Fact Check: Did Oktoberfest ban Budweiser for the first time in 75 years? Viral post debunked

A fictional story about Budweiser and Bud Light being banned from Oktoberfest 2023 was making the rounds on social media. However, the claim has no truth to it. This story was published by Patriot Party Press and The Dunning-Kruger Times. Both these websites are subsidiaries of America’s Last Line of Defense (LLOD), a media outlet that publishes satirical articles online.

This is not the first time that claims made by these pages have created confusion. Previously, these websites have made similar inauthentic claims, which had to be repeatedly fact-checked by authentic news outlets.

The rumor about the beer brewing brand surfaced online in light of the conservative backlash to Bud Light’s partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

According to the fake article, for the first time in 75 years, Bud Light or Budweiser would not be served as complementary drinks at this year’s Oktoberfest. The fest is held annually at Bavaria’s Munich in Germany.

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The false claims about Budweiser as per the satirical story

The Dunning-Kruger Times added a disclaimer that everything published by the website is pure fiction. No such announcement about banning Budweiser has been officially made by either the beer company or Oktoberfest.

The article, written by Flagg Eagleton, stated that every year, millions of people travel to Oktoberfest, the world’s largest Volksfest. The carnival goes on for six days. However, one major brand will be removed from the beer festival this year. Flagg wrote that Joseppi Barrona, the organizer of Oktoberfest, has claimed that the carnival is for fun, food, and festivities rather than for “political posturing.”

The author went on to include a fabricated statement from the fest organizer, which read:

“We don’t want to turn this into a gay versus straight versus trans versus guy with a red hat American-style issue that ends with dumb boycotts and a mass shooting. We want our Oktans to keep inviting us back.”

The statement continued that only the controversial brands - Bud Light and Budweiser, have been asked not to attend this year’s fest. It added that these beer brewers don’t represent Bavarian brewing, regardless of what the name Anheuser-Busch suggests.

The article stated that according to Oktoberfest’s 2022 menu, the two beer brands were listed as complementary beers available throughout the festival at self-pour stations. The Dunning-Kruger Times claimed that last year’s menu stated:

“Due to the low alcohol content and lack of flavor, Anheuser Busch’s flagship products are deemed suitable for children over 16.”

According to the article's author, Flagg Eagleton, Bavaria's legal drinking age is 9. Flagg concluded the article by saying that no matter what the beer brand does, it has been way too tainted to keep up with, and experts believe its end is near.

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Netizens react to the false claims about Budweiser

As soon as the story about Budweiser's ban from Oktoberfest was published on these satirical websites, the news was shared on social media platforms as well. Many Twitter users already believed it to be true, while others questioned the ridiculousness of the story and questioned its credibility.

Some people who have already protested against Bud Light's collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney and supported the boycott called by other right-wingers and conservatives have rejoiced at the news. Unfortunately, the claims remain untrue for them as no such statements have been made by the organizers of Oktoberfest.

Many users shared the article on Twitter directly from The Dunning-Kruger Times' website. However, readers' context was added to these tweets, which clarified that The Dunning-Kruger Times is a satirical website.

Neither Budweiser nor Oktoberfest have made any comments about these claims yet.