Major Brewers and Craft Beer

Coors makes Blue Moon. Anheuser Busch makes Wild Hop Lager. And Miller makes Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat. Not that you would know it from the labels.

In an effort to retain market share, the big brewers are making their own craft beers without letting us know. And sales of their craft beers are up 45% over last year. Sales of independent craft beers are up 16%.

"We see Blue Moon as being a special brand," says Andy England, chief marketing officer of Coors Brewing Co., the U.S. unit of Molson Coors. It's "no more relevant than Kashi [cereal] being owned by Kellogg or Lexus being owned by Toyota," he says.

Big brewers also are attracted to craft beers because they are priced higher, improving their bottom lines.