"Here's to Beer" Celebrates Fourth of July

ST. LOUIS -- Americans were encouraged to celebrate the role beer played in the nation's birth this Fourth of July, with an advertising campaign focusing on the taverns and beer that played a critical part in the revolution and founding of the U.S.

The "Here's to Beer" effort, led by Anheuser-Busch (A-B), debuted a print ad in USA Today last week and is holding a consumer contest called "Who Would You Have a Beer With?" on its Web site, www.herestobeer.com.

"Our founding fathers were brewers and patriots who met at taverns and bars to drink beer and plan our independence. Beer brings people together to share good times and often great ideas. This is as true today as it was when our founding fathers were exchanging revolutionary ideas over a beer," said Bob Lachky, executive vice president of glovbal industry development for A-B.

"Here's to Beer" celebrates early brewers such as George Washington, whose recipe for porter can be found at the New York Public Library, and Thomas Jefferson, who constructed a brewing facility after his presidency at Monticello, his Virginia estate.

"Here's to Beer" is a grassroots campaign to revamp beer's image. It focuses on the social value that beer maintains; its art of brewing all natural ingredients; and its variety of uses from food pairings and recipes. The Web site averages more than 100,000 visits per month.
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