SteveM
Well-Known Member
I thought I'd heard it all, but I read in the paper this morning that Budweiser was the official beer of the World Cup this year. They bought the sponsorship for $40M (US) even before Munich was selected as the site for the tournament. AB cut some sort of deal so that Bitberger could also be sold there to mollify the locals.
I am stunned that Bud can even be sold there - possibly it is not called "beer." I had always heard the German beer purity laws made it impossible to sell there (with one exception, noted below). What German would buy it?
Two related notes and a question - first off, if you have not seen the stadium the games will be in, take a look. If you goggle on Munich stadium, you can probably find pictures. It is an awesome sight.
Also, for years, notwithstanding the German beer purity laws, Bud was the best selling beer in Germany...because American GIs were buying it at the Exchange stores. My understanding is that this exception to the general law was allowed because it was restricted to stores on post.
Finally, does anyone know if home brewing is legal in Germany? Just curious...I mentioned to some friends there that I brew my own and they all seemed stunned, as if they had never heard of such a thing. They might just have narrow horizons in this regard though (as do many people here in the US).
I am stunned that Bud can even be sold there - possibly it is not called "beer." I had always heard the German beer purity laws made it impossible to sell there (with one exception, noted below). What German would buy it?
Two related notes and a question - first off, if you have not seen the stadium the games will be in, take a look. If you goggle on Munich stadium, you can probably find pictures. It is an awesome sight.
Also, for years, notwithstanding the German beer purity laws, Bud was the best selling beer in Germany...because American GIs were buying it at the Exchange stores. My understanding is that this exception to the general law was allowed because it was restricted to stores on post.
Finally, does anyone know if home brewing is legal in Germany? Just curious...I mentioned to some friends there that I brew my own and they all seemed stunned, as if they had never heard of such a thing. They might just have narrow horizons in this regard though (as do many people here in the US).