I was in my local Kroger supermarket the other week. As I made my way down the beer aisle, a carefully placed display of beer caught my eye. I usually don’t pay too much attention to the beer selection at Kroger; it does not change much and I pretty much know what they have. But what caught my attention on this particular occasion was a display of a beer named Freedom Reserve Red Lager.
Freedom Reserve Lager is a new beer produced by the brewing giant, AB InBev. Released in May 2018, it is the second beer in AB InBev’s Reserve Collection. The first in the collection, released in October 2017, was the limited-edition 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager. Freedom Reserve Lager is inspired by a 1757 recipe for beer that was hand-penned by George Washington.
As I reached the display, I reached down, grabbed a six-pack, and put it in my cart. Why did I, someone who normally buys beer brewed in small-scale, independently-owned, craft breweries, purchase a beer brewed by a large multinational brewer? It wasn’t because I anticipated that this beer would be particularly good. In fact, I expected to be quite underwhelmed by it. No, I bought it because on the side of the six-pack carton it noted that for every case of this beer purchased, AB InBev donate one dollar to Folds of Honor.
You see, I am huge supporter of the U.S. military. I am highly appreciative of the men and women who serve our country; and of their families who sacrifice in different ways, but in equal measure. Folds of Honor is a not-for-profit organization, which provides “educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service-members.” During the calendar year 2016, Folds of Honor scholarships totaled almost twelve million dollars. So knowing that twenty-five cents of my beer purchase was going to such a worthy cause was enough to make me part with some of my money.
The name, Folds of Honor, refers to the process of folding an American flag. It is a process that is ingrained with tradition and respect. A properly-folded American flag has thirteen folds – each one representing the thirteen original colonies. According to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum:
”when the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, representing the soldiers who served under George Washington, the sailors and marines who served under John Paul Jones, and the many who have followed in their footsteps.”
In addition to partnering with Folds of Honor, AB InBev have a number of other initiatives and programs that support our veterans. Since 1987, Anheuser-Busch have donated close to $11 million to military charities including USO, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Hispanic War Veterans of America, and the Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials. They also helped found the U.S. Military Sports Association, an organization that has donated over eighteen thousand pieces of sports equipment to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The men and women of Anheuser-Busch have also stepped up and served in the trenches, so to speak. Since World War I, more than 5,500 Anheuser-Busch employees have served in a variety of U.S. military campaigns. After serving their country, many of had the opportunity to return to work with Anheuser-Busch. Indeed, Freedom Reserve Red Lager is brewed by brewers who themselves are veterans. Anhesuer-Busch’s military connections date back to the Civil War, when both of the company’s co-fonders Adolphus Busch and Eberhard Anheuser enlisted in the Union Army’s home guard, which was stationed in St. Louis, MO.
As to the ‘quality’ of Freedom Reserve Red Lager, I will not comment. I rarely do. Taste, in my opinion, is such a personal thing. What I, or others for that matter, think of the beer is irrelevant. Taste it for yourself – you decide whether it is ‘good’ beer or not.