Anheuser-Busch would like me to believe I am reading too much into it, but around the time of the InBev buyout, Budweiser commercials began elevating the patriotism pushing "The Great American Lager" slogan like a comforting pat on the shoulder to say, "Everything will be alright." Maybe its just a coincidence: A-B reminds me the slogan was launched before InBev's bid was finalized. Or maybe marketing knew something I didn't. Either way, hammering home the "King of Beers" at this point might just come a little too close to reminding us of our new European overlords.

Unfortunately, however, slogans require an extra step of association, so for their latest offering, Bud is simply throwing the word "American" right into the product name. A-B chose to debut spots for their forthcoming Budweiser American Ale during the Olympics. (I caught one during a massive 8 hour Olympic-watching marathon -- a near Phelpsian feat, if I do say so myself.) And though Olympic coverage represents an ideal opportunity to court a massive audience, it certainly doesn't hurt that it's served with a side of patriotic pride.

Budweiser American Ale also had been in the works well before the InBev buyout: It's intention is to edge in on the growing craft beer market, hopefully grabbing Anheuser-Busch a piece of the action while wooing some attention back to their flagship. Reasserting Budweiser as the "Great American Lager" is definitely a nice segue into introducing the next great "American Ale." But A-B marketing has got to at least be thinking, Don't you love it when a plan comes together! Naive isn't a word that comes to mind when I think of the big boys down at Bud, so I bet the more this whole InBev/patriotism thing feels like a coincidence, the better job they're doing.

For my entire life, when it came to American breweries, three names came to mind: Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors. Well, in 2002, Miller was purchased by South African Breweries to form SABMiller. In 2005, Coors merged with Canada's Molson to form Molson Coors. And now, the multi-continent conglomerate InBev is buying Anheuser-Busch. It's enough to make your head-spin: You shouldn't need an M.B.A. to get tipsy.

The question becomes, with all of these international buyouts, what true blue American breweries are left?

A lot of companies have been quick to fly the American flag, but fittingly, the new #1 American owned brewery takes their brand name from an American patriot. Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams, is now not only America's largest "craft brewer", it's also the country's largest domestically owned brewery. If that doesn't further blur the line between the modern craft brewery and their macro counterparts, I don't know what does.

So who are in line to be the new "Big 3"? Breaking it down strictly by 2007's beer sales volume here you go: 1) Boston Beer (makers of Sam Adams), 2) Yuengling, and 3) Sierra Nevada.

Surprised? I was. See the entire list (compiled by the not-for-profit Brewers Association) here.

InBev of Belgium, the world's biggest brewer, is said to be preparing a takeover of Anheuser-Busch. Anheuser-Busch is headquartered in my home, St. Louis, Missouri, and has been operating here independently for 156 years. Most of us here in St. Louis have some connection to Anheuser-Busch that goes beyond their beer and the thought of losing them has us a bit worried.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently listed just some of the Anheuser-Busch related institutions in our town:

• Baseball games at Busch stadium
• Free brewery tours
• Grant's farm, a wildlife preserve owned by Anheuser-Busch where visitors can also sample free beer
• Bevo Mill - a restaurant built by Anheuser-Busch on the eve of Prohibition to make saloon-going seem more respectable
• August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area - a 7,000-acre park

My favorite Anheuser-Busch related St. Louis tradition is the free Christmas lights display at the brewery itself. It's beautiful. My second favorite (though if I liked the beer better it would be my first) is that its approximately 6000 St. Louis employees all get a free case of beer every month.

Of course, with a takeover we are worried about losing local jobs, but we are also worried about losing an important member of our community.

Between now and Labor Day, Anheuser-Busch will be selling Michelob ULTRA Fruit Infused Beers - a line-up of three new flavors available in a 12-bottle variety pack, or a single flavor 6-pack. The flavors include Pomegranate Raspberry, Lime Cactus and Tuscan Orange Grapefruit.

From their website, they recommend certain food pairings for each flavor. They state:

Pomegranate Raspberry: Serve with marinated pork and fresh vegetables. The subtle hint of berry in the beer plays off the tenderness of the meat and the light carbonation brings out the flavors in most grilled vegetables.

Tuscan Orange Grapefruit: Serve with lighter foods such as salads and grilled chicken. The tanginess of grapefruit and clean citrus taste enhances the overall flavor of these dishes.

Lime Cactus: Serve with ethnic fare such as spicy chorizo-based dish or carne asada tacos because the beer balances the dishes' heat and brings out the subtle smokiness. It also pairs well with seafood.

Though it sounds good in theory, I will reserve judgment until I'm able to sample them myself. Don't be too quick to judge until you've tried them though - remember what happened with Miller Chill not too long ago?

Over the past few years, "Superfoods" such as select berries and other fruits, have been making headlines due to the high level of nutrients, antioxidants, and assorted other health benefits they reportedly deliver. Though it was difficult to source them from anywhere but health food stores or possibly your local smoothie / juice bar, they are readily becoming more available in mainstream North American products.

Anheuser-Busch has just added Goji, a small, red berry found in a remote area of Tibet, to their existing '180 Energy Drink' line. The berry is believed to increase energy and stimulate rejuvenation, and apparently contains one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit recorded. According to AB, "180 Red with Goji" contains carbonated water; sucrose; Goji berry juice; acerola juice; guarana for natural caffeine; vitamins B-6, B-12 and C; and lychee natural flavor.

Late last year, the company also released "180 Blue" which is made from the super-berry Açai, found in the Amazonian jungles of Brazil.

Back in August, we started looking at a category of beer that is getting increasingly popular as awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance grows: gluten free beer. At the time Anheuser-Busch was just starting to test their own gluten-free brew, but it must have been a success because the company is now ready to release their newest product. Redbridge beer is completely wheat and gluten-free and is described as a "full-bodied lager brewed from sorghum for a well-balanced, moderately hopped taste." It contains 4.8% alcohol per bottle and will be sold in six packs at higher end grocery stories (described as "stores carrying organic products) and in some restaurants.

This marks the first truly mainstream GF beer on the market, as others like Bard's Tale Beer's Dragon's Gold and Ramapo Valley Brewery's Passover Honey Beer are all produced by small breweries in small batches and are not available everywhere.

As of next month, Rolling Rock will be produced in Newark, NJ, not Latrobe, PA, its home of over 60 years. Anheuser-Busch acquired the green-bottled lager back in May. Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light will be brewed from a new water source, but the AB brewmasters have managed to keep the taste the same, according to a press release. "We locate our breweries where we know we have an excellent source of fresh water. And, of course, Newark is no different," one brewmaster told the Associated Press. Ah, the sparkling waters of Newark. The bottle will also keep the 33, as well as its other painted lettering.

One of the things that is largely off limits to anyone with celiac disease is beer. Almost all beers are made with malted barley and other gluten-containing ingredients, such as wheat, barley, rye and/or oats.

New Grist is a beer that is brewed entirely gluten-free using sorghum, hops, water, rice and gluten-free yeast grown on molasses. It is produced by the Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is available in approximately 1/3 of the country. Right now, New Grist is carried by stores that include Whole Foods, which is likely to make the beer more widely available.

To get an idea of how in-demand such a product is, it is interesting to note the Anheuser Busch is actually testing a gluten-free brew of their own. It isn't ready for the market yet, but simply the fact that the country's largest brewery is interested in offering what many would consider to be a niche market means that celiacs are being recognized as a significant portion of the population.

Other gluten-free beer options include Dragon's Gold and HB (formerly called Passover Honey Beer).

Budweiser is official beer of World Cup, the most internationally watched sporting event in the world. They bought the rights for the 2002 and 2006 games for about $80 million in 1998 - before they knew where those games were to be hosted. The problem is that this year's World Cup is hosted by Germany and Germans don't like Budweiser.

For Germans, beer and football (soccer, for the Americans) go hand in hand and Germans are some of the biggest beer drinkers in the world - with many outstanding brews coming from their own country. The prospect of having to drink only Budweiser at the games was something of a slap in the face to German brewers. One fan, cited the Wall Street Journal, even said "This is just the worst beer you could imagine." Bad publicity poured from fans and the press. And to make matters worse, the beer had to be sold as "Anheuser Busch Bud" because of a legal battle over the Budweiser name rights with a Czech brewer that makes "Budweis" beer.

With the prospect of millions of potential beer drinkers, both in stadiums and at home, Budweiser knew they had to do something. Fast.