FuzzyBrew

Thirty years after the launch of “Know When to Say When,” Anheuser-Busch is unveiling its newest responsible drinking campaign, which relies on the web and social media to raise awareness.

The new site – NationofResponsibleDrinkers.com – asks adults to pledge their commitment to drink responsibly and then share it through Facebook to encourage friends to do the same.

The pledge is three-fold: Respect the legal drinking age. Enjoy responsibly and know when to say when. And be or use a designated driver.

Each pledge is then populated on an interactive map, showing those who have taken the pledge in their communities.

“With close to half a billion adults on Facebook, we see an enormous opportunity to expand our reach to newer generations of adult drinkers – most of whom came of age after Know When to Say When and our earlier responsible drinking campaigns,” said Kathy Casso, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. “We’re looking to the future of alcohol responsibility, and we see the potential in social media – with its ability to bring adults together and peer-to-peer persuasion – to help friends and family make smarter choices.”

So there’s your public service announcement for the week. Have a safe and fun July 4.

The Memphis Business Journal reported last week that megabrewer Anheuser-Busch filed a trademark applications for 42 airport codes, including Memphis (MEM) and Nashville (BNA).

Beerpulse.com has additional information, including the full list. Seems kinda like abuse of the trademark system to me. What do you think? What would a MEM brew be?

Craft beer lovers in Mississippi took one step closer to higher-alcohol beer Monday with passage of Senate Bill 2878, which would raise the alcohol-by-weight limit from 5% to 8% in beer.

The bill, which has been pushed by grassroots group Raise Your Pints as well as Anheuser-Busch and its independent distributors in Mississippi, passed the Senate by a 38-14 margin. The state’s House of Representatives passed its own version of the ABW bill on March 1.

The next step, according to the Mississippi Business Journal, is “for whatever differences the two chambers have over the legislation to be ironed out in conference committee.”

This is big news for Raise Your Pints and other supporters of the craft beer movement. The bills in each chamber have received enough bipartisan support that there’s not much of a chance either of the bills will die in conference. Like Rep. Hank Zuber did in the House, Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, made the bill about tourism and economic development, not alcohol, when he presented it to the Senate. [source]

Horhn told the Associated Press that about 6,000 Mississippians who are gourmet beer consumers will benefit from the legislation.

Those who consider themselves connoisseurs are passionate about their beer, so much so that they drive outside the state to acquire beer.” That means lost tax revenue for the state and an unclear idea of how much beer is being consumed, Horhn said. He added the bill would only affect an estimated 16 brands of beer in the short term because the state’s laws only allow beer to be sold by select distributors. [source]

Mississippi is the only state that limits ABW for beer to just 5 percent, which in turns prohibits sales of about a third of the world’s beer styles. Raise Your Pints is also seeking to make homebrewing legal in the state, though homebrewing bills have not advanced in the legislature this session.

We’ll keep you updated on any more developments.

Anheuser-Busch has joined with Raise Your Pints to try to change Mississippi's beers laws.

Beer giant Anheuser-Busch and its independent distributors in Mississippi have joined the fight to raise the state’s alcohol-by-weight (ABW) limit on beer.

The maker of Budweiser and Bud Light has joined with the nonprofit Raise Your Pints and members of the Mississippi Malt Beverage Association to support legislation that would raise the ABW limit on beer made and sold in the state from 5 to 8 percent, according to a story that appeared Tuesday on the PR Newswire.

Anheuser-Busch is proud to support the effort to raise the ABW limit for beer in Mississippi,” said Doug Bailey, region vice president of state affairs at Anheuser-Busch. “Increasing the state’s ABW limits will allow beer drinkers access to a greater variety of beers, including many of Anheuser-Busch’s high-end, specialty beers.  It also will boost the state’s beer and hospitality industries.” [source]

Mississippi is the only state that limits ABW for beer to just 5 percent, which in turns prohibits sales of about a third of the world’s beer styles.

We are pleased to have Anheuser-Busch’s support in our effort to increase the ABW limit for beer in Mississippi. A change would not only benefit Mississippians who wish to have the same beer choices already enjoyed by most Americans, but also the state’s small businesses,” said Butch Bailey, president of Raise Your Pints. “It’s a great opportunity to make Mississippi a better place to do business, a more attractive tourist destination, and improve the cultural life of our citizens.” [source]

Raise Your Pints is also seeking to make homebrewing legal in the state. For more information, visit the group’s website.