If you care about whatever "craft" remains in beer, then Firestone Walker's "deal" with Duvel Moortgat means absolutely nothing.

Rolls eyes, yawns.

The unspeakable tedium.

Then inevitably, someone must "reach out."

Acquired, invested in; semantics, gymnastics and pyrotechnics. Human being are incrably predisposed to speak in terms of euphemism. We slept together, had sex or had conjugal relations, though never just plain "fucked," when the latter describes it far more elegantly.

Yes, the article is updated.

[Update] Firestone Walker Brewing Makes Investment Deal With Duvel Moortgat, by Dan at the Full Pint

7/17 Update — 17 hours after we posted this, David Walker of Firestone Walker reached out to me regarding the headline “Firestone Walker Brewing Has Been Acquired by Duvel Moortgat.” He said the headline was causing trouble and if I had any questions, to send them his way.

After asking both David Walker and Simon Thorpe of Duvel flat out if this was an acquisition or sale, I was not given an admittance or denial.

When I pressed Mr. Walker harder, I was given the quote “It’s more an investment than an acquisition.”

So with that said, as a trusted platform for all craft breweries, we have altered the headline to accurately represent the public information available. Stay tuned as I share my thoughts on these current events.

(Paso Robles,CA) – Firestone Walker Brewing Company has just announced that they have been acquired “invested in” by Duvel Moortgat. This will be the third American based craft brewery that Duvel has acquired, joining Brewery Ommegang and Boulevard Brewing. We hope to have more questions answered in the near future, here is the official press release sent out by Firestone Walker.

I was asked about this on Facebook.

Was I aware that Firestone Walker and Duvel-Moortgat were fucking?

Yes. I can't even muster a strong opinion, apart from this: Now that this wonderful thing we built is about money, and money alone, it actually interests me very little. During the remaining years of my beer drinking life, insofar as possible, I'll seek to spend my money with brewers who still exemplify the foundational ideals. Life's just too short to care about Firestone Walker. The end.

An interesting exchange followed.

JM: Firestone rubber and tire is a 2 billion dollar company. You think Duvel buying the brewery is only about money?

Me: You think my comment was about this transaction alone?