If Peter Coors, chairman, Molson Coors Brewing Co. thought he would intimidate the Brewers Association with his comments we reported yesterday, he failed.
Shortly after we went to press yesterday, Bob Pease, BA president, responded.
“The Brewers Association will continue to work to differentiate and promote and protect small and independent craft brewers in the marketplace and we look forward to working with all of our members, voting and non-voting alike on building the beverage of beer in the United States,” Pease said in a statement.
Ninkasi Brewing Co.’s president and co-founder, Nikos Ridge, responded to Coors today.
“If you don’t like what our industry has to say about how you work to undermine and control it, then all I can say is: what exactly should craft brewers do about it? It seems you’re suggesting we start advocating a position more supportive of companies like yours. Companies that have all the power, confuse customers, and obfuscate origin in order to cash in on the goodwill built by hard-working craft brewers,” he said, adding:
“By disguising beer brands as “craft” and using the market power and tactics available to huge organizations, you deliberately mislead customers and damage the industry.“