AB InBev has officially confirmed the relaunch of its iconic King of Beers on the German market. The reintroduction of Bud coincides with the upcoming 150th anniversary of the lager created by Eberhard Anheuser and Adolphus Busch, whose roots lie deeply in Germany. According to Arnaud Hanset, President of AB InBev’s Central European Business Unit, the comeback celebrates the enduring legacy of the brand and its mission of “bringing people together and creating moments of celebration.”
The relaunch follows two previous unsuccessful market entries in Germany (inside.beer, 14.08.2025). Like in the past, the beer will again appear under the name Anheuser Busch Bud—a designation already used in the previous attempts in 2001 and 2011. The name helps AB InBev circumvent long-standing trademark conflicts with Bitburger and the Czech state-owned brewery Budějovický Budvar, which holds the rights to the Budweiser Budvar brand in Germany.
This time, however, AB InBev is taking a new strategic approach. The beer will initially be distributed exclusively through Rewe, one of Germany’s largest supermarket chains, before expanding to other retail chains and gastronomy outlets in 2026.
The official launch is scheduled for November 9 during the NFL Deutschland Games at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, where the brand will serve as an official partner of the National Football League (NFL). Production for the German market will take place at Beck & Co. in Bremen, according to Inside Getränke.
AB InBev’s decision to relaunch Bud comes amid growing demand for international lager beers in Germany, one of the fastest-growing segments of the market. Despite a 1.4% overall decline in national beer sales to 8.3 billion liters in 2024, the brewer aims to strengthen its European portfolio, where its first-half 2025 beer volumes fell by only 0.1%, outperforming competitors in five of six key markets.
