February 5th, 2025

I don’t like the word “domestic.” 

It’s a word that, for some reason, has been used for years to describe American-made beer. It shows up too frequently on bar menus, at beer stands, and in grocery aisles. It appears in reports and is used by syndicated data providers. All because folks innocently don’t know any better. 

Every time I see it, I have a negative reaction. I’ve thought about it a lot. I’ve talked about it with people, now and again. Until now, I’ve never actually done anything about it. 

While some folks are Ford people and others buy Chevy, all of them drive American trucks. They don’t drive domestic trucks. 

Baseball isn’t popularly known as the domestic pastime, our troops don’t salute the domestic flag, and our country wasn’t built on the domestic dream. 

That’s because the “American” part matters, and the pride we take in this great country should also be properly and accurately applied to our great American beers. 

Domestic isn’t necessarily an incorrect adjective to use. It just doesn’t fully capture the spirit and passion that’s intrinsic to the American beer industry and its brands. It also doesn’t fully capture the pride we should all take in products made right here in this great country. 

American beers, whether low-calorie, full-bodied, heavily hopped, or dark malted, are the product of American hands. They are brewed by American workers who receive American wages. They rely on American farmers and on American raw material suppliers. They support American causes like the military and first responders. They pay American taxes. And they exist because of decades of capital investments made in hundreds of local communities, right here across this great country. Sometimes, that capital is even used to help American communities when they need it most, like donating emergency drinking water during disasters. 

In many cases, American beers are the outcome of the same ingenuity, hard work, and entrepreneurialism that built this great country, and they remain available today for consumers everywhere to enjoy. They are the bearers of oral tradition, having been present at good times and celebrations over the decades. 

Like other American brewers, 99% of the beer that Anheuser-Busch sells in the U.S. is made in the U.S. And 99% of our ingredients come from American farmers. American beers are high quality and fresh because they are made right here. They travel shorter distances and therefore find their way into consumers’ hands in much shorter times. 

Alongside many proud Americans, I had the privilege of serving this great country. The pride and passion I felt then remains just as strong today. Few industries thrive on pride and passion the way beer does. Those feelings are present in our brands and in our consumers’ love for them. And few industries are as intrinsically connected to American institutions like the military and first responders. In my humble opinion, beer should be the last industry to use such a lackluster descriptor as domestic. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. 

It’s about time the whole industry begins to unilaterally use one of the strongest adjectives available to us – American. Leave “domestic” for other less glamorous uses. 

I’m asking the Anheuser-Busch team and our wholesalers to make the change. Change the bar menus, change the venue boards, change the signs, change their reports, change their jargon, and insist upon American. I hope other American brewers and wholesalers will join us. I also welcome retailers and industry partners like Circana, Nielsen, and others to join us. 

Together, let’s leave “domestic” in the rear-view mirrors of those good ol’ American pick-up trucks. Let’s all take more pride in our American beers. 

Cheers, 

Brendan Whitworth 

Chief Executive Officer 

Anheuser-Busch