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21-12-2015, 18:00
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Most people aren’t stupid and don’t think in cartoonishly simple ways. On the one hand, it’s quite human to feel a little sad when a hip independent brewery like Camden Town is taken over by a multi-national, as was announced today (http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/21/camden-town-brewery-sold-inbev-worlds-biggest-drinks-company).
Furthermore, when a brewery has built its brand on the proposition that people who buy*its beer are ‘fans’ and ‘friends’, those drinkers are surely entitled to feel aggrieved when that relationship — something they have valued, for right or wrong — seems to be changing.
It is even reasonable and rational to say, ‘A fundamental quality of the product has*changed so I won’t be*buying it.’ That needn’t be petulant or mean-spirited —*they’ll almost certainly understand why the decision has been made, probably empathise with the owners and shareholders, and wish no-one ill.
They get it, OK?
But, still, its not what they signed up for. (Literally in the case of crowd-funding investors.)
Many*other consumers, however, will find their emotions at odds with their pragmatism: yes, it’s another step towards the grimness of monopoly, but, still, won’t it be nice to buy their favourite*beer for a few pennies less, in more outlets?
Even the most highly sentimental boycotters might weaken when they’re faced with a can of what has become their ‘ex’ on a train, or in a provincial hotel bar.
This specific case is an interesting one, by the way: everyone kind of knew it was coming (http://uk.businessinsider.com/craft-beer-maker-camden-town-brewery-almost-got-bought-by-a-beer-giant-2015-6) and, anyway, it’s not as if Camden ever made a big fuss about being*purist about the Great Ideals of Craft Beer (http://boakandbailey.com/2014/01/not-as-local-as-it-looks/).
Main image adapted from ‘Brewery Tour @ Camden Brewery’*Dafydd Vaughan (https://flic.kr/p/tQs2bH) from Flickr, under a Creative Commons Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/).
Shades of Grey (http://boakandbailey.com/2015/12/shades-of-grey/) from Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog - Over-thinking beer, pubs and the meaning of craft since 2007 (http://boakandbailey.com)


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