Free beer: Anheuser-Busch to dole out brews to mark vaccine progress

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LOS ANGELES - Earlier this month, Anheuser-Busch said it would "buy Americans 21+ a round of beer" if President Joe Biden meets his goal of getting 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by Independence Day.

While the White House will fall short of that goal, Anheuser-Busch says it will still make good on its promise "to reward the country for its vaccination progress."

In order to grab a free brew, consumers can "go to MyCooler.com/beer and upload a picture of you in your favorite place to grab a beer, whether with friends at your favorite local bar and restaurant, with family in your own backyard, or at a ballgame with colleagues," the company wrote in a press release.

"Earlier this month, Anheuser-Busch proudly joined the White House’s efforts to meet President Biden’s goal of getting 70% of American adults partially vaccinated by July 4," the company wrote.

"While the country is still working to achieve that milestone, in line with the White House’s encouragement to be back together again this weekend in celebration of our progress as a nation, the company is making good on its promise to reward the country for its vaccination progress by giving consumers ‘a round on us’ this holiday weekend," the news release read.

The company said it will also celebrate the nation’s vaccine progress by showcasing actor Bill Pullman, who will reprise his role as president from the film "Independence Day" to give a speech similar to his iconic scene in the 1996 movie.

"I can’t imagine a better or more meaningful moment to reprise this iconic role than Independence Day this year," said Pullman. "I am proud to partner with Budweiser on its continued efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccination awareness and education. While the world has overcome so much in the past year and a half, there is still more work to be done. I hope this film can serve as a beacon of hope and progress for our country and beyond."

Biden has been touring the country to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations. More than 66% of adults have gotten at least one jab — and 57.2% were fully vaccinated as of June 30, according to data shared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

White House officials, while acknowledging they are set to just miss the goal, insist they’re unconcerned.

"We don’t see it exactly like something went wrong," press secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this week, stressing that Americans’ lives are still better off than they were when Biden announced the goal.

Back in March, Biden projected a July Fourth holiday during which Americans would be able to safely gather in small groups for outdoor barbecues — a milestone reached by the U.S. months ago. Nearly all states have lifted their virus restrictions, businesses and schools are open and large gatherings are resuming nationwide.

"The most important metric at the end of the day is: What are we able to do in our lives? How much of ‘normal’ have we been able to recapture?" said Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. "And I think what we are seeing now is that we have exceeded our expectations."

The lengths to which the U.S. is resorting to convince Americans to take a shot stands in contrast to much of the world, where vaccines are far less plentiful. Facing a mounting U.S. surplus, On May 17, Biden announced that "over the next six weeks, the United States of America would send 80 million doses overseas.

"All over the world people are desperate to get a shot that every American can get at their neighborhood drugstore," Biden said.

Thanks to the vaccinations, the rate of cases and deaths in the U.S. are at their lowest since the beginning of the pandemic last March.

This story was reported from Los Angeles. Kelly Hayes and The Associated Press contributed.