This Popular 'Craft' Beer Actually Traces Back To Anheuser-Busch

I first tasted Goose Island IPA sitting in a plane seat thousands of feet in the air — not bad at all for a craft brewery. As good as the beer was, Goose Island Beer Co. likely didn't get onto that airline drink cart on its own steam, but through the distribution of its owner, Anheuser-Busch (AB InBev). Goose Island actually is one of many beers that you may not have known AB InBev owns. This fact sometimes comes as a surprise to those who weren't one of the enraged beer nerds in 2011 when the brewery was bought by the world's largest multi-national brewing company.

Founder John Hall first opened Goose Island as a brewpub in Lincoln Park, Chicago, in 1988. This was around the development of the prolific craft beer industry we recognize today. Like many craft beer origin stories, Goose Island's starts with Hall returning from an inspiring trip to Europe, where he discovered historic beer styles and traditions. In 1995, a full-scale brewery emerged, and the operation continued to grow. In 1999 a second brewpub would open, and in 2006 a cash injection from an investor would launch the beer overseas, setting the stage for Anheuser-Busch to acquire the brewery five years later. AB InBev also owns beer mega-brands such as Corona Extra, Budweiser, and Stella Artois.

Over the years, Goose Island Beer Co. has continued to brew a consistent lineup, including their flagship IPA, which is not surprising, given that IPA is the most popular style of craft beer. They also still produce the legendary Bourbon County Brand stout, which, according to the brand, is the "world's first bourbon barrel aged beer," although the specifics surrounding this claim have been disputed a few times over the years. These days, there is actually a range of barrel-aged stouts, including options like Cherries Jubilee, Chocolate Praline, Double Barrel, and even special edition Reserve or Proprietor's versions.

Other classics from Goose Island still line commercial shelves, including Full Pocket Pilsner, 312 Wheat Ale, and Honker's Ale, a traditional English-style ale. The latter also happens to be the first beer brewed in the Lincoln Park brewpub in 1988. Honker's isn't the only nod to the brewery's initial European inspiration, with the brewery also offering the King Henry II Barrel-Aged English-Style Barleywine, and the German-style Summertime Kolsch. There are also Belgian-style inspirations in Sofie Saison, Matilda Pale Ale, and the Grand Cru Belgian Strong Ale. 

Inevitably, there were initially some unhappy independent beer enthusiasts disappointed by the brewery getting sucked up into a mega-brewery, with some claiming that cash won over craft. Many years later, however, Goose Island Beer Co. still holds a very respectable rating of 3.9 out of 5 on Untappd at the time of writing (popular independent brewery Sierra Nevada currently holds a 3.7 score, for reference), and it seems that the quality of the beer hasn't wavered regardless of who wears the owner hat. One Redditor sums up what many might be thinking regarding the still-lauded Bourbon County Brand stouts: "Hot take: if you like it, buy it, drink it and support it ... I really don't care if Goose sold out/whatever ... Not a bunch of B[arrel] A[ged] stouts can compare to Goose."

More breweries closed last year than opened, which is a stark contrast from the boom we saw only a few years ago. While it might be seen as "selling out", to relinquish ownership to a multi-national mega-brewer, it can also be like hopping from a sinking ship onto a gargantuan cruise liner. So long as you keep those passengers happy, you might be safe for a few more years. Considering I first tried the flagship on a plane, perhaps being served in the sky is better than laying on the sea floor.