 40m for 10%

 

[dad_of_jon]

I'm going to Prague in September for my birthday, anywhere you could recommend for beer? I love pilsners (real ones, not mass produced crap) and so would like to go.

Was thinking of having a day out in Plzen as well. Would be good to go to Urquell and maybe a couple of other places. Knowing nothing about the place other than it's the birthplace of lager, is it worth a whole day?

http://www.klasterni-pivovar.cz/

http://vkolkovne.cz


i stayed in the lindner around the corner from klasterni-pivovar (this was deliberate) . great beer!

prague is beautiful..

 

[jceg316]

http://www.klasterni-pivovar.cz/

http://vkolkovne.cz


i stayed in the lindner around the corner from klasterni-pivovar (this was deliberate) . great beer!

prague is beautiful..

Thanks I'll check it out. We've got an air BnB in the city centre. I went on a school trip when I was 15 (which would be 15 years ago when I next go!) But there was no drinking sadly. The city was beautiful with a lot of history from what I remember.

 

[Clint]

Heineken may have bunged them some cash but it was probably enough for beavertown to bolster a loan to fund their expansion...and a surety that they better be good...or they go beaver hunting...

 

[alsch890]

I'm going to Prague in September for my birthday, anywhere you could recommend for beer? I love pilsners (real ones, not mass produced crap) and so would like to go.

Was thinking of having a day out in Plzen as well. Would be good to go to Urquell and maybe a couple of other places. Knowing nothing about the place other than it's the birthplace of lager, is it worth a whole day?

Whilst not my #1 recommendation for visitors there's enough in Plzeň to keep you busy. On the beer front the Urquell brewery is probably worth a visit although the restaurant had gone downhill the last time I visited. There is a small pub in between the brewery and centre which is the only place to get unfiltered, unpasteurised pilsner if its all to be believed. My main reason for visiting Plzeň these days would be to visit Raven brewery. They've recently opened a tap room there as well and are easily my favourite "new" Czech brewery.

Back in Prague the best tasting Pilsner Urquell is probably at one of the "Lokal" chain of pubs, the one on Dlouhá Street being my favourite. There is also a small, really small, pub behind Národní street that is worth popping in for a quick one, I'll find the name later (it's U Jelínka). And Zlateho Tigra(golden tiger) in Old Town, if you can get a seat.

For more modern style beers there are a number of "craft" beer places serving beers from the ever increasing number of micro breweries popping up as well as pilsners and dark lagers from some of the more regional breweries.

 

[MyQul]

There was an interview in the Evening Standard (London free commuter paper) last week with the CEO ad founder of Beavertown

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyl...eal-and-keeping-brand-integrity-a3875381.html

 

[MarkBowie]

beaverworld, they serious?!

 

[MyQul]

beaverworld, they serious?!

A Homebrewers wet dream?

 

[MarkBowie]

A Homebrewers wet dream?

They should upload the footage of the planning meeting for that name.... they’ve got to have been hammered

 

[jceg316]

Whilst not my #1 recommendation for visitors there's enough in Plzeň to keep you busy. On the beer front the Urquell brewery is probably worth a visit although the restaurant had gone downhill the last time I visited. There is a small pub in between the brewery and centre which is the only place to get unfiltered, unpasteurised pilsner if its all to be believed. My main reason for visiting Plzeň these days would be to visit Raven brewery. They've recently opened a tap room there as well and are easily my favourite "new" Czech brewery.

Back in Prague the best tasting Pilsner Urquell is probably at one of the "Lokal" chain of pubs, the one on Dlouhá Street being my favourite. There is also a small, really small, pub behind Národní street that is worth popping in for a quick one, I'll find the name later (it's U Jelínka). And Zlateho Tigra(golden tiger) in Old Town, if you can get a seat.

For more modern style beers there are a number of "craft" beer places serving beers from the ever increasing number of micro breweries popping up as well as pilsners and dark lagers from some of the more regional breweries.

Thanks for the advice, I'll check these places out.

 

[GerritT]

Like I said before: Heineken bought Brand (the whole lot) yet still let them brew their own merry way. Hate for Heineken is in my DNA (coming from Twente, competition land), but that purchase was a good thing. Good beers came after that. Drinkers got happier, Brand employees still had jobs, supermarket supply got better.
Win win win situation.