ATLANTA — Want a Sam Adams beer? Don’t go to the Browns Bridge Exxon Station in Gainesville.
The store has pulled all the beer, made in New England by the Boston Beer Company, off the shelves until after the Atlanta Falcons play the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
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The store is gaining national attention for their unique way of supporting the home team.
The store’s manager, Viral Chhadua, placed a note on the refrigerator saying, “We will NOT be selling any Sam Adams until after the Super Bowl #RiseUp.”
He then posted the photo on the store's Facebook page, where it was shared thousands of times.
If that wasn’t enough, Chhadua then posted in the comments that they will be promoting SweetWater Brewing Company’s Atlanta-based beers instead.
“We're promoting your ATLANTA based beer instead so if you guys want to send us to the Super Bowl we wouldn't hate ya for it,” he wrote.
Chhadua says he did it to show the country that Atlanta is a passionate sports town, something that a Boston Globe writer tried to debunk in a recent article.
“I was just kind of irritated at the shot that he took at the Atlanta fan base and the Atlanta teams,” Chhadua told Channel 2 Action News.
He says that article is what sparked his decision to remove the beer from the shelves and post it on Facebook.
“Share and show the world Atlanta has AWESOME FANS!” the post reads.
Chhadua says the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s been positive from the Falcons’ fans and of course not so friendly from the Boston fans, but they’ve been good sports. They’re laughing at it and enjoying the banter,” he said.
He says the station is even getting prank calls now asking if they sell Sam Adams.
His answer will be no, at least until Feb. 6.
The CEO of Boston Beer Company responded with humor to the store's decision, according to the Boston Globe.
“We know what it’s like to be superfans of your hometown football team, so there’s no hard feelings,” Jim Koch told the Boston Globe. “This isn’t the first time we’ve been banned before the big game (ahem, four rings), and we hope it won’t be the last. We’ll be toasting our hometown team with Sam Adams alongside New England fans everywhere.”
The Atlanta Falcons will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Feb.5 in Houston.