Microbrew lovers swing back at Budweiser

Budweiser aired a controversial ad in this year’s Super Bowl. It was entitled “Brewed the Hard Way,” and it mocked craft brews and the people behind them. Many support the ad, but many are appalled.

Budweiser has been called hypocritical by other media sources. Anheuser-Busch owns Budweiser, and they also own craft breweries around the county like Bend’s own, 10 Barrel, which it bought last year.

Hopstories, a beer production company, took to the editing room after they saw the ad. Executive producers Yancy Faulkner and Eric Buist both had the same idea. They wanted to rebut the image presented by Bud of sissified microbrew-lovers.

“I thought it was a really back-handed and rude approach to get their message across,” Faulkner said.

They created a video intended for their closest friends, families, and business partners. However, the craft brew industry is close-knit. The video spread like wildfire.

Budweiser declined a phone interview Wednesday but said in a statement, “We are owning who we are with no apologies.”

Budweiser’s ad said macro brews are brewed “the hard way.”

Hopstories’ spoof says it’s the other way around. They say craft brews are brewed by hand and therefore, “the actual hard way.”

“Ours was not to bring Budweiser down a peg or two, but to bring the craft brew industry up,” Faulkner said.

You can be the one to decide. Here are links to both videos.

http://www.hopstories.com/2015/02/02/craft-beer-super-bowl.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siHU_9ec94c

Also, here is a full copy of the statement released to KTVZ by Budweiser.

“‘Brewed the Hard Way’ is Budweiser’s way of celebrating being a MACRO brew: a beer enjoyed by many. The prevailing discourse in beer is that small must be good, and big must be bad. We don’t accept that. Lager is one of the most difficult styles to brew well, and we have the highest standards of care to get it right. We are owning who we are without apology.

We’re delighted to have sparked a conversation around beer. Talking with beer drinkers sinceSunday, we know the overwhelming majority are really enjoying seeing Budweiser speak up with conviction. This Bud’s for them.”

– Brian Perkins, vice president, Budweiser