Fans encouraged to drink British beer during the World Cup
Brits are being asked by campaigners to opt for homegrown independent beer while watching the World Cup this summer.
Are we supporting British teams by drinking American beer?
“Why are we drinking American beer to support the home nations in the World Cup?” That’s the question being asked by The Indie Beer campaigners who are imploring that Brits really consider the beer they are choosing this year in pubs, bars and homes across the UK.
American mega brand Budweiser is the official beer of the FIFA World Cup 2026, but British fans are being encouraged to buy alternative pints – whether that’s in England or Scotland who are in the competition, or Wales and Northern Ireland who missed out this year.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway, drinks companies have become increasingly hopeful that the football can matches will help lift sales with many big drinks firms investing heavily in the tournament.
Despite everyone becoming hopeful, highlighting the predicament it puts independent British brewers in to have the tournament taken over by the highest paying companies that are seeking exposure and gaining bar space, Indie Beer campaigner Neil Walker asked Brits to consider how supportive people were being to the beer businesses that truly support the nation with their genuine locality and grassroots authenticity.
Reconsidering what’s in the glass
Walker said: “Britain is one of the world’s greatest brewing nation’s, with a beer heritage which stretches back hundreds of years and a thriving independent brewing sector today making world-class brews – but for some reason when it comes to supporting the home-nations for football, British beer goes out of the window.”
To make the request more viable, the campaigners have reiterated that there is a tool that helps people find their local breweries and a ‘brewery checker’ that allows anyone to check whether the beer they are buying is a genuine indie “beer” or actually brewed or owned by a global beer giant.
Partner Content
Walker explained: “There are superb independent breweries across the whole of the UK, many of which are making one-off beers specially for the World Cup, so there’s really no reason to support an American lager brand when cheering on England or Scotland over the next few months. Just put your postcode into the indie brewery finder to discover breweries near you, or if you’re in the pub use the brewery checker to see if the beer you’re buying is the real deal or actually owned by a global mega-brand like Bud.”
Are you being duped?
The campaigners have highlighted that The Indie Beer campaign was initially launched to make it easier for beer drinkers to find out whether the beer they’re drinking is a genuine independent brewery after a string of buyouts made things confusing for consumers.
Added to this, the campaigners pointed out that even ‘craft’ beers that look independent might not be, giving examples of how Beavertown Neck Oil and Brixton Reliance Pale Ale are actually owned by Dutch brewers Heineken, Camden Hells by Budweiser owner AB InBev, and even reminded that real ale Fullers London Pride is owned by Japanese beer giant Asahi.
Use the ‘Brewery Checker’
Walker added: “This isn’t about shifting people away from lager – there are superb lagers, stouts, and a huge range of other styles being brewed by indie breweries in the UK – this is about supporting the beer being brewed in your country when cheering on our teams this summer.”
The Indie Beer campaign includes two tools that are available to beer-lovers looking to support local this summer, an ‘Indie Brewery Finder’ where anyone can add their postcode and find breweries nearby, and a ‘Brewery Checker’ which means people can add the name of any brewery to find out if it is actually owned by a global drinks company or if it is genuinely independent.
Both tools can be accessed via The Indie Beer campaign website.
Related news
