Beer News: Gay Bars Replace Bud Light With Craft Beer / Drinkflation Hits The UK

The beer biz never sleeps at American Craft Beer. And here’s just some of what’s been happening while you were drinking your way through the weekend.

Gay Bars Replace Bud Light with Craft Beer

Bud Light is continuing to face a backlash following its partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer whose image was put on a Bud Light beer can to celebrate “365 Days of Girlhood.”

The initial Dylan Mulvaney announcement took place on April 1 (ironically April Fool’s Day) and in spite of Anheuser-Busch’s desperate efforts to put the matter to bed the brand has been experiencing serious sales declines ever since then including at gay bars.

“One of Minneapolis’ long-established gay bars, The Saloon, announced it ousted Anheuser-Busch products and replaced them with local beer selections ahead of this year’s Twin Cities Pride celebration, according to KARE 11.

“Anheuser-Busch had an opportunity to support a marginalized community in a way that few other corporations have attempted, but they abandoned that direction. We view that as unacceptable,” said John Moore, owner of The Saloon, in a statement.

 

Words to Drink By

“In times like this, when things get divisive and controversial so easily, I think it’s an important wake-up call to all of us marketers to be very humble.” Anheuser-Busch Chief Marketing Officer Marcel Marcondes on the Bud Light Trans controversy

 

Drinkflation: UK Brewers Cut Beer Alcohol Content to Avoid Raising Prices

So what we’re talking here is less buzz for the buck, right?

Well not exactly…

The UK Press are calling it “drinkflation,” kind of a beer version of “shrinkflation” — the practice where food producers reduce the size of their products slightly without cutting prices.

Under UK law, brewers pay less tax on drinks with a lower alcohol content, reports CNN Business. And in an expose The Daily Mail is claiming that breweries are pocketing this saving rather than passing it onto customers through lower prices….

“Among the popular brands where the alcohol content has been cut are Foster’s, Old Speckled Hen, Bishops Finger and Spitfire,” reported the newspaper. “And it is predicted that similar reductions will be made to others due to a law change in August, which will mean the duty (read: taxes) charged on most drinks will be solely linked to alcohol strength.

Brewers argue that slightly lowering their beer’s alcohol content protects them against rising costs, rather than profiteering, while others say they are cutting alcohol levels for the ‘good of public health’.

What do you say?

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