Why can't beer just be...you know...beer?
Hard to believe it has not even been three years since right-wingers lost their ever-loving shit over a can of beer. One can. That was all. Not a warehouse full. Not a truckload. Not a case, not a 12-pack or even a six-pack. One. Freaking. Can.
For those with short memories, the beer in question was Bud Light, made by Aneheuser-Bush, and was the best-selling beer in the land at the time. (No, I won’t go into whether or not it was good beer. Folks bought it, and that’s that.) The can in question was a specially-made one which featured an image of Dylan Mulvaney, who was a transgender influencer.
Mulvaney promoted the can on her Instagram, and utter chaos ensued.
My question at the time to people I knew who joined in the boycott of Bud Light — many of whom switched to Busch Light, because sure, we won’t boycott the company, just that one label — was: who cares? It was one(!) can.
Apparently, beer had become political.
Really though, hasn’t beer always had a political edge to it?
In the early 20th century many beer brands were targeted because they were run by the descandants of German immigrants.
The Coors family had for years promoted and funded “pro-American” causes, including the Contra rebels in Nicaugura in the 1980s. It should also be noted that Coor Brewing was the subject of numerous boycotts over the years for their discrimanatory and anti-union stances.
Sam Adams Boston Lager — one of my go-tos — features the visage of Adams himself on many of their cans and bottles. (Funny side story about Sam Adams: When I was living in a previous community and enjoying a cold bottle of Boston Lager at the one and only bar in town, some goober I had never met commented on my Sam Adams bottle by saying “Oh, you like the imports, huh?” When I politely pointed out that Sam Adams was made in Boston, Massachusetts, US of freaking A, they responded with “You know what I meant!” )
So maybe it should not have come as too huge a surprise when while I was making a pit stop at one of my local taverns, a poster of a new brand was seen hanging above a urinal. Hint — it’s the image with this diary.
It made me sigh.
Because why should I care if beer will be God fearing, constitution loving, national anthem singing, and stand your ground beer. I want my beer to taste good while I am renting it.
The company behind this God-fearing label is American Rebel Holdings, Brentwood TN. In addition to this uber-patriotic beverage, the company makes “branded safes, personal security products, self-defense items, [and] apparel (like backpacks)”.
Personally, I have no doubt it will sell decently, because never underestimate the willingness of the MAGA crowd to drink a piss-water bland beer just to own the libs. It tracks completely.
Me? I’ll stick to the good stuff. Because I want to at least maintain the illusion that beer is one item left in this country which is not infected by modern politics.
Oh, and for those curious, below is a list of the top-selling beer brands in the US:
- Michelob Ultra
- Modelo Especial
- Bud Light
- Corona Extra
- Budweiser
- Coors Light
Notice anything similar about three of them?
