10 Barrel Sells (Out) to Anheuser-Busch
10 Barrel Sells (Out)
The big beer news broke last Wednesday morning . . . local favorite and craft brewer 10 Barrel had reached an agreement to sell (out) to the world’s largest brewer,
Anheuser-Busch. The fallout in “Beervana” was immediate, even though the owners launched a jocular good ol’ boy video saying that nothing had changed.
10 Barrel
Since its creation a couple of years ago on Galveston Street on Bend’s westside, 10 Barrel has been very popular. The outdoor seating area, complete with cozy fire pit,
is a place to see and be seen (so I’m told). The beer is cold, the food is good as pub food goes, and the waitresses are cute.
I’m not sure that’s the right photo!
And after a tough day of Central Oregon recreation . . . a day on the links, the river, or Mt. Bachelor . . . what more could a bloke ask for than a frosty Apocalypse IPA (IBU 65, ABV 6.8%)?
Sure, the parking was starting to become a bit of a hassle, and sometimes the wait for a table was problematic (one beer at the bar while waiting is OK, three is not!).
The Reaction . . . 10 Barrel and Anheuser-Busch . . . Strange Bedfellows
Seemed that nobody was ambivalent. Almost immediately, Bend was split.
Some vowed never to return–
“No Way! You guys sold out!”
“Well, I probably won’t be back.”
To others, it was business as usual–
“It’s sort of good for the owners” (sort of?)
“It’s a natural step for the business.”
Stay Tuned
Only time will tell what happens. In the meantime, there’s just one big question that begs an answer–will the Blitz 2 the Barrel now be renamed “Blitz to the Busch?”