Why Garth Brooks decided to offer every brand of beer including Bud Light at his new bar
Country singer turned bar owner Garth Brooks isn’t backing down about serving Bud Light at his new Nashville honky-tonk after boycott was threatened.
Country music singer Garth Brooks caused “a little bit of a stir” last week when he said that his new honky-tonk bar in Nashville will serve “every brand of beer” including Bud Light. The once Number One brand of beer in the US found itself in the middle of the culture wars and came under fire, literally in a video posted by Kid Rock, from the right-wing in April after it partnered with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The top Anheuser-Busch beer and other labels associated with the St Louis-based brewer have been dealing with a boycott that has seen sales plummet. But none more so than Bud Light. It wasn’t merely Brook’s choice to serve the brand that has offended much of its core drinkers, but also comments the legendary singer made around why he’ll have it at his Friends in Low Places bar opening this summer.
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Why Garth Brooks decided to offer every brand of beer including Bud Light at his new bar
“I know this sounds corny. I want it to be the Chick-fil-A of honky-tonks … I want it to be a place you feel safe in. I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another,” the Country Music Hall of Famer told Melinda Newman during a Q&A discussion on Billboard Country Live.
“And yes, we’re going to serve every brand of beer. We just are. It’s not our decision to make. Our thing is this, if you come into this house, love one another. If you’re an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on Lower Broadway to go,” he added.
The last part is what really got some people foaming, those who felt offended by his remarks took to social media to vent their anger. Some said that they were going to burn CD’s of his music they owned and threatened to spread the boycott of Bud Light to his honky-tonk.
Garth Brooks addresses backlash, says beer selection up to “the bosses”
Monday, during a livestream on his Inside Studio G, Brooks didn’t back down about his decision and defended it by saying that he is always going to be inclusive and believed in diversity of opinions.
“I get it, everybody’s got their opinions. But inclusiveness is always going to be me. I think diversity is the answer to the problems that are here and the answer to the problems that are coming. So, I love diversity. All inclusive. So all are welcome. I understand that might not be other people’s opinions, but that’s OK, man... They have their beliefs, I have mine.”
Brooks said as a bar owner, it’s not his place to decide what to serve, it’s up to the patrons, “the bosses” as he calls them. And if they don’t want to buy a certain beer, then he has to go talk to the distributor and tell them “man your stuff’s not selling.”
“So, here’s the deal, man, if you want to come to Friends in Low Places, come in. But come in with love, come in with tolerance, patience. Come in with an open mind, and it’s cool,” he told viewers.