Anheuser-Busch adds to craft beer roster with brewery from hometown (and maybe Vietnam too)

September 12, 2016Chris Crowell

Voltron beer ab inbev — Come for the craft beer business advice, stay for the AB InBev hate-reads.

With all of our focus on Anheuser-Busch InBev’s distribution monopoly attempts and craft brewery acquisitions, we can lose sight of the fact that this isn’t just a U.S. issue. Beer Voltron is a global ruler of beer worlds.

For its latest craft beer acquisition, the corporation set its sights on its home of Belgium (where it’s also being investigated for blocking imports), purchasing 200-year-old Bosteels, maker of Tripel Karmeliet, Kwak and other specialty beers. The deal is estimated to be about $225.4 million in U.S. dollars.

According to reports, Antoine Bosteels (yes, Bosteels is still owned and operated by the family that founded it) will continue to run the brewery inside Beer Voltron’s craft and specialty division.

But wait, that’s maybe not all

Vietnam’s biggest brewer, Saigon Beer Co., is the next big play for AB InBev, but they are not alone in their efforts as Heineken and Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings and Kirin Holdings are also trying to play this angle. Side note: Heineken was also sniffing around Bosteels for a potential sale. Everyone started lining up with their glass slippers in hand after Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade announced its plan to sell its entire 89.59 percent stake in the company.