It shouldn't be a surprise that the future of beer prices in America should depend on Buffalo, New York. After all, Buffalo brought us the Buffalo wings, and ... some other stuff having to do with beer.

Most importantly, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse are all big fans of European-owned brew Labatt Blue (and its low-calorie sibling, Labatt Blue Light). Such big fans, it turns out, that they are responsible for 50% of the Labatt Blue consumption in the U.S. Upstate New York is also a big fan of Budweiser brands, including Bud and Bud Light.

Why does this all matter? Because the U.S. Justice Department is uncomfortable with the people of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, New York having to pay more for beer. Yesterday a judge ruled that InBev SA, the owner of Labatt Blue and the hopeful suitor of Anheuser-Busch, would have to sell Labatt USA if it wanted to buy Budweiser.

People of Buffalo, New York, take heed: the U.S. Justice Department cares about how much you have to pay for your beer!

When I was a college freshman, Budweiser truly was the king of beers. Most of the time, my drink of choice was either Natural Light or Milwaukee's Best (aka "beast"), both of which were godawfully cheap and amazingly easy to guzzle. From time to time, though, my friends and I would pool our resources, clean out the couch cushions and prevail on an older friend to pick us up a sixer of the famed Bud. And, to be honest, between its diuretic effects and bread-like flavor, Budweiser proved itself to be a handy celebratory tipple.

As time went on, my tastes matured and I began experimenting with other supercheap brands like Mickey's, Genesee, and Miller Genuine Draft. Still, part of my heart always belonged to the king, and even now, years later, I sometimes feel the urge to crack open a Bud. Of course, I generally sip a bottle of bock or hefeweisen until the feeling passes. Still, I was shocked when I read about the possible purchase of Budweiser. Never mind its German name, Budweiser is still the iconic American beer.

On the other hand, iconic American names seem to mean less and less nowadays, when General Motors uses the "Vauxhall" name overseas, Chrysler was owned by Daimler, and most electronic components are made in China. For that matter, InBev, the Belgian firm that has announced a takeover bid for Anheuser-Busch, also owns signature beers from numerous other countries, including Canada (Labatt), Germany (Beck's), the Czech Republic (Staropramen), and the United Kingdom (Bass). While I can't speak for all of InBev's 200 brands, I can absolutely state that Staropramen is as good as it ever was (which, by the way, is pretty damned good).