Budweiser becomes 'America.' Drink up. Or not.


              FILE - In this Thursday, March 5, 2015 file photo, Budweiser beer cans at a concession stand at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida, USA.  Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev has raised its takeover bid for SABMiller to 70.4 billion pounds ($108.2 billion) Monday, Oct. 12, 2015 in its latest effort to win backing for its plan to create “the first truly global beer company.” (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, March 5, 2015 file photo, Budweiser beer cans at a concession stand at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida, USA. Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev has raised its takeover bid for SABMiller to 70.4 billion pounds ($108.2 billion) Monday, Oct. 12, 2015 in its latest effort to win backing for its plan to create “the first truly global beer company.” (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

NEW YORK (AP) -- There's no trademark on America.

Budweiser, now owned by Belgium's AB Inbev, will rename its beer "America" this summer and alter its labels with images and phrases affiliated with the republic.

The red, white and blue campaign is being launched into a very competitive market already foamy with craft beers, and upon a drinking public bracing itself for a presidential election likely to be unlike any before it.

"We are embarking on what should be the most patriotic summer that this generation has ever seen, with Copa America Centenario being held on U.S. soil for the first time, Team USA competing at the Rio 2016, Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Ricardo Marques, vice president at Budweiser.

The Copa America Centenario is a ceremonial soccer tournament typically held in South America.

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