White House, Anheuser-Busch Promise Free Beer for Everyone if U.S. Hits Vaccine Target

Earlier this week, President Joe Biden called for a "National Month of Action," and provided several incentives that the administration hopes will help the United States get to a point where 70% of eligible adults are at least partially vaccinated against the coronavirus by the Fourth of July. One of the most refreshing ones? Free beer.

"It's going to take everyone, everyone—the federal government, the state governments, local, tribal and territorial governments, private sector, and most importantly the American people—to get to this 70% mark so we can declare our independence from Covid-19 and free ourselves from the grip it has held over us, our lives, for the better part of a year," President Biden said, according to CNN. Some of the country's biggest pharmacies will be extending their hours every Friday during the month of June, to give people some additional opportunities to get their shots and many childcare providers have offered free drop-in childcare while parents and guardians go to their vaccine appointments. One of the most welcome incentives as the summer heat rolls in? Anheuser-Busch has promised to buy every American (of legal drinking age) a beer if the country hits that 70% number by July 4.

"That's right. Get a shot and have a beer," Biden added. "Free beer for everyone 21 years or over to celebrate the independence from the virus." Anheuser-Busch is calling this "its biggest beer giveaway in history," and since this could theoretically involve almost 200 million brews—if literally every eligible adult takes them up on the offer—that's probably true. Once Biden's vaccination goal is reached, the only thing that adults of legal drinking age would need to do in order to collect a complimentary beer, seltzer, non-alcoholic beverage, or anything else that Anheuser-Busch produces, is to upload a picture of themselves "in their favorite place to grab a beer" at MyCooler.com/Beer. That's it. (And if that sounds similar to some of the other "free beer for getting vaxxed" offers that have materialized in the past several months, that's because it is!)

"At Anheuser-Busch, we are committed to supporting the safe and strong recovery of our nation and being able to be together again at the places and with the people we have missed so much," Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris said in a statement. "We pride ourselves on stepping up both in times of need and in times of great celebration, and the past year has been no different. As we look ahead to brighter days with renewed optimism, we are proud to work alongside the White House to make a meaningful impact for our country, our communities and our consumers."

You might not want to spend that money you've set aside for beer just yet: according to the most recent data from the Washington Post, 50.9% of Americans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and 41.2% are fully vaccinated. In order to hit Biden's 70% target, another 20 million adults will need to receive their shots by July 4th. If you have friends and family member who are hesitant, you could always offer to buy them a beer if they get vaxxed before the Fourth of July. After all, we'll all hopefully be drinking free beer by Independence Day.