Beer deal chokes German football fans

[T_i_B]

I agree with the German's. Busweiser sucks and is not fit to lick the boots of most German beers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/21/wfoot21.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/04/21/ixportal.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=727

Furious German cultural officials arwe demanding that organisers of the 2006 World Cup revoke a deal with American brewers which would bar famous local brands from sale in stadiums during the tournament.

A spokesman for Bavaria's culture ministry said it was seeking talks with Fifa, football's world governing body, to find a compromise after American Budweiser secured sole rights to sales inside World Cup venues.

According to Franz Maget, a state legislator, Fifa sold the exclusive rights to Budweiser Anheuser-Busch - which sells Budweiser - for £27 million. A spokesman for the Bavarian Brewing Association said brands with an excellent reputation among beer lovers, such as Paulaner, Erdinger and Lowenbrau, would fail to get a look-in.

The 15 "official partners" of the World Cup include German giants Deutsche Telekom and Adidas but the beer issue is likely to cause widespread anger. Mass market American beer is not very popular in Germany.

[SheilaT]

1. Can you imagine

what it will be like if thousands of fans decide to stay home and watch the games on TV rather than go and have only Bud and Bud Lite to drink? I wonder how the broadcasters will cover up totally empty stands?

But it could be worse. It could have been Coors that has the exclusive beer franchise.

[T_i_B]

3. Coors?

The pub nearest where I live currently has a "lagers of the world" festival on........sponsored by Coors!

You can imagine what a load of crap that is. I mean goodness, you know when you are getting Rolling Rock as the US beer that you are in for some dire stuff.

[JVS]

2. terrible

But the product that Anheuser-Busch sells in Europe is better than what they make here. I got a bottle of AB (Budweiser is the Czech variant there) one and it wasn't bad, it was very overpriced though.

[T_i_B]

5. Budweiser Budvar is nothing to do with the US crap

Budvar was around before the US version ever came out and it's actually Anheuser-Busch who are ripping Budvar off!

And the thing is, US Bud is not anything like a half decent imitation of Budvar.

[JVS]

6. Yeah, I knew that.

But "bud" or whatever you wish to call it does sell a brand of its beer called AB in Germany, which is somewhat better than the Bud sold in the US. Budvar is a completely different thing and I onlt mentioned it to point out that it isn't the same thing. (i.e that what Europeans call Budweiser is the czech brand.)

[Kellanved]

4. As I've posted already: beer in German stadiums isn't good either

It is usually a low-alc "brewed for football" beer, that tastes a lot like American beers anyway. The actual brewer makes little difference.

I have to add that the Bud sold in Germany is brewed in the UK and tastes even worse than the US original. Maybe it will keep fans from getting drunk and thus help the event.