Stop Hiding!

Is anyone else getting annoyed by Anheuser-Busch's attempts at disguising their own brews? A-B is attempting to tap into the craft beer market by producing their own versions of popular styles (Sun Dog, Beach Bum Blonde, Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale, and Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale). I would have no problem with this if they were clearly marking the bottles as being produced by A-B. From a business standpoint I understand the desire to hide the fact that the beer is being produced by the same people who brought us Bud Light, but it really rubs me the wrong way.

When I do find this out (and I always examine bottles for hidden information) I feel deceived. I personally like that A-B is producing better beer and I am always interested to see how their offerings stand up to the craft beer giants (Boston Beer, Dogfish Head, Matt Brewing, etc.). There will always be those who will refuse to ever try anything from A-B because they are the big guys. Some unfulfilled desire to be rebellious and fight the man. I don't like to judge a book by it's cover. I have been guilty of it before but I have really started to open my mind and accept that every beer has it's place and time.

That being said, it really bothers me when I try a bottle of beer that is produced by what seems to be a ghost company. Like the Blue Dawg Brewing company's Wild Blue Blueberry Lager (review to follow). Correct me if I am wrong but this company is really just Anheuser Busch. The Blue Dawg brewing company makes only this lager and doesn't actually exist. "Blue Dawg" is A-B using a different name to conceal who actually created this beer. I enjoyed Budweiser American ale and I urge A-B to start taking some pride in what they do and clearly indicate what brews they put on the shelves. If they want to improve the perception of their name, they will have to make a strong effort to show what they can do and make sure they get the credit for it.