• by Tanya Gazdik , November 4, 2014

With Halloween in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for beer companies to shift from pumpkin-themed beer flavors and promotions into full holiday gear.

Budweiser takes the lead with the announcement that, in honor of Thanksgiving, the beer maker is introducing a limited-edition, handmade wooden crate with 18 Budweisers and two pilsner glasses inside in time for “Friendsgiving” (their twist on Thanksgiving.) The beers feature authentic classic labels from 1918, 1933 and 1976.

The years commemorate three important dates in the beer maker’s history:1918 — the last label before Prohibition; 1933 — the first label following the repeal of Prohibition, and 1976 — the Budweiser brand’s 100th anniversary.

Only 10,000 of the wooden crates — handmade by Vintage Editions in North Carolina — will be available, hitting shelves across the country this week.

Budweiser, meanwhile, will do a full conversion of 1.6 million cases of 12-, 18- and 24-pack bottles to feature the classic labels. Those lucky enough to find one of the 10,000 crates are encouraged to share images of their own holiday parties on social media, using the hashtag #HolidayBuds.

The beer company debuts a new TV spot, “Invitations,” which stars real people answering the question, “If you could grab a Bud with any of your friends this holiday season, who would it be … and why?”

Later this month, Budweiser will take two lucky people from the spots and make those reunions happen with friends they haven’t seen in years. The real-life hometown reunions will be filmed as a sequel to the initial commercial, for new spots airing in early December.

Friends of the brand are getting into the holiday spirit as well. Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS will feature a special paint scheme in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Nov. 9 at Phoenix International Raceway, replicating Budweiser’s classic holiday packaging.