A beer change in the air
Last week, beer fans received a news that left more than one with a pint full of uncertainty: Joe Tucker, the alma mater behind Ratebeer, decided to sit down to a new player on the table. Zx Ventures, the AB Inbev adventurous faction, has acquired a participation in its popular beer qualification platform. Although the transaction was sealed last October, the echo of this alliance is now stronger.
What does this union imply?
Ratebeer is a digital sanctuary for brewers and tasters. Users not only create profiles, but become critics of their beers, described as foam astronauts. The platform has a data ocean: more than 4.5 million grades on about 200,000 beers of approximately 16,000 breweries. The information search capacity to find the perfect elixir has never been so easy.
Navigating a sea of qualifications
Imagine you are looking for a specific beer; Ratebeer allows you to discover from which brewery it is appropriate to where you can taste it in the nearest bar. However, with the new influence of AB Inbev and the acquisition, thorny questions arise that could nail their sting in the integrity of this platform.
The motivations behind the golden beers
Joe Tucker has acknowledged that he has always sought creative solutions to face the challenges faced by Ratebeer. This foray into the world of digital by AB Inbev is a remarkable change, since previously the largest brewer in the world has had its hands in other media.
A strategy full of bubbles
This year, Ab Inbev also ventured in the field of blogs with his new ‘Beer Necessities’ portal, something that indicates a clear intention for being part of the beer conversation. However, the purchase of Ratebeer raises questions about the control and access that the beer giant will have about the opinions of consumers, especially in a space that had been considered a bastion of independence.
The role of critics in the midst of this mixture
Will the criticisms of the breweries acquired by AB Inbev be affected? Will these beer giants receive hidden benefits? The tension between the independence of beer critics and the influence of a corporate colossus is felt in the air and could have enchanted or bitter consequences for the future of beer consumption.
Limiting freedom of opinion?
With the increase in corporate control, it is vital to question whether the assessments of brand beers such as Wicked Weed, 10 Barrel, or Goose Island will be treated with the same transparency as before. This is a time when the consumer must remain alert and question the legitimacy of what it consumes.
Future perspectives: a toast or a concern
The nature of the ‘minority investment’ is key. While it could be an attempt of AB Inbev to obtain data purely, it could also be the beginning of something deeper. Jeremy Fultz, founder of Brew Studs, made it clear that Ratebeer has taken a position in its ‘warning list’, which suggests that the beer community needs to be more attentive than ever to the decisions made by virtue of this new union.
With this new chapter, the community of brewers and consumers must carefully evaluate the impact of corporate influence on what was previously an impartial opinion bastion. So, while you lift your glass, ask yourself: are we about to uncover a revolution in the world of beer, or just a new path towards the homogenization of flavor?
