Originally published August 8, 2023 2:00 pm PDT
Just months after the widespread boycott of Bud Light for its partnership with a transgender influencer, parent company Anheuser-Busch is selling several of its popular beer brands.
QUICK FACTS:
- Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB-InBev), the parent company to Bud Light, will now be selling eight craft beer brands to “Tilray Brands,” a Canadian cannabis company.
- Tilray will be purchasing Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Blue Point Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Square Mile Cider Company, and Hiball Energy, according to Anheuser’s recent announcement.
- In addition to the beer brands, Anheuser-Busch said the deal includes ridding of the brands’ employees, breweries and associated pubs.
- A Tilray filing revealed the deal is expected to be finalized in Sept. 2023 for $85 million.
CONSERVATIVE COMPANY PUBLICSQ. ON ANHEUSER-BUSCH PROMOTING “WOKE” IDEOLOGY:
“We’re sorry that Anheuser-Busch leadership prioritized left-wing ideology over sound business practices,” PublicSq. said. “You are the ones that suffer for Bud Light’s disastrous decision. People like to say ‘go woke, go broke’ and in reality, the economic consequences rarely fall on the wealthy liberals that make the woke decision.”
BACKGROUND:
- In June 2023, Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, would not say if he would have allowed Bud Light’s promo with transgender woman Dylan Mulvaney had he known the extent of the backlash.
- “It’s been a challenging few weeks. I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive,” the CEO said on “CBS Mornings.”
- “And Bud Light really doesn’t belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together. And there’s an impact on the business, and I think that’s publicly covered on Bud Light specifically,” Whitworth continued.
- Whitworth added that the company must analyze the impact of the Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light can, noting, “One thing I’d love to make extremely clear is that impact is my responsibility and as the CEO, everything we do here I’m accountable for.”
- When asked what his perspective on the matter is in hindsight, Whitworth said, “There’s a big social conversation taking place right now, and big brands are right in the middle of it and it’s not just our industry or Bud Light.”
- He added, “It’s happening in retail, happening in fast food. And so for us what we need to understand is — deeply understand and appreciate — is the consumer and what they want, what they care about and what they expect from big brands.”
- The CEO then explained that while Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, “we want to focus on what we do best, which is brewing great beer for everyone, listening to our consumers, being humble in listening to them and making sure we do right by our employees.”
