The Budweiser War is a trademark dispute between the Czech brewery Budweiser Budvar and the multinational giant Anheuser-Busch over the use of the name Budweiser. While Anheuser-Busch is the world’s largest brewer, with operations in over 150 countries, Budvar remains in the hands of the Czech government, even three decades after the fall of Communism. The dispute has been going on for over a century, and there’s no end in sight. Not only is the war not subsiding, in the last few years it has intensified. Anheuser-Busch sells an estimated 6 billion gallons of beer per year worldwide, while Budweiser Budvar sells only 52 million gallons. The seeds of the Budweiser dispute were sown in the 19th century. The town of České Budějovice — known in German as “Budweis” — located in what is now the Czech Republic, had been producing beers since the 13th century. It was from this town’s name that Adolphus Busch, co-founder of Anheuser-Busch, drew inspiration, christening his American brew “Budweiser” in 1876. So, the American Budweiser was the first beer named Budweiser. The Czech brewery had been producing its own Budweiser since 1895, and the similarities in the name led to inevitable clashes. Over the years, both companies have sought legal rulings in numerous countries to determine who has the right to use the Budweiser name. Both Budweisers have their loyalists, but among critics and connoisseurs, there’s little doubt about which beer is of higher quality. According to several global beer ratings and competitions, the Czech Budweiser frequently scores higher due to its traditional brewing methods and fuller taste. Overall, the Budweiser name war is a complex and evolving situation. It's too early to say who will ultimately win, but the future of the conflict is likely to be shaped by the changing global beer market.
