Downtown Minneapolis gay bar drops Anheuser-Busch products ahead of Pride

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, a transgender woman, for a social media promotion video April 1. The brand sent her specially designed cans to celebrate her first anniversary of 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.

An Anheuser-Busch spokeswoman said via email Tuesday: "We remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations to drive economic prosperity across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community."

Moore replaced products such as Bud Light, Michelob Golden Light and Michelob Ultra a couple of weeks ago, he said. The bar now offers beers from Minneapolis breweries Modist Brewing Co. and Bauhaus Brew Labs instead.

Cans of Bauhaus Brew Labs' Wonderstuff pilsner and Lounge Wizard hazy pale ale are a couple of the replacements, though liquor is the top seller at the Saloon.

"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 of Bauhaus.

Saloon regular Darren Betker supports the bar's decision, saying he generally feels local products are best and believes the criticism of Bud Light's partnership with Mulvaney is "idiotic."

"The idea that one person getting a specialty can made with an image of them on it causes this much uproar, I don't get it," he said. "I've never understood the boycotting of companies that are trying to market to the gay community. I mean, we have a trillion dollars of purchasing power. It's a business decision."

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, though Constellation Brands owns Modelo's U.S. business.

Founded in 1977, the Saloon is one of the most well-known gay bars in Minneapolis. Moore said he's noticed his bartenders and customers having good conversations about 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.