SeaWorld joins Busch Gardens in offering free beer this summer

SeaWorld is joining its sister park, Busch Gardens, in offering free cups of beer this summer.

Guests 21 and up can receive up to two complimentary 7-ounce beers per visit at Mama's Pretzel Kitchen Patio in the park starting Friday through Sept. 2.

The park will rotate beer offerings throughout the summer starting off with SeaWorld's very own Mako Red Ale. Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Yuengling and more will also be featured throughout the summer.

Busch Gardens, which is owned by the same parent company, announced last month that it would offer free beer May 1 through Aug. 5 in the Tampa theme park.

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For 50 years, free beer was a Busch Gardens signature. The Tampa park opened in 1959 as a marketing vehicle for former owner Anheuser-Busch, and the park's Hospitality House gave out samples of Anheuser-Busch products. Employees were allowed two cases of free Budweiser beer per month. SeaWorld also offered guests free beer.

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But after the Blackstone Group bought SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, the park announced in 2009 that the pavilion would be converted to a restaurant with no more freebies. SeaWorld also stopped handing out free beer that year.

Contact Sharon Kennedy Wynne at swynne@tampabay.com. Follow @SharonKWn.