Budweiser brews beer fear at 2010 World Cup

by Jeffery Racheff

The World Cup is coming to South Africa this summer, and that can only mean one thing — lots and lots of beer.

Okay, two things — lots and lots of beer and soccer. Yet while there is sure to be enough soccer, an ominous possibility has been brewing in the hearts of hooligans in South Africa: what if there just isn’t enough beer? Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of FIFA, has quietly admitted that it may not be able to provide enough beer to meet demand. Officials within the brewing industry agree. Some have expressed doubts that an American import, regardless of its size, would be able to quench the massive thirst of a nation hosting the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world.

So, rather than risk being at odds with fans, Bud has reportedly decided to allow stadium-goers to enjoy local brew on the condition that it is in unmarked bottles and cans. South African beer, like the popular lagers Castle, and Castle Light, will be sold without any names or branding at “fan parks” outside of stadiums.

Naturally, this is not something Bud has shouted from rooftops. You don’t want people thinking the world’s biggest beer company doesn’t have enough kegs to keep the soccer party going. Alas, having fans drink from unmarked cans will essentially turn the World Cup into one of the biggest blind taste tests ever. This presents local small beers with a rather unusual opportunity — they don’t have to worry about their logos or names competing with his majesty, the King of Beers. Instead, Castle and others can focus solely on the idea that their beer just tastes better. The whole experiment, ironically, could be a successful demonstration of quality over quantity.

There also might be a chance that people prefer to drink beer from unmarked cans, in which case all of Bud’s branding could be undermined by the coolness of anonymity. I have a hunch that South Africa, of all places, could easily get behind buying unmarked beer over some imposing foreign giant. There could be a revolution brewing…