Kid Rock’s Bud Light Boycott Didn’t Spill Over To His Own Bar
Kid Rock’s distaste for Bud Light may be well-known, but it hasn’t changed the menu at his Nashville bar, according to a Tuesday CNN segment.
Rock, whose birth name is Robert James Ritchie Jr., became one of Anheuser-Busch’s most vocal critics after the beer giant’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney began waves of transphobic backlash in April.
The country-rap artist famously raged about the collaboration in a viral video where he screamed, “Fuck Bud Light. Fuck Anheuser-Busch,” before mowing down several cases with a semi-automatic weapon.
His fury didn’t appear to pour over into Ritchie’s Nashville bar, Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse, where “CNN This Morning’s” Ryan Young was surprised to find the brew being served during a recent reporting trip.
According to CNN, it was unclear if a ban had been lifted or if there had ever been one.
Word Bud Light was back on tap at Rock’s sprawling five-story, four-stage establishment began circulating last week after someone tweeted a photo of its menu along with a snap of someone enjoying a brown and blue bottle at the bar.
A June story from Newsweek also reported that Bud Light, Bud Light Lime and Budweiser were all still on the mega-honky tonk’s online menu, suggesting the beer had never been pulled at all.
While Rock might not have followed through on his boycott, the controversy has seriously impacted Anheuser-Busch’s bottom line. On Monday, Newsweek cited NielsenIQ sales data, showing Bud Light sales revenue and volume decreased 28% over the four-week period ending July 1.