Anheuser-Busch CEO wants to ditch ‘domestic’ for ‘American’

People don’t buy “domestic” cars or salute the “domestic” flag, so they shouldn’t drink “domestic” beer. At least, that’s what Anheuser-Busch’s CEO thinks.

People don’t buy “domestic” cars or salute the “domestic” flag, so they shouldn’t drink “domestic” beer. At least, that’s what Anheuser-Busch’s CEO thinks. Brendan Whitworth, the beermaker’s chief executive, says he wants to change the term that describes his US-made beers, which includes Budweiser, Michelob Ultra and Busch Light, to “American.” In a letter to distributors and partners that was obtained by CNN, Whitworth sounded patriotic more than a linguistic or practical note. “The pride we take in this great country should also be properly and accurately applied to our great American beers,” Whitworth wrote. “They are brewed by American workers who receive American wages. They rely on American farmers and on American raw material suppliers. They support American causes like the military and first responders. They pay American taxes.” It’s not clear what effect the statement will have. Some Budweiser labels already say “great American lager” on them, and they note they are “brewed and bottled in the USA.” Whitworth, a former Marine, is calling for the change amid a populist revival following the reelection of President Donald Trump, who is putting his patriotic stamp on old norms, too, including the renaming of Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. Whitworth didn’t reference that in his letter, but he echoed Trump in his exuberance for the word “American,” which is mentioned 25 times in the message.