On my TV screen…
It was a strange juxtaposition. Right there on my TV screen was handsome young August Busch IV (I like to call him ‘Ivy’), rhapsodizing about his great American beer company, Anheuser-Busch. He goes on about how a team of Clydesdales delivered a case of Bud to President Roosevelt at the conclusion of Prohibition. There’s another one where Ivy imagines how proud his Great Granpa Adolphus must be of the job the current Busch’s are doing.
On my laptop screen…
Simultaneously on my computer screen, there’s a news story about the sale of his great American beer company to a foreign brewer—with Ivy telling the employees of A-B how they’ll have ‘new opportunities’ with this new company, Anheuser-Busch-InBev. R-i-i-i-i-i-ght.
Only a few weeks ago he said the sale to InBev was not going to happen ‘on my watch.’ Guess he wasn’t watching. I’ll bet old Adolphus has been watching…and I suspect he’s not so proud anymore.
I was born and raised in St. Louis. So, back when the buyout talks were dragging on (were the Belgians waffling?), I tried to remain hopeful. But now the deal is done. The lager’s out of the bottle.
What was this, some kind of deal brewed up by Bud Light’s ‘Real Men of Genius’? Today, we salute you, Mister Belgian Beer Baron Buyout Guy! Sing it with me, now: Mister Belgian Beer Baron Buyout Guy!
They’re going to have to do new ads
I suppose the new Budweiser slogan might be, ‘Proud to be your Belgian Bud.’ Or, ‘Budweiser, the King of Beers, now enjoyed by the King of Belgium!’
Friends and family in my old hometown all seem pretty hung over about the whole thing. The city of St. Louis and the brewery are/were like an old, happily married couple. The St. Louis family is the Arch, the Cardinals and Budweiser. Not necessarily in that order. Now, who knows?
There are so many uncertainties. Will the Cardinals soon be playing baseball at beautiful Busch-InBev/Stella-Artois Ballpark? Should the Clydesdales be emailing their resumés to monster.com?
Oh, well. I guess I’ll be drinking more Coors Light. Now there’s an American beer, right? Wait…what?
