CHICAGO – Goose Island Beer Co. President Ken Stout knows a little something about competition. The youngest of 15 children, he was also a tenacious walk-on for DePaul University's basketball team in the 1980s.
So, no, he doesn't feel bad for craft brewers in China bemoaning Goose Island's growing presence there, part of a global expansion backed by parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev's considerable muscle.
"What good would it do us here in Chicago to be bellyaching with all the new breweries that have opened up in the last 10 years? It's just competition. It's the same with any industry. For some reason, beer gets a little more scrutiny because it's a more personal thing," said Stout, 53, who became Goose Island president in 2015.
Some die-hards swore off Goose Island forever when Anheuser-Busch acquired Chicago's oldest craft brewery for $38.8 million in 2011. In the years since, there's been a blurring of lines between Big Beer and craft beer as consolidation continues.
Stout makes no apologies. Before the deal, Goose Island was struggling to meet demand in other states, he said.
Now, Goose Island brews more varieties of beer in Chicago than ever before, employs more people, distributes nationally and exports to 13 global markets, he said.
Q: So, you were the youngest of 15 kids. What was that like?
A: First one up was the best dressed. My mom would always say, the best thing you can do is show me how much you don't need me. Self-reliance. Get good grades at school. Stay out of trouble. Those were the best things you could do.
