In what we can only call a ballsy attempt to keep American drinkers blindfolded to what the company is really up too, Anheuser-Busch will launch “American Ale” this week.

In a press release, Dave Peacock, the vice president of marketing for Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. points out that the original Budweiser, which dates to 1876 and which the company calls “The Great American Lager,” is just that.

“We have to reinforce that more and more,” he said. “We have to appeal to a large group of consumers and it raises the image of the brand.”

Dave is of course referring to the fact that “more and more” consumers are realizing that A-B will no longer be an American owned company.

The saddest part of the release however isn't the news that A-B is attempting to create a beer to compete with craft brews, but that overall sales of all A-B products were up 2 percent this summer with help from the new Bud Light Lime!  Let me repeat that last part in bold caps for those that miss the surprising part… BUD LIGHT LIME!