I don’t doubt there is. If you boil down the geek into a fan
and then envisage them as an individual you have actually met rather than
relying on stereotypes; if you remember a fan of beer that you have met, an
engaging man or woman, someone whose company is pleasing and pleasant until the
subject that they are most interested in comes up for air — with others it
might be football, steam trains, military uniforms, Komodo dragons or fracking
but here we are talking about beer and it will be a subject that once aired
becomes an obsession and a passion and a dressage to get them through the day —
then you will have a photo-fit of the fan, of the person who might be angry
that Founders has sold 30% of its business to Sam Miguel.
On the other hand, I wonder if those with a healthy interest
in beer (or maybe even an unhealthy interest) are beginning to get used to such collaborations, beginning to see it
as normal aspect of a business growing up; understanding that there is a need
for an outfit such as Founders to get an injection of cash under the right
conditions. Some fans, especially those who go dewy-eyed at the thought of
exchanging a few words with a head brewer whilst bagging a one-off brewed with
echinacea or whatever, might feel let down in the spirit of fan ownership, but
I reckon the majority of people who drink Founders beers will continue to drink
their beers.
