Beer Lovers Bitter After Local Brewer Sells
CHARLOTTE, NC — The sale of a craft beer brewing company in Asheville is sending shock waves through a growing industry.
Beer behemoth Anheuser-Busch is buying Wicked Weed.
Beer lovers are bitter, saying the brewery sold out.
“Good luck to them, but the brand Wicked Weed is dead to us,” said owner of Brawley’s Beverage, Michael Brawley. “It is now a Budweiser product, and it will be used to harm craft breweries, independent, craft breweries, around the country.”
Brawley won’t sell Wicked Weed at his store because of the move. He points out he was one of the biggest buyers in Charlotte, purchasing $65,000 worth last year.
His attitude is one that’s growing in Charlotte where craft breweries are booming. The North Carolina Brewers Guild lists 33 in Charlotte alone and nearly 160 in the state.
“It just makes people happy to put the money back in their own city,” said Legion Brewing Manager Justin Rinaldi.
Right now, state law says if these breweries make more than 25,000 barrels a year, they can’t distribute it themselves. They need a third party.
“Where it is now, it really does restrict you from being able to really branch out and sell too much because you lose control on your own product,” said Rinaldi.
It’s not clear if the restrictions had anything to do with Wicked Weed’s decision. The owner only says the deal will give it more ways to offer their products to craft beer drinkers.
Workers at Legion say selling is not the new norm.
“You’re going to have these breweries that stay together and stay tight knit,” said Rinaldi.
Brawley says Wicked Weed’s move is completely separate from the distribution laws.
He vows to drop any breweries who sell to non-American macrobreweries that value profit over people.
“It protects local breweries, what we’re doing,” said Brawley. “But we are doing what we’re doing because it’s the right thing to do.” He is donating 100 percent of profits made on the last of the Wicked Weed supplies at his store to Doctors Without Borders.
