North Carolina Brewery Buys Back Its Brand From Anheuser-Busch as Bud Light's Mulvaney Disaster Continues

In this episode of This Bud’s Not for You…

As Bud Light continues to suffer the consequences of its boneheaded deal with so-called “transgender” Dylan Mulvaney — the 26-year man-child who pretends he’s a teenage girl, for money— a North Carolina brewery has become the first A-B InBev brand to buy itself back from the corporation.

Sweet, huh?

As first reported by the Winston-Salem Journal, the co-founders of the Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB) decided to “take the rare step of buying their freedom from [the] global conglomerate.”

Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber founded Appalachian Mountain Brewery in 2011 before entering a partnership with Craft Brew Alliance and eventually being acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2021, officially becoming part of A-B’s craft beer portfolio.

Kelischek and Zieber — who are also cousins — remained involved in the AMB operation through its years under different ownership groups. They made the buy-back decision as the Mulvaney boycott continued to wreak financial havoc on the embattled corporation, tactfully telling the Wall Street Journal:

We’re grateful to have spent the last two years as active founders within A-B’s craft portfolio and want to thank the people at A-B, including our fellow craft brewery founders, for the support, collaboration, and friendship that we’ve enjoyed during our time together.

Zieber is the head brewer, and Kelischek is the brewmaster.

The cousins have opened a new tap room in Asheville, NC, and will continue to own and operate their original location in Boone, NC.

We will be shifting our focus immediately on growing our local team, opening our new taproom, and continuing our investment in sustainability and philanthropy efforts that make a difference in our North Carolina communities. This all hinges on producing the highest quality products and delivering a unique experience for our customers.

Additional information about Appalachian Mountain Brewery and its products is available on the company website.

Meanwhile, let’s check out the latest haps at Bud Light

As we reported last Saturday, Bud Light announced a $200,000 donation to the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), “the largest advocacy organization dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBTQ people, and the exclusive certifying body for LGBTQ-owned businesses.” The brand said in a statement:

Bud Light was brewed to be an ‘Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy’ beer for everyone 21+ and that still holds true today. We look forward to extending our work with the NGLCC to continue making a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ businesses that play a critical role in bringing people everywhere, together.

Yeah, good luck with that. Oh, and great timing.

So, how bad has it become for Bud Light? As we reported, the brand’s sales were down nearly 30 percent as of May 30, and the impact of the boycott show zero signs of ending for the brand. And what’s the lesson to be learned? Play stupid games; win stupid prizes.

The Bottom Line

This is truly an American story about two guys who’ve taken pride in their products from the very beginning. Two guys who saw a faceless, international conglomerate acquire their company, only to fall victim to wokeism, and then suffer the consequences of perhaps the most effective boycott in history. Two guys who hatched a plan to buy back their proudly founded company, and did just that.

Hell, I should’ve started the article with “In the Feel-Good Story of the Day…”