Two Saturdays hence (May 13), AB InBev is hosting a massively expensive party in Bend. They're promoting it the way only one of the largest companies in the world can--with prizes, a big music lineup (including De La Soul!), and the kind of overheated marketing gloss the finest agencies supply. The occasion celebrates the founding of a brewery AB InBev purchased in 2014. Shockingly enough, this is not the way they're talking about it.

Indeed, the entire event is an exercise in disguising this detail.

I have nothing against 10 Barrel. I really admire the beers you find at the Portland location--which is replete with both great food and one of the best rooftop pubs in the state. I admire the brewing team enormously. I drop by for a pint on a pretty regular basis, always walk away impressed, and enjoy the experience. From my perspective, beer is beer, and I like patronizing places that get it right.

That said, this event underscores why ownership matters. If it didn't, ABI wouldn't be doing everything they can to conceal their fingerprints. If the brand identity of the owner weren't a liability, we'd see copy like this: "Join Anheuser Busch on May 13 as we celebrate ten years of 10 Barrel Brewing. Now a proud member of our High End team, 10 Barrel has set the standard for craft beer ... etc etc." Instead, they forward an almost comical version of the indie vibe when pushing 10 Barrel, highlighting a fiction that helps sell beer.