Golden Road Brewing's Budweiser Ties Cause Stir For Sacramento Beer Week

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Golden Road Brewing is celebrating its opening week, just in time for Sacramento Beer Week.

"It's open, it's fresh you can talk to people," said Sabrina Stier.

But the new beer garden on the corner of 19th and L streets is already brewing a beer battle.

"The big breweries are equally good with their beer brewing," said Stier.

"It's not real craft," said Andy Klein.

He wants people to know the new player in town ...is owned by a beer giant.

"It's in fact owned by Anheuser Busch InBev, the largest brewing company in the world," he said.

Klein is the owner of Roseville's Monk's Cellar and the president of the Sacramento Brewers Guild. He urges people to keep it local.

"If someone goes to Golden Road and spends a dollar there, that dollar whatever is generated will go back to that company in Brazil or Belgium, instead of in pockets here locally," he said.

"You know we don't hide behind the fact that we're owned by AB," said Adam Levoe.

Levoe is the operations director at Golden Road. He says they may be owned by the biggest beer company in the world, but Anheuser Busch acts local.

"The beer's gonna be brewed here so also local. We've hired over 40 local Sacramento folks," he said.

Back at the Monk's Cellar, customers don't seem to mind corporate.

"The more the merrier-just drink beer," said Jessica Sagum.

For Klein--there is a difference.

"I always think that beer made by an independent brewery has a lot of love and passion," he said.

Levoe takes pride in that too.

"Hopefully when they see what we do, hopefully, we can change their minds," he said.