Campaign brewing to get Hindu god Brahma off popular beer

An interfaith coalition is pressing the world's largest brewer to remove the name of a Hindu god from a popular beer that dates to the late 1800s — a dispute the beermaker insists is a case of mistaken identity.

The group, which includes representatives of the Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religions, is calling on Belgium-based brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV to rename its Brahma line, a favourite in Brazil.

Brahma was first produced in 1888 by Companhia Cervejaria Brahma, a Brazilian brewery now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, whose massive lineup of 500 brands includes Budweiser, Bud Light, Corona and Stella Artois.

Beers sold under the Brahma name include a lager, a double malt, a wheat beer and a chocolate stout.

“It is the right time to fix an old wrong — the trivialising of the faith of our Hindu brothers and sisters for about 132 years," coalition spokesperson Rajan Zed told The Associated Press on Tuesday.