Beer merger could diminish craft breweries

A proposed merger between the two largest beer-makers in the world has craft brewers watching closely. Conor Horrigan, founder of Half Full Brewery in Stamford, says the merger between Anheuser Busch

News 12 Staff

Jan 20, 2016, 6:45 AM

Updated 3,244 days ago

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A proposed merger between the two largest beer-makers in the world has craft brewers watching closely.
Conor Horrigan, founder of Half Full Brewery in Stamford, says the merger between Anheuser Busch InBev and SABMiller could lead to fewer choices for beer drinkers.
"The consumer may want our beer, but they're not going to get it because the retailer has their offerings to give and those offerings are being influenced by these bigger players," he says.
Horrigan says in addition to the proposed merger, there are a few other developments in the industry.
He says large breweries are offering a lot of incentives to retailers, creating a "pay-to-play" atmosphere.
Large brewers are also buying craft breweries to expand their offerings.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal recently spoke publicly against the proposed merger.