Alex Rodriguez joins Anheuser-Busch as co-owner, chairman for Presidente beer

A-Rod expected to help grow the brand in the United States

After years of hitting the field, "A-Rod" is grabbing a cold one.

Alex Rodriguez has joined Anheuser-Busch as a co-owner and chairman for the Dominican Republic’s Presidente beer, which was acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2012.

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Anheuser-Busch announced the partnership with the former New York Yankees slugger, who is also a FOX baseball analyst, at the company's Anheuser-Busch’s annual sales and marketing communications meeting in Houston where the entrepreneur took the stage to raise a cold one to Presidente.

Presidente

Rodriguez formally hit the diamond in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft. Throughout his 22-year career, the athlete rose to the pinnacle of "America’s pastime."

The 44-year-old, who was born Dominican immigrants and spent the majority of his childhood between Miami and the Dominican Republic, says his roots make this partnership more meaningful for him.

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“Growing up as a Dominican-American in the U.S., Presidente was not only a beer, it was part of our community. It connected my parents to their home and was a part of every major community event, big or small,” Rodriguez said in a statement from Anheuser-Busch . “It is truly an honor to get behind a brand with such a deep connection to my heritage and culture, and I cannot wait to help build its future.”

The beer has long been considered a "powerful symbol of Dominican culture both stateside and abroad" Anheuser-Busch said.

In 2012, a unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev bought a controlling stake in the Dominican Republic-based brewer Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana, the maker of Presidente for a more than $1.2 billion deal that helped Anheuser-Busch create one of the biggest beverage companies in the Caribbean, Reuters reported. 

“We could not be more excited about this partnership with Alex Rodriguez, who is himself an incredible ambassador for the Dominican culture," said Ricardo Marques, group vice president of marketing for value and core, Anheuser-Busch. "Presidente is the number one Dominican beer brand in the world with tremendous growth potential here in the U.S. on the back of this unique partnership."

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Some experts say this partnership is sure to be a "Grand Slam" helping to soar the brand's sales in upcoming quarters, business owner and retail expert Tom Maoli told Fox Business.

"The former New York Yankees slugger is no stranger to hitting home runs and having A-Rod as the chairman is a Grand Slam," Maoli said. "By the way, let's not forget he is engaged to Jennifer Lopez, so you get two influencers for the price of one."

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As chairman of Presidente USA, Rodriguez will help grow the brand presence in the U.S., according to the company.

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