MINNEAPOLIS — Longstanding downtown Minneapolis gay bar The Saloon will no longer sell Bud Light or other Anheuser-Busch beverages because of how the beer brand handled backlash from a marketing campaign involving a transgender influencer.
With the Twin Cities Pride festival set for this weekend, the Hennepin Avenue bar announced Monday it cut ties with the St. Louis-based brewing giant and replaced its products with beer from local breweries.
The Saloon's decision follows months of controversy after Bud Light partnered with Dylan Mulvaney, who identifies as a transgender woman, for a social media promotion video April 1. The brand sent her specially designed cans to celebrate her first year after transitioning.
That elicited conservative backlash, especially on Twitter, and led to a boycott of the drink. The marketing executives in charge of the campaign ended up taking leaves of absence.
John Moore, owner of The Saloon, said Anheuser-Busch had an opportunity to support a marginalized community in a way few other corporations have attempted, but the company abandoned that direction.
"I'm so protective of doing business with people who have integrity and don't get into an anti-queer agenda," Moore said.
Moore replaced products such as Bud Light, Michelob Golden Light and Michelob Ultra a couple of weeks ago, he said. Beers from Minneapolis breweries Modist Brewing Co. and Bauhaus Brew Labs are now offered instead.
Anheuser-Busch didn't respond to a request for comment.
Cans of Bauhaus Brew Labs Wonderstuff Pilsner and Lounge Wizard Hazy Pale Ale are now sold at The Saloon, where liquor is the top seller. "It's great to see a downtown bar take that stand and go with a local brewer instead that aligns with their values," said Matt Schwandt, president and co-founder.
While Anheuser-Busch initially received anti-trans criticism, it soon drew ire from Mulvaney's fans and other LGBTQ supporters who felt the brand wasn't genuine in its support of Mulvaney or the community.
Minneapolis-based Target experienced similar controversy when it pulled some of its Pride merchandise after social media outrage.
After more than two decades as America's best-selling beer, Bud Light slipped into second place this month partly because of recent sales declines.
Modelo Especial, a Mexican lager, overtook Bud Light in U.S. retail dollar sales in the month ending June 3, according to Nielsen data that Bump Williams Consulting analyzed. Anheuser-Busch InBev also owns Grupo Modelo, the Mexican brewer.
Founded in 1977, The Saloon is one of the longest-standing gay bars in Minneapolis. Moore said he's noticed his bartenders and customers having good conversations about what's behind the bar's missing Bud Light.
"We've gotten so much support from the community for changing to local beers and addressing what Anheuser-Busch had done," he said.
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