Bud light boycott

Lately there's been a lot of controversy around Bud Light that's led many people to boycott the product. I don't want to talk about this particular internet controversy since it has already had an enormous amount of coverage already and adding to the "outrage machine", generally speaking, adds little.

There is an element of this situation that reminds me of the calls to boycott Russian vodka in 2022. The thing that these two episodes have in common is that many of these alcohol brands are owned by absolutely gigantic multinational conglomerate corporations. Boycotting these brands and buying from other brands might not be doing what people think. In the case of Bud Light, it is a brand that is owned by Anheuser-Busch, a company that owned a variety of brands before it got bought out by the even larger company InBev which owns an enormously large number of alcohol brands.

In response to this I've heard people say things along the lines of "well I'm sick of these big multinational corporations I'm going to buy local craft beer." I like the sentiment of buying something local but unfortunately for these people there's a number of "local" craft beer brands that are actually owned by these anything-but-local conglomerates.

The list of brands owned by AB InBev is fucking enormous, so boycotting the company is actually very hard if you don't want to just give up alcohol¹. The whole episode reminds me of how people don't talk about antitrust anymore, but it could just be me, have a look at the list of brands and make your own mind up:

AB brands list

Here's a list from April 2023

Global

• Budweiser
  • Bud Dry
  • Bud Extra
  • Bud Lime
  • Budweiser Black Crown
• Bud Light
  • Bud Light Chelada
  • Bud Light Lime
• Busch
• Busch Light
• Corona
  • Corona Extra
  • Corona Latte
  • Estrella
  • Modelo Especial
  • Modelo Light
  • Negra Modelo
  • Pacífico
  • Victoria
• Natural Light
  • Natural
  • Natural Ice
  • Natty Daddy
• Shock Top Belgian White
  • Peeterman Artois
• Stella Artois
  • Artois Bock
• Ziegenbock

Europe

• Beck's (Germany)
  • Beck's Dark
  • Beck's Alkoholfrei
  • Beck's Oktoberfest
  • Beck's Premier Light
• Brouwerij Bosteels (Belgium)
  • Pauwel Kwak
  • Tripel Karmeliet
• Breda (The Channel Islands) Still Available
• Camden Town Brewery (UK)
• Diekirch (Luxembourg)
  • Diekirch Grand Cru
  • Diekirch Grande Réserve
  • Diekirch Exclusive
• Dimix (Germany)
• Dommelsch (Netherlands)
  • Dommelsch Pilsener
  • Dommelsch Ice
  • Dommelsch Dominator
• Ginette (Belgium)
• Gilde Ratskeller (Germany)
• Haake-Beck (Germany)
• Hasseröder (Germany)
• Hertog Jan (Netherlands)
  • Primator
  • Oud Bruin
  • Grand Prestige
  • Tripel
  • Dubbel
  • Winterbier
  • Bockbier
  • Meibock
• Hoegaarden Brewery (Belgium)
  • Hougaerdse Das
• Hop Hound Amber Wheat
• Julius (Belgium)
• Jupiler (Belgium)
  • Jupiler N.A.
  • Jupiler Blue
  • Jupiler Tauro
• Klinskoye (Russia)
  • Klinskoye Svetloye
  • Klinskoye Zolotoye
  • Klinskoye Luxik
  • Klinskoye Redkoye
  • Klinskoye Arriva
  • Klinskoye Samurai
• La Bécasse (France)
  • La Bécasse Kriek
  • La Bécasse Raspberry
  • La Bécasse Gueuze
• Leffe (Belgium)
  • Leffe Brown
  • Leffe Blonde
  • Leffe Ruby
  • Leffe Printemps
• Löwenbräu (Germany)
  • Löwenbräu Alkoholfrei
  • Löwenbräu Dunkel
  • Löwenbräu Löwen Weisse
  • Löwenbräu Original
  • Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier
  • Löwenbräu Premium Pils
  • Löwenbräu Radler
  • Löwenbräu Schwarze Weisse
  • Löwenbräu Triumphator
  • Löwenbräu Urtyp
• Mousel (Luxembourg)
• Noroc (Romania)
• Permskoye Gubernskoye (Russia)
  • Permskoye Gubernskoye Svetloye
• Piedboeuf (Belgium)
  • Piedboeuf Blond
  • Piedboeuf Brown
  • Piedboeuf Triple
• Red Bridge (Luxembourg)
• Rifey (Russia)
• Rohan (Ukraine)
  • Rohan Lehke
  • Rohan Tradytsiyne
  • Rohan Monastyrske Temne
  • Rohan Veselyi Monach
  • Rohan Bezalkoholne
• Safir (Belgium)
• Sibirskaya Korona (Siberian Crown)(Russia)
• Spaten Brewery (Germany)
  • Spaten Alkoholfrei
  • Spaten Diät-Pils
  • Spaten Münchner Hell
  • Spaten Oktoberfestbier
  • Spaten Optimator
  • Spaten Pils
• St. Pauli Girl (Germany)
  • St. Pauli Girl Lager
  • St. Pauli Girl Special Dark
  • St. Pauli Girl Non-Alcoholic
• Taller (Ukraine)
• Tinkov Russian Lager (Russia)
• Tolstiak (Russia)
  • Tolstiak Dobroye
  • Tolstiak Svetloye
  • Tolstiak Zaboristoye
  • Tolstiak Krepkoye
  • Tolstiak Grechisnoye
• Victoria, strong blond Belgian beer (Belgium)
• Vieux Temps (Belgium)
• Wild Series
  • Wild Blue
  • Wild Black
  • Wild Red
• Whitbread (United Kingdom) (purchased from Whitbread Group plc in 2001)
• Yantar (Ukraine)

Asia / Pacific

• Baisha (China)
• Beck's Ice (India)
• Boxing Cat (China)
• Cafri (South Korea)
• Cascade Brewery (Australia)
• Cass (South Korea)
  • Cass Fresh
  • Cass Light
  • Cass Red
  • Cass Lemon
  • Cass Beats
• Double Deer (China)
  • E-Generation
  • Premium Light
  • Dry Beer
• Foster's Lager (Australia)
• GuoGuang (China)
• Haywards 5000 (India)
• Jinlin (China)
• Jinlongquan (China)
  • Draft
  • Refreshing
• Kaiba (China)
• KK (China)
• Nanchang (China)
• Oriental Brewery (South Korea)
• Red Shiliang (China)
• Santai (China)
• Sedrin (China)
• Southern Bay brew hole
• The Hand & Malt (South Korea)
• Yali (China)
• Zizhulin (China)
• Zhujiang (China)

Americas

• 10 Barrel Brewing Co (USA)
• 911 (Dominican Republic)
• Alexander Keith's (Canada)
  • Keith's IPA
  • Keith's White
  • Keith's Dark
  • Keith's Red
  • Keith's Light
  • Keith's Regular
  • Keith's Hop Series
• Andes (Argentina)
• Aqua Fratelli Vita (Brazil)
• Banded Peak (Canada)
• Baviera (Paraguay)
• Best Damn Brewing Company
  • Best Damn Root Beer
  • Best Damn Apple Ale
• Blue Point Brewing Company (USA)
• Blue Star (Canada)
• Bogotá Beer Company (Colombia)
• Bohemia (Brazil)
  • Bohemia Pilsen
  • Bohemia Escura
  • Bohemia Weiss
  • Bohemia Royal Ale
  • Bohemia Confraria
  • Bohemia Oaken
• Bohemia (Dominican Republic)
• Bohemia Light (Dominican Republic)
• Brahma
• Brahva Gold (Guatemala)
• Brahva Beats (Guatemala)
• Breckenridge Brewery (USA)
• Budweiser
  • Budweiser Chelada
  • Bud Dry
  • Bud Extra
  • Bud Ice
  • Bud Ice Light
  • Bud Lime
  • Budweiser American Ale
  • Budweiser Black Crown
  • Budweiser Freedom Reserve
  • Budweiser Magnum
  • Budweiser Select
  • Budweiser Select 55
• Bud Light
  • Bud Light Chelada
  • Bud Light Golden Wheat
  • Bud Light Lime
  • Bud Light Orange
  • Bud Light Platinum
• Caracu (Brazil)
• Cervecería Boliviana Nacional (Bolivia)
  • Bi-Cervecina El Inca
  • Ducal
  • Huari
  • Maltín
  • Paceña Centenario
  • Taquiña
• Cervecería Nacional (Panamá)
  • Atlas
  • Atlas Golden Light
  • Balboa
  • Balboa Ice
  • Malta Vigor
• Cervejaria Colorado (Brazil)
• Cervecerias Chile (Chile)
• Cervejaria Wäls (Brazil)
  • Báltica (Chile)
  • Becker (Chile)
• Cusqueña (Peru)
• Devils Backbone Brewing Company (USA)
• Elysian Brewing Company (USA)
• Four Peaks Brewery (USA)
• Golden Road (USA)
• Goose Island Brewery (USA)
• Grupo Modelo (Mexico) Acquired in 2013
  • Barrilito
  • Corona Cero
  • Corona Extra
  • Corona Ligera
  • Corona Light
  • Cervecería Bocanegra
  • Cervecería Cucapá
  • Cervecería de Tijuana
  • León
  • Modelo Ámbar
  • Modelo Especial
  • Modelo Noche Especial
  • Modelo Trigo
  • Montejo
  • Negra Modelo
  • Pacifico Clara
  • Pacifico Light
  • Pacifico Suave
  • Vicky Chamoy
  • Vicky Chelada
  • Victoria
  • Victoria Ligera
• Índica (Uruguay)
• Karbach Brewing Company (USA)
• Kokanee (Canada)
  • Kokanee
  • Kokanee Gold
  • Kokanee Light
  • Kokanee Frost
  • Kootenay True Ale
• Labatt Brewing Company (Canada) Acquired in 1995
  • Labatt Blue
  • Labatt Blue Dry
  • Labatt Blue Light
  • Labatt Club
  • Labatt .5
  • Labatt Lite
  • Labatt Lucky Lager
  • Labatt 50
  • John Labatt Classic
  • Labatt Genuine
  • Labatt Extra Dry Lager
  • Labatt Wildcat
  • Labatt Ice
  • Jockey Club
  • Blue Star
• Lakeport Brewing Company (Canada) Acquired in 2007
  • Lakeport Pilsener
  • Lakeport Honey Lager
  • Lakeport Strong
  • Lakeport Ice
  • Lakeport Ale
  • Lakeport Light
  • Lakeport Red
  • Steeler
  • Brava
  • Wee Willy
• Liber (Brazil)
• Marathon (Brazil)
• Michelob
  • Michelob Light
  • Michelob Honey Lager
  • Michelob Honey Wheat
  • Michelob Pale Ale
  • Michelob Ultra
• Mill Street Brewery (Canada)
• Malta Morena (Dominican Republic)
• Norteña (Uruguay)
• Oceánica (Uruguay)
• Oland Export Ale (Canada)
• Original (Brazil)
• Patagonia (Argentina)
• Patricia (Uruguay)
• Pilsen (Paraguay)
• Pilsen Ñande (Paraguay)
  • Pilsen Ñande Roja
  • Pilsen Ñande Blanca
  • Pilsen Ñande Negra
• Pilsener (Ecuador)
• Pilsener Light (Ecuador)
• Presidente Light (Dominican Republic)
• Presidente Black (Dominican Republic)
• Cerveza Quilmes (Argentina)
• Rolling Rock
  • Rolling Rock Light
  • Rolling Rock Red
• Ron Barceló (Dominican Republic)
• Schooner Lager (Canada)
• Serramalte (Brazil)
• Spiked Seltzer (USA)
• Sukita (Brazil)
• Turning Point (Canada)
  • Stanley Park
  • Hell's Gate
• Veza Sur Brewing Company (USA)
• Wicked Weed (USA)

Africa

• South African Breweries
  • Brutal fruit
  • Black Crown
  • Carling Black Label
  • Carver's Weis
  • Castle Lager
    • Castle Lite
    • Castle Milk Stout
    • Castle Free
  • Corona
  • Flying Fish
    • Flying Fish Chill
  • Hansa Pilsner
  • Liberado
  • Newlands Spring
  • Redds
• Cervejas de Moçambique
  • 2M Flow
  • Manica
  • Laurentina
    • Laurentina Premium
    • Laurentina Preta
    • Laurentina Clara
  • Impala(cassava-based beer)
  • Dourada