Um...he forgot something....

My Beer Manager got the following e-mail this week:

" You have a great selection of wines at Wine Expo, but the beer is a
little on the shy side. There are some great craft beers available
around LA (Lagunitas, Ballast Point, Dogfish Head, Firestone amongst
many others). Unfortunately I think you alienate people who are
looking for the best beers and wines in a one place stop and shop.

Also, I notice on your website you mention Czechvar as a recommended
beer, yet you bash Bud on the same page (owners of Czechvar).
Pilsner Urquell is the Original Czech beer, and the inventers of the
non-cloudy beer and inventer of the Pilsner.

Help me out, we are not getting everything we want from Wine Expo.
You are forcing me to Winehouse, Bevmo or Wally’s."

The guy forgot to mention that he is the SALES MANAGER of the distributor of the beers mentioned.

AND, anyone who has been here knows we have HUNDREDS of great beers and that Erik is, to quote a Yelp review, “A Beer God!”.

I hope he remembers his Animal House lore as he is now on Double Secret Probation!

My Beer God…

God is dead.

Yes, we all worship the REAL Michael Jackson! But that’s hardly the point here.

PS: Budweiser does NOT “own” Czechvar any more than Joe Dressner owns Larmandier-Bernier…

There, doesn’t adding those 4 words cause you to feel more sympathy for him?

I’ve never been to your store (but would like to visit some time, if only for the eye candy )

do you carry very many West Coast craft beers, or is your selection mainly imports?

I am shocked … SHOCKED … that a distributor (read “evil cabal”) might not in all instances act ethically.

Milos, we carry quite a few Domestic craft brews but DO have more Imports (particularly Belgians).

I hate the name “Czechvar”. It’s Budweiser (meaning from Budweis) Budvar.
Fncking Anheiser Busch. Scumbags.

Best part of my years living in Germany–ordering Budweiser and getting something I wanted to drink…

Yeah, I’m sure Dave remembers it being sold under its real name in England (ie. Budweiser Budvar). With the history of the dispute over the name, it sure is funny how that dumbass weasel got it so wrong.

My understanding is that there isn’t much of a dispute: Busch licensed the Budweiser name in perpetuity in the US.

The dispute was over whether they legally obtained the right to use the name in the first place. Iirc, they bought the rights from a single family member who had emigrated to the U.S., and therefore not closely tied to the brewery, and certainly not possessing the right to do so.

Roberto, I had a nice Belgian beer back east: Corsendonk Christmas Ale. Is that one you carry?

That’s pretty funny, if true. Although I imagine that any number of deals made in a pre-phone, pre-air travel world wouldn’t necessarily hold up to intense legal challenge today.

This isn’t the issue, technically, in a trademark dispute. Trademarks, unlike copyrights, are granted and maintained as distinguishing marks to help the consumer identify product and source. When they fail to inform or when they cause confusion, they may be voided. Each country has different standards for trademarks, which is why the two companies have been fighting this war on over 50 fronts, with European markets being the most contested. Both companies had initially secured local trademarks, and subsequently worked out several agreements in the 1900s and 1910s. In the last five or so years, the original Bud has been winning more often than losing in Europe.

When I lived in Holland, both Buds were on the shelf at my local grocer, right next to a cornucopia of Belgian beers (the “Disneyland of Beer” according to Mr. Jackson). The American Bud was among the most expensive, presumably because of transportation costs. Yet, people regularly bought it. There’s no accounting for (Dutch) taste.

Just curious, did he send it from his company’s e-mail account?

Sounds too dumb to breathe. But then that is often the way with beer reps.

No, his personal account but it was easily traceable.

While the town of Budvar has a long history of brewing, Anheiser-Busch started to use the Budweiser name prior to the founding of the current company who makes the current Budvar. This is one reason they are allowed to use the name in Europe. It is kinda strange to see both versions side by side there.