(Knew that would get your attention, my fellow beer-loving brothers and sisters …)
What is the origin of the odd name of this fine, world-famous macrobrew?
If it’s amalgamated from Anheuser and Busch, shouldn’t it be something like “Banheiser?”
A style of pilsner in Germany from a town called Budweis. I think the original company isn’t allowed to sell it under the Budweiser name stateside. Corroboration, anyone?
A style of pilsner in Germany from a town called Budweis. I think the original company isn’t allowed to sell it under the Budweiser name stateside. Corroboration, anyone?
Sorry, that was honestly my first multiple post.
IIRC, this is something I read a little while ago, but the American Beer Budweiser is based on the Czech pilsner from the town of Budvar (in German: “Budweis”). Apparently Adolphus Busch was fond of the light Bohemian brew and based his lager on the style found in in the Pilsn province what is now the Czech Republic. Most American macrobrews are thus Pilsner-like (including the True Pilsner (HAH) Miller Lite). Since there was an old brewing company in Budvar that already had a beer named Budwieser, which is not exported to the U.S., Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser goes by the name “Busch” or “AB” in much of Europe. There has apparently been a long standing international trademark dispute between the Budvar Brewing Company and Anheuser-Busch over the use of the name “Budweiser”, but Anheuser-Busch is a huge corporation and Budvar is a small town brewery. You do the math.
As a side-note, most Germans tend not to even drink mass produced German beer. Beck’s largest sales are BY FAR in the U.S. since in Germany breweries are like dairies in the U.S. Most are very local and most people prefer their local beer over and “national” brand.
Here’s a link to the original Budweiser (as described in the post above)
This is perhaps the finest beer in the world.
Don’t know about the TM issues mentioned previously but I can go into a shop here (UK) and buy Budweiser Budvar and it tastes pretty damn good. So there.
IIRC, http://www.memepool.com recently posted a bunch of links about a lawsuit between Budweiser the American beer company and Budweiser the Czech beer company, in the town Budweiser. The Czech company is gradually winning the exclusive rights to the Budweiser name throughout Europe. The argument is that the Czech town has had the name much longer, they’re famous for their beer, and basically, American Bud is terrible. Can’t argue with that.
Budvar isn’t THAT small. They seem to get a fair amount of mileage in tourist areas by advertising as “the REAL Budweiser” which probably gets some of us philistine Americans curious. Probably not curious enough to give them a reason to fight for trademark rights stateside, though.
In my experience, with Czech beer you can do no wrong. And it is a little unusual to ask for a beer (pivo) by brand as most of the pubs and pub-type restaurants pour only one brand. Budvar is apparently as common as Staropramen, Pilsner Urquell, Krusovice, Gambrinus or Bohemia these days.
WHAZZUP!?!