Stella Buys a Bud

After months of pretending to not wanting to be bought out - only to find out they were playing hard to get - Budweiser accepted InBev's 50 Billion dollar buyout/take-over price.

Of course, this is phony money anyway, because it was only 25 Billion to the European based InBev. But that's going to cause some problems for the hard working brewmasters and distribution folks who work for Bud -- because InBev is going to go into real debt to pay for this little purchase, and we all know this equals cutbacks. The Clydesdales will be the first to be traded to the glue factory. Bud Select, I'd be looking for a pink slip in your locker pretty soon too. Why? Because you were 'selected'.

Technically it will still be an American beer as InBev already stated the intend to leave Budweiser brewing and distribution in the United States alone.

This acquisition is entirely to gain access to the brand for international markets and create savings based on larger more comprehensive brewing and distribution networks. Sure. That might work... if you believe everything you read in a press release.

But then there are other intangibles, such as falling market share and good will. Let me elaborate with this little cut'nPaste:

Charles Carpenter, who signed the Savebudweiser.com petition wrote, "I'm proud to drink American! If AB is not American-owned, I'll be sure to enjoy another American beer."

Wally O'Neill, the bartender at the Elks lodge in Wachtung, N.J., echoed that sentiment and said club members there would not keep drinking Budweiser.

"That would be a problem here," O'Neill said. "Let me put it to you this way: This is an America-first type of place. We've got a lot of old school people here who don't like seeing the country sold out. Anheuser-Busch selling out to the Belgians is like Ford or GM selling out to the Japanese."

Yes, I agree and think you're going to find the Vietnam vets who still drink this stuff are going to be reaction-angry once they hear about it. It probably won't help that Bud's current ad campaign is pointing out what an American institution their company and product are. Here's to you dumbass campaign-while were in negotiations to be bought out by the Belgians. I think the 'loyal rank and file' customer base will eventually seek out Coors/Miller products. Remember, Coors/Miller products have combined forces about a year ago... which I thought was a bad idea, now seems quite forward thinking, as it kept them both protected from InBev's powerful EuroDollars.

(EuroDollars are like American dollars, but they're worth more than twice as much! And they've got cool colors!)

And another thing, this is just one more thing that Americans can't do anymore -- make crappy, watered down beer?

Cheers.