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“Budweiser will be brewed in the same breweries … by the same people, according to the same recipe,” Carlos Brito, InBev’s chief executive officer told CNN, after his company had finally closed the deal on buying Anheuser-busch – the American company that brews Budweiser Beer. Alas, this won’t settle it with the die-hard fans of an American icon, who accuse InBev of merely paying lip-service to keep this piece of Americana alive.

During the last weeks, the looming take-over has created a storm in the teacup, with the website savebudweiser.com at the center of it. So far, over 65,000 people have signed their online petition. Not enough to convince the owners of Anheuser-busch not to sell their stock. The deal became possible because the family behind what used to be Americas largest beer brewer was in a clinch over how to avert the offer and ended up accepting it.

“America is not for sale, and neither is her beer,” sings Philip McClary in his song “Kiss Our Glass,” knowing that every penny spend on Budweiser will now foster the Belgian beer giant InBev. The beer will still be brewed in St Louis none-the-less. But this hardly seems to matter in a debate which has already left the realms of business news and now revolves around American culture and it’s emblematic parts today. “All you hard-working Americans stand up and show some class,” the song continues, “Have a drink with Mother Freedom, and tell InBev to kiss your glass.”

Maybe this is what German beer fans should be doing since the 2004 take-over of the Beck’s brewery by InBev, now the biggest beer supplier to the German market. But nobody seems to care, it’s not like the beer tastes any different. To see the Americans whine about the, from a German point-of-view, watery Budweiser falling into foreign hands is a somewhat strange experience. If it was Coca-Cola, Walt Disney or McDonald’s, yes – but Bud? Beer is nothing America is famous for.

Also, this isn’t about Europe vs. the US fighting for global dominance. There is a point in fearing that EU sponsored plane maker EADS wins a contract to supply planes for the US Military; there is no point in believing that a Belgian – or rather global – company will harm American interests if they brew the favorite beer of Americans.

And there is another point the debate fails to touch upon – it is still unsettled who owns the right to name a beer Budweiser. A Budweiser beer in Germany is imported from the Czech Republic. If you want to quench your thirst with a real American Budweiser, you will have to ask for a Bud, as the beer was called when Anheuser-busch sponsored the FIFA Football World Championships in Germany in 2006. Did the Europeans complain back then? Yes, but the Americans didn’t care.

Finally, did someone mention that Budweiser (the American one) was created by a German immigrant? Never mind.

By Kolja Langnese