Olympic officials defended brewer
Anheuser-Busch as a Salt Lake physician tried to
step up his campaign to take alcohol out of
sports promotion.

Salt Lake Organizing Committee President Mitt
Romney said he didn't have a problem with
Anheuser-Busch being an Olympic sponsor.

``They're an excellent company, they're very
generous in support of the Games and I'm
pleased they decided to support the Olympic
Games,'' he said.

Van Komen is a familiar critic at the Salt Lake
Organizing Committee, where officials say he's
fighting a losing cause. Van Komen ``is such an
absolutist that he wanted somehow to prohibit
any advertising of beer, even on television
stations,'' said Olympic trustee and Salt Lake
City Mayor Rocky Anderson.

Anderson dismissed Van Komen as an extremist
whose positions never will prevail. The mayor
said Anheuser-Busch is ``a great Olympic
sponsor'' paying more than dlrs 40 million to
support the U.S. and Salt Lake Olympic
committees.

Anheuser-Busch put out a statement saying it
has been an Olympic sponsor since 1984.

``There is no company that is more committed
to the responsible consumption of alcohol than
Anheuser-Busch,'' Vice President of Consumer
Affairs Francine Katz said Thursday in the
statement.

Salt Lake organizers have designated an official
beer, champagne and wine, though Olympic rules
technically prohibit them from awarding sponsorships to
tobacco companies or hard liquor distillers.
Source: Associated Press




Additional resources:

REMEMBERING FALSTAFF A history of the Falstaff Brewing Corporation including the Lemp and Griesedieck families. HISTORY OF THE JOS. SCHLITZ BREWING COMPANY Enjoyable and comprehensive look at the venerable Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company by author Mile Reilly. CHICAGO'S HISTORIC BREWING INDUSTRY A comprehensive study of the Windy City's old brewing industry. Click on "Interesting Links" in the left colums for more information on beer & brewing.