How Twitter is taking the Dogfish Head/Boston Beer merger

Yesterday, in a move that rocked the craft brewing industry, Delaware’s biggest craft beer producer, Dogfish Head, announced a $300 million merger with Sam Adams brewer Boston Beer Co.

Reaction to the news has been all over the map — and from all over the map (fun fact: New Zealand currently gets Dogfish Head, but not Sam Adams).

There’s abject horror:

pic.twitter.com/3wotcyp4N5

— David Maddox (@AmericanD) May 9, 2019

Burn what? (Oh. Your shirt.)

Very upset. With this news if any of the recipes change I will burn. My shirt and remove all logos from all my vehicle. Very #disappointed in dogfish. #sellout

— Goodling (@bgoodl1248) May 10, 2019

Hopeful skepticism:

Not sure if happy because that could mean Dogfish Head comes to germany or sad because Dogfish Head gets absorbed by a big(ger) company. pic.twitter.com/fce3lhisn9

— martin l. 🎓 (@quantu_m_link) May 10, 2019

And valid concern:

Hope this doesn't mean any job cuts in Sussex county Delaware!!!!!!

— JBSinSpace (@JBSinSpace1) May 9, 2019

On the industry side, the reaction tended toward calm and logical:

Merging to get in on that supply chain and global coverage?

— a_crafty_one (@a_crafty_one) May 9, 2019

Mature is the key word – and bear in mind two things:

1. The 'golden age' of craft beer 2010-2015 wasn't going to carry on forever. Craft beer was/is never going to be 80% share
2. All the craft 'godfathers' are in their 50s and 60s now. Comes a time when you want to chill! https://t.co/VEcjzL6VBT

— Jon Urch (@ClassDrinking) May 9, 2019

The difference between this and other “buyouts” is this will not impact our drinking, what so ever.#samadams #DogfishHead https://t.co/lRz32CQidR

— The Perfect Pour (@PerfectPourPod) May 10, 2019

Dogfish Head built their brand on fighting big beverage groups like Ab-Inbev, Miller Coors and brewing exciting/experimental beers. Sam Adam's may have large market sharebut are very "safe". Hopefully Sam Adam's grows more experimental, and DFH dont get more bland as a result

— Good Alblum Poster (@GuyFieriHunch) May 10, 2019

Beernet goes deep:

Grokking the Dogfish Head – Boston Beer deal, from all angles. https://t.co/Fj64DqriID

— Beer Business Daily (@BeerBizDaily) May 10, 2019

Dogfish Head is ubiquitous in Delaware, but it’s far from the only fish in this small pond of craft breweries like 16 Mile, Twin Lakes, Blue Earl, Dew Point, Dewey Beer Co, Fordham & Dominion, Wilmington Brew Works, Midnight Oil, Big Oyster, Bellefonte Brewing and Stitch House — to name a few.

In an interview with the Cape Gazette, Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione said that he and Boston Brewer founder Jim Koch are friends who have collaborated a number of times, including working on Capitol Hill for tax relief for small brewers and a collaboration beer called Savor Flowers.

The Sussex County Dogfish Head locations reportedly will remain.

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