Jason Momoa throws shade on Bud Light
The Aquaman actor, currently on a promotional tour for his Meili Vodka brand, let slip that he was brought up on better beers than Bud due to his mother’s job at a brewery.
Jason Momoa is no stranger to the world of drinks.
Having launched his own craft vodka brand Meili in 2023, he went on to become an ambassador for Guinness, co-directing and starring in a TV ad for the Diageo-owned stout brand. He has further revealed that he likes to eat clean during the day “so then at night I can have my three Guinness”.
The Game of Thrones star is currently launching the next phase of Meili Vodka’s UK expansion, led by Birmingham-based indie spirits brand Spirits of Anarchy, with the actor explaining that the brand is all about “balance, authenticity and the people behind the bar.”
Made using “pure Montana water drawn from a 300-million-year-old aquifer and sustainably sourced grains”, Meili Vodka is being positioned as a quality cocktail ingredient, with the UK distributor eyeing up premium venue partnerships, trade engagement and consumer-led experiences throughout 2026 to support its growth.
Brewing in his blood?
Beyond his own projects, it seems Momoa also has family ties to a heritage brewing company, which gave him an early education in “good beer”.
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Speaking to Men’s Health he explained why he has a discerning taste for the stuff. “My mum.. she would just drink good beer,” he said. “My mum used to work for Leinenkugel, and so she just raised me drinking better beers than Bud Light and that shit.”
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Wisconsin is the seventh-oldest brewery in the US, having been founded in 1867. In fact, Leinenkugel’s own light beer (launched in the 1970s) predates the dawn of Bud Light by a good decade — Bud Light was first introduced by Anheuser-Busch in 1982.
However, the paths of the two beer companies briefly collided after the family-owned Leinenkugel was sold in 1988 to Miller Brewing Company (SABMiller), which was in turn purchased in 2016 by Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB inBev), Bud Light owner, for around US$12 billion. Following the acquisition, regulators forced AB inBev to divest many brands, but Molson Coors ended up taking full control of the Miller brand portfolio, including Leinenkugel’s.
Unpopular decision
Last year Molson Coors caused a furore in the beer world when it announced it was permanently closing the original Leinenkugel brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, despite the Leinenkugel family attempting to buy back the company. The move marked the end of a 157-year brewing run in the area and resulted in the loss of 56 jobs. Today, Leinenkugel beer continues to be brewed in Milwaukee.
“With its rich history and incredible lineup of beers, Leinenkugel’s has been an important part of our company for nearly 40 years and that’s not changing,” Molson Coors said in a statement at the time. “While the decision to move brewing to Milwaukee was a challenging one, we are committed to maintaining a strong presence in Chippewa Falls. That’s why we’ll continue taking excellent care of our facilities, opening our doors year-round to thousands of guests. Our pilot brewery will continue serving as an innovation hub…We’re incredibly proud of Leinie’s, the many people in Chippewa Falls who built this brand into what it is today, and what it will continue to be for years to come — a true Wisconsin beer beloved by people across the country.”
Despite the above sentiment, beer lovers were unimpressed by the shuttering, with critic David Infante saying: “From where I’m sitting, if MC has enough money to launch soulless, MBA-brained pander-brands like Happy Thursday, it has enough to secure a piece of the American brewing industry’s soul by continuing to run shandy through the tanks in Chippewa Falls — even if just to preserve its centuries-spanning streak.”
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