The backlash from the sale of Wicked Weed continues. This time it’s with one of the brewery’s featured events, The Wicked Weed Invitational.
The prized sour and wild event held behind Wicked Weed’s production facility usually draws some the best sour brewers in America, like The Rare Barrel, Upland Brewing, Lost Abbey, Avery Brewing, and local Fonta Flora.
That sour taste in brewer’s mouths isn’t the beer. The sale to Anheuser-Busch has gotten some of the biggest backlash we here at Beer Street Journal have ever seen.
A day after the sale announcement, Wicked Weed announced their annual summer sour fling, The Funkatorium Invitational. Hoping to quell the the angry mob gathering outside the brewery’s doors, they also announced that 100% of the profits from the Invitational would be donated to Eblen-Kimmel Charities, assisting Asheville’s underprivileged community.
It is important to note that 100% of the profits from this event will be donated to Asheville’s Eblen Charities, a charity in which we firmly believe. Eblen-Kimmel Charities works to assist Asheville’s underprivileged community by providing needs including but not limited to healthcare, energy, emergency assistance, and housing.
Like dominos falling, one by one, breweries announced their lack of participation in The Funkatorium Invitational. The list includes The Rare Barrel, Three Taverns, Creature Comforts, Captain Lawrence, Birds Fly South, Almanac, Jackie O’s, Other Half, Fonta Flora, The Commons Brewery, TRVE Brewing , Oxbox, Jester King, Cascade Brewing, Beachwood, Breakside Brewing,Haw River, J. Wakefield… you get the idea.
What we, the beer drinking collective are learning is that a sale to Anheuser-Busch InBev is so polarizing and so tainting, that breweries won’t even work with you for charity.
Not even for charity. That’s sending a pretty damn strong message.
Thank the internet for the unofficial sarcastic image above. The list of “confirmed” breweries (all owned by A-B)
Ed Note: Updated article wording to 100% of profits instead of previously stated “proceeds”