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A fake label and design produced by Saugatuck Brewing pokes fun at the renaming of Budweiser to "America" for the summer.

(Courtesy)

SAUGATUCK, MI -- Saugatuck Brewing's creative minds went to work quickly after Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev announced Tuesday that it would re-brand Budweiser as "America" for the summer months.

By Wednesday afternoon, the Michigan craft brewer that makes roughly 15,000 barrels per year jumped on the King of Beers' widely panned move with a Facebook post that promised to deliver "'Murica" beer "brewed under the careful watch of 1,776 Bald Eagles."

"Fear not, America. We're here to make beer named after America great again," the post on social media stated. "This ensures that every drop of our beer is as true and honest as our fore fathers before us. Unlike other "America" beers, our brewery is completely American owned.

"What does it taste like, you ask? Freedom. It tastes like Freedom."

The online reaction was swift and surprising, according to Megan Pruim, Saugatuck's marketing coordinator. Within two hours, the post sparked more than 400 reactions, 200 shares and 30 comments, some throwing shade at Budweiser, others eagerly awaiting a beer that isn't coming.

"This is a joke," Pruim said on Wednesday, May 11. "We were sitting around the brewery, having a little bit of fun and seeing the humor in it. We were playing around with the idea and decided to do something to make people laugh.

"We're not slamming them."

Pruim quickly fashioned a label and six-pack carrier design by pulling a map of the United States and overlaying the text "'Murica" in a red, white and blue look of its own.

The blowback, even in jest, marked the second time a West Michigan brewer aimed criticism at the international corporate giant.



Bell's Brewery Inc. last year made a Pumpkin Peach Ale in response to an Anheuser Busch InBev ad that aired during the Super Bowl and made fun of craft beer.

"It's a (screw) you to Anheuser-Busch," Bell's founder Larry Bell told the Chicago Tribune. "Because they sent us a (screw) you."

The Anheuser Busch ad proudly exclaimed that Budweiser brews "macro beer that's not to be fussed over" and said to "let (craft beer drinkers) sip their Pumpkin Peach Ale."

"I guess we're getting under their skin and they had to take a shot at us," Bell said in the interview. "We have a little bit of a smirk on our face with this. You think we make fussy beer? Well, we do."

Before that, a 2014 Super Bowl ad from Chryslerdrew the ire of New Holland Brewing Co. co-owner Fred Bueltmann, who took issue with the car company's pitch that directed beer drinkers to German brewers.

The pro-Detroit, buy-American ad for Fiat-owned Chrysler, had musician Bob Dylan telling the Super Bowl audience to "let Germany brew your beer; let Switzerland build your watch; let Asia assemble your phone."

Why? Because "we will build your car."

Bueltmann didn't let the Super Bowl slight on the U.S. craft beer industry slide, writing a letter asking for an apology for "dismissing their trade in front of millions of viewers."

He wrote:

Budweiser, first brewed in St. Louis in 1876, has lost market share in the U.S. for two decades but sales are growing internationally, the Associated Press reported. Last year, A-B redesigned Budweiser's labels, replacing gold accents with platinum.

Additionally, A-B said it'll roll out Budweiser cans and aluminum bottles later this month with an image of the Statue of Liberty's torch to coincide with its Team Budweiser support of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The Torch packaging will appear on 16-ounce and 25-ounce cans and 16-ounce aluminum bottles.

Saugatuck Brewing was founded in 2005 with a 3.5-barrel system and has since expanded to a 45-barrel system that is paired with 960 barrels of fermentation space, according to the company website.

Its beers are distributed through Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, northern Indiana and Minnesota. Saugatuck added Pennsylvania and Missouri markets last month.

Among its mainstays are Bonfire Brown, Neapolitan Milk Stout and Oval Beach Blonde. The brewery's Darker Than Your Soul is also praised.