Bud

This Bud's for who?

Are the Clydesdales going to be playing soccer?

Will the frogs end up in some kind of Belgian style soup?

Will the Bud Light ads change or be captioned in English?

The answer to all the above, except the first one, probably is “No.” The first answer is to “lots more pholks in China, Asia, Latin and South America, Russia and most of Europe.”

In case any of you pholks were vacationing on the moon or rowing your boat across the Pacific and missed the news, Anheuser-Busch is being bought by Belgian brewer InBev SA for $52 billion, creating the world's largest brewing company. The deal is expected to be finalized by year's end.

We Americans are rather provincial, especially in our food and drink.

Although we don't argue over regional beers as much as some countries such as Australia, Germany, New Zealand and others where quality of local brews is badge of pride and worth fighting over, we have or favorites. Texas, the Midwest, and some East Coast area beer drinkers claim their suds are best. America has lots of beers but Anheuser-Busch, Coors and Miller, are the major players each with a variety of brands and qualities distributed regionally, nationally and internationally.

The world market for beer has been exploding recently and apparently the new combined enterprise will be geared up to make the biggest gulp possible. Although based in Leuven, Belgium, InBev is run by a Brazilian management team and sells mostly outside Europe. It also owns a huge stable of brews from Argentina to Siberia, most of which aren't known outside their borders.

Despite that, the fact is that news of the deal is unsettling to us Americans, even those who don't know a lager from an ale or a pilsner from a bock.

I haven't had a Bud, or any or any other real beer, in more than 11 years, but I'm still the past tense of what a lot of what beer makes your kidneys do.

Budweiser is an American icon even for those who don't drink beer.

Sure, I know InBev is world's the second largest beer maker just a few hundred million swallows behind SABMIller, but Bud is THE KING, the result of tradition fueled by perhaps the most aggressive and well-tuned advertising and promotional campaigns in American business history.

Few products are associated with America as much as Bud with its iconic red, white and blue logo complete with an eagle soaring through the “A,” a logo which enhances everything. Swimming pool bottoms, millions of shirts, shorts, caps, visors, shoes, shoe laces, golf bags, boats, race cars, hot air balloons, stadiums, convention centers, note pads and computer screen savers are just a few of the items I have saluted over the years.

I was not addicted to beer but I did drink a lot of it over the years. I drank other brands on many occasions, but Bud was THE KING and I was a loyal subject whenever I had the choice.

Actually, there likely will be little noticeable change for Bud drinkers, but the thought of it not being an American-owned product can be seen as just another giant step in what is called the “globalized economy” which is picking up pace almost daily. InBev brands include Stella Artois, Beck's and Bass.

I hope I can believe Carlos Brito, the InBev CEO who said, “What consumers care is that their Bud will always be their Bud, and that's what we're committed to, not only the product, the quality, the beer, but also the heritage, the breweries who brew the beers and everything else that is connected to the breweries.”

The new company will be called Anheuser-Busch InBev, but it's a good bet Americans are not going to call it that.
That pholks, would be like calling Betty Crocker something like Betty Crocker Stovenski or Betty Crocker Xongei.

I know that Augie and the guys fought the buyout on several fronts and settled for the best possible deal before giving in, but I can't shake the thought of America's corporate giants, especially the iconic ones, being bought out.
Will Bud drinkers find themselves at the mercy of BURP (Brewskies Under Regulated Production) just like OPEC and have to sweat out daily prices on the price of a barrel of beer?

Pholks, how many more American icons can we lose?

What's next? How long will be it before we have to bend over, grab our apple pies and kiss them goodbye?

Miles can be reached at mshuper@valleyvoicenewspaper.com