I don't know about Mickey D's, but Budweiser is a fairly highly-regarded imported beer in many places in the world.

Surely, you jest?

Perhaps not in Europe where they know better, but I know first hand that Budweiser gets the same respect in Japan that, for instance, Heineken gets in the U.S.

Actually, I've heard second-hand that Bud is indeed well-liked in Germany. Something about their brewing laws.

I think I'm right in saying that Budweiser doesn't even count as beer under German law because of its ingredients. And I recall hearing that Anheuser-Busch have done a deal that allows the selling of a European brew.

I can't say what the Japanese think, although I confess that their standards for beer aren't very high. Sapporo is good enough (although, I think, kind of bland), but Kirik Ichiban is pretty bad.

Germany's "beer law" is called the "Reinheitsgebot" and was passed in 1516. It states that anything sold as beer can only contain four ingredients: water, barley, hops, and yeast. However, a relatively recent EU ruling said that the law only applies to beer made in Germany because they wanted to encourage free trade. A quick Google search for Germany and Reinheitsgebot or "beer purity law" should give you all the info you want.

And since Bud accounts for less than 1% of the beer market in Germany and less than 2% in all of Europe, I don't think it's that repected or popular.

On the other hand: The new Bud Select is pretty decent. It's no Newcastle (O! Sweet Newcastle!), but it's quite worth the price.