(Petaluma, CA) – We haven’t touched on the Twitter feed of Lagunitas Brewing owner, Tony Magee, in quite some time but his timeline provided some entertainment this week.

Last Tuesday, Magee shared that he had learned The Boston Beer Company is specifically targeting his business and other craft IPAs according to the company’s marketing plans for its soon-to-launch Rebel IPA.

Magee’s retort…. “Fuck them. We’re ready.”

Twitter, being both the most viral communication engine of all-time and a hotbed of socioeconomic commentary, was once again the perfect platform on which Magee could sound off and sparked some colorful responses and back-and-forth.

The silver lining in all of this (to be demonstrated further in a pair of posts to come later) is that “Craft” is going through some very public growing pains from an ideology perspective.

Here is the timeline:

Learned that SamAdams' Rebel IPA marketing plans incl specifically targeting our biz as well as other craft IPA. Flattering & sad, it is.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 17, 2013

Sam Adams /Boston Beer is powerful, but what is it about power that so inevitably corrupts. Fuck them. We're ready. Drink what thrills ya…

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 17, 2013

I say it's sad because 'parody is the last resort of a desperate artist'. So said Papa Hemmingway decades ago. Still true.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 17, 2013

In SilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal asks Clarisse: "1st principals, what do we covet..? We covet what we can see.."Serial killer thinking , it is.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 18, 2013

What's more difficult is seeing that invisible thing still over the horizon. A beer flavor no one has yet thought of. That'd be noble.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 18, 2013

I'm readin ALL the mentions. Im ok with competition. That makes us all better brewers & brings YOUR desires to light, this'd be parasitism.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 18, 2013

…parasitism: a worm in the body sucking the life fluids from a host. In this case d host isn't just LAG, it's y'all. Your choices reduced.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 18, 2013

The tiny poop storm's died down. Now for us begins the hand to hand part. Hope to b bigger'n that when we are bigger'n that. Time'll tell.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

@lagunitasT love your beers, but this doesn't make sense to me. They decide to brew the most popular style of craft beer and it's about you

— New year,same great Norm taste (@RealNormMiller) December 22, 2013

@lagunitasT it's not their first IPA – 2 year round and several occassional, as well as an India pale lager.

— New year,same great Norm taste (@RealNormMiller) December 22, 2013

@lagunitasT I've actually interviewed you and Jim Koch (separately of course) and you both have tons of passion for what you do.

— New year,same great Norm taste (@RealNormMiller) December 22, 2013

@lagunitasT I don't see how they brewing a "west coast IPA," is a direct attack on you or anyone else.

— New year,same great Norm taste (@RealNormMiller) December 22, 2013

"@RealBeerNut: @lagunitasT I don't see how they brewing a "west coast IPA," is a direct attack on you or anyone else."

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

@realbeernut. Here we go- BB specifically told our distribs in common that they were going t TAKE r tap handles everywhere they could.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

@lagunitasT so the BB reps are targeting lagunitas specifically? That doesn't make sense. It makes sense they want as many tap handles …

— New year,same great Norm taste (@RealNormMiller) December 22, 2013

@lagunitasT … As possible, be it from you, stone, port, ballast point. You brew beer to get it into stores and in bars.

— New year,same great Norm taste (@RealNormMiller) December 22, 2013

That's not fishing in d same pond. That's a directed attack- making LAG unavailable. Imagine someone threatening your children…

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Danner/status/414609928255320064

https://twitter.com/shanepardue/status/414610533606625280

https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Danner/status/414610782890893312

"@RealBeerNut: they are large in craft, not huge. They're only HUGE in cider and tea. Lateral stuff. Craft eating its own is bullshit.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Danner/status/414611603896553472

We don't own IPA, nvr pretended we do. But we do feel that we own what we have accomplished. In SF lst wk found a bar got 3 Rebel for free.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

Is comparing my business' work to my children too much? Well, this business is my life. It's accomplishments & failures are my progeny.

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

Do you want your brewer to see it all as a big game? All just marketing? No blood? Selling you hangovers w/o seeing the beer as liquid soul?

— LagunitasT (@lagunitasT) December 22, 2013

https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Danner/status/414617200448663552