Anheuser-Busch to give away free alcohol if US hits Biden’s goal of 70% of adults with at least one Covid vaccine shot by July 4

Anheuser-Busch, the national brewer that produces Budweiser, announced Wednesday it will give away free alcohol if the nation reaches President Joe Biden’s goal to have 70% of US adults receive at least one dose of the vaccine by July 4.

The company said in a news release that if the US reaches that goal, “Anheuser-Busch will buy America’s next round of beer, seltzer, non-alcoholic beverage or other A-B product.” It instructs those 21 and up to upload a picture of themselves at their favorite bar or restaurant and enter to win.

“At Anheuser-Busch, we are committed to supporting the safe and strong recovery of our nation and being able to be together again at the places and with the people we have missed so much. This commitment includes encouraging Americans to get vaccinated, and we are excited to buy Americans 21+ a round of beer when we reach the White House goal,” said Michel Doukeris, CEO of Anheuser-Busch.

Doukeris said in the statement: “We pride ourselves on stepping up both in times of need and in times of great celebration, and the past year has been no different. As we look ahead to brighter days with renewed optimism, we are proud to work alongside the White House to make a meaningful impact for our country, our communities and our consumers.”

The announcement comes ahead of a speech from the White House on Wednesday in which Biden will issue a rallying cry to get people vaccinated ahead of his July 4 deadline, according to a White House official, declaring June a “national month of action” in a speech from the White House.

The President set a new goal last month of administering at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to 70% of the US adult population and having 160 million US adults fully vaccinated by July 4. White House chief of staff Ron Klain said at the time it was an ambitious but reachable goal. As of Wednesday morning, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows 62.8% of the US adult population has received at least one dose and more than 133.5 million American adults are fully vaccinated.

Nearly 51% of the total US population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, and nearly 41% of the total population is fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.

In his speech, Biden will detail efforts to get people vaccinated “by mobilizing national organizations, community-based and faith-based partners, businesses, social media influencers, celebrities, athletes, colleges, young people and thousands of volunteers,” the official added.

Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Biden delivered a message of hope and optimism on the declining number of Covid-19 and increased vaccination rates. Last week, the White House touted the US reaching the milestone of having more than 50% of American adults fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

CDC data shows 12 states have met the Biden administration’s goal to have 70% of adults with at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. California and Maryland recently joined Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont in reaching that benchmark.

Three Covid-19 vaccines have emergency use authorization by the FDA — the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines and the one shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.