A wrestling legend wants to bring America back together, ‘one beer at a time.’
America’s real beer puts its stuff by being “big as a bud light” with a creative idea that pays tribute to its late founder, Hulk Hogan.
It relies on campaigns like an alligator hunt and a group of girls who claim to be “real American girls” to promote its brand. Everyone at the startup, led by former Anheuser-Busch Inbev executive Terry Francis, is committed to the project. Francis told FOX Business that it had always been Hogan’s dream before his death in July 2025 at the age of 71, not long after launching the company.
“His intention is that this will be bigger than bud light, and … now we have to manage that, and now we have to manage that, adding that Hogan wanted to have a big company to get his wrestling career.
“Real American Beer” was hitting the shelves of Walmart less than a year after launching. (Real American Beer / Fox News)
“I feel I have a deep responsibility to accomplish what he started in the beginning,” said Francis.
The former luminary consultant talks about how the brand has been lost
The Real American Beer girls promote the product at the event. (Real American Beer)
Francis said the company has a creative plan to stand out from competitors who he believes have missed the mark on how to handle beer. He said the company will not be “suppressing the message of beer” but will be part of the ‘unusual times.’ It’s a way of pulling at Hogan, which meant he had a unique ability to please and empower those around him.
Gen Z is breaking traditional beer rules with an Ice-cold brew that some call ‘refreshing’
Real American Beer aims to differentiate itself from competitors by making beer part of a meaningful experience rather than focusing on the product itself. It’s a strategy, according to Francis, that’s not like the big beer marketing, which focuses on the product itself.
The company uses a group of girls called “real American girls” to talk about beer and interact with customers at events. As Francis sees it, the company is putting its face “in a world where there are a lot of innocent products.”
Recently, the company also created a campaign showing people drinking real American beer while feeding alligators.
Alligator hunting expedition with Real American Beer. (Real American Beer)
Real American Beer partners with WWE for special Hulk Hogan COORTACTLE CONT: ‘Hulkamania forever’
The company also plans to capitalize on Country Music and expand its partnership with NASSAR. It also created its own freestyle wrestling league through Fox Nation.
Earlier this year, the company announced a multi-year partnership with WWE, under which real American beer will be featured throughout the WWE FURFMMME program, including “Monday Night Green.”
He also became a minority shareholder in Brand Brand, which is now sold in 20 states. In April, an agreement was secured with Walmart to have stores across eight states in eight states: Florida, Illinois, Idaho, Mork, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The Real American Beer girls promote the product at the event. (Real American Beer)
Find FOX business on the go by clicking here
While Dave Williams, President of Bump Williams Consulting, said that any new beer “will be hard-pressed to be the size of any of the current bud buyers” as “always is” is often read as an opportunity. “
Especially in the domestic lager market, which remains huge, even capturing 1% of the market share can mean huge sales, according to Williams. But that won’t be easy. He pointed out that this is one of the most difficult areas to break into, given that big brands have ways to stay afloat with huge sales and distribution power.
The Real American Beer girls promote the product at the event. (Real American Beer)
Williams noted that some regional species and heritage, such as the lone star, the rainier, the marnaganansett and the genesee, were able to create honest boundaries based on authenticity and local pride. That same appeal is what new labels, like Real American, are trying to tap into, Williams said.
“And there are many times when consumers are still holding out when it comes to buying a new legal brand or current drinkers are looking for their own brand,” Williams said. “There are still many opportunities for any new product to find success. To find a measure which rivals the leader of the category as light as light.”
