Beerhive Blog: Don't worry Panhead beer fans - the sky isn't falling
OPINION: We all knew this was coming.
If you haven't caught the news yet, it's a biggie (for those of us spinning around the orbit of the beer world, anyway).
The beloved Panhead Custom Ales - one of the darlings of New Zealand's explosive craft beer scene - has been bought by international conglomerate Lion.
Financial details of the deal haven't been revealed, but with the trajectory Panhead was on you can imagine owner Mike Neilson and family are rather chuffed.
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Some of you beer drinkers will be upset at the news. Angry even.
That's OK. If you don't want to buy products manufactured by an offshore-owned company that's your decision and there are plenty of alternatives out there.
But don't judge those who continue to buy and support Panhead, and don't judge the owners for "selling out".
The stark reality is, we live in a capitalist world.
As much as we love our independent brewers, they are not in business to lose money.
It's true, many are not in it for the cash and truly love their craft.
But it's hard work. Many will know Mike and his wife sold their house and took on huge debt to fund Panhead.
He has also worked insane hours, away from his family. So who are we to begrudge him when such an offer eventuates?
Mike knows there will be blowback. But I think anyone who has met him will agree he is not built for accounting (no offence big guy).
As he points out, this will allow him to hand over running the business to a general manager and get back to brewing and creating recipes.
It also opens up opportunities for his staff to tap into Lion's training programmes and for the brewery to expand.
"There are some people that might get upset about it but hopefully they can draw from the experience that Emerson's had and the fact they're still making great beer ... we've always been about making great beer and that won't change."
Mike says he has been talking extensively to Richard Emerson and the team in Dunedin about their experience with Lion before deciding to sell.
When Emerson announced it was being acquired by Lion in 2012, it was the first small New Zealand brewery in a long time to be snapped up by a big player.
The reaction was, frankly, over-the-top. Hashigo Zake, a fiercely independent Wellington bar, free from ties to big breweries, announced they would stop stocking the beer.
No problem there, simply adhering to their policy. But issuing a press release crowing about the fact did seem a step too far.
I was firmly in the "wait and see" camp.
No, I wasn't overly thrilled with the news at the time. I thought Emerson's might go the way of other bought brands and become a bland ghost of what it once was.
But I saw no point in not buying the beer if it still tasted good. Lo and behold, it continued to taste great and has gone from strength to strength.
I would say Emerson's is my favourite brewery in New Zealand. Their beers are always well-made, faultless and experimentation at the brewery has increased with the team freed from the shackles of running a business.
Four years on, the reaction to the Panhead sale should be more muted.
With the Emerson's experience to go on, most drinkers will be more comfortable that Panhead will be left to grow and keep doing what it has been doing.
The benefit for us? Well, if you've been at any Lion-tied bar or restaurant in the past few years you would have noticed most stock Emerson's now, either via tap or bottle.
In the future you should be able to add Panhead's great beers to that list. More Supercharger and Port Road Pils can only be a good thing.
So in closing, keep calm, carry on and keep buying Panhead beers. They're great.
Well done, Mike.
