Hulk Hogan Entering the Ring with “Real American Beer”
April 26, 2024 – America is about to get a new beer. And this one, we’re being informed, is “real.”
The federal government has approved a label for “Real American Beer,” a light beer that appears to be the brainchild of former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. The label features his signature, as well as a heroic image of him brandishing the American flag.
According to records, the product is being produced by Great Central Brewing Company, a contract brewer based out of Chicago, Illinois, whose clients have included Funk Brewing, Warpigs, and Kings & Convicts. However, the can label also lists “The Real American La Crosse WI” as another potential future brewer.
A quick corporation search did not reveal any companies called “The Real American,” however La Crosse is home to City Brewery, the massive contract brewer that also produces products for Pabst Brewing, New Belgium, and Constellation Brands, among others. It does not appear that a trademark has been filed for “Real American Beer” either.
While at first glance, the retired WWE wrestler seems like a natural fit for a beer endorsement, the deal is complicated by the fact that Hogan has openly talked about how he gave up drinking last year. “I caught myself…getting too aggressive with alcohol,” he told Men’s Health in June, “So I just had to stop it.”
The branding claims that the beer is “Proudly serving the real American spirit,” part of a growing trend of breweries leaning into jingoism to sell their product. After the boycott of Bud Light that began last year over so-called “wokeness,” an ultra-right wing copycat sprang up to profit off the outrage called…well, Ultra Right.
Hogan, on the other hand, seems to be toeing the line a little more by arguing against divisiveness. “America’s at its best when united,” reads the label, “And if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s the simple pleasure of sharing a beer. That’s why we started Real American Beer – to bring people together one beer at a time.”
This tactic is also benefiting from a recent revision to federal regulations on using flags and federal imagery in alcohol labeling. Previously, beers were prohibited from showing the American flag or other federal insignia, “in order to prevent misconceptions that the alcohol beverage is endorsed or otherwise supervised by the U.S. government or the armed forces.” However, in 2020 the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) amended that rule, so now uses of the flag are prohibited only “where they create the impression that there was some sort of endorsement by, or affiliation with, the governmental entity represented.”
So expect to see more flag-waving in the beer aisle soon. Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan isn’t the only wrestler with a beer on the shelves. In 2015, California brewery El Segundo Brewing teamed up with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to create Broke Skull IPA. That series is now their number one beer.