Patent and trademark offfice of United States

Dial-a-beer? Anheuser-Busch brewery applies to trademark telephone area code of 15 cities

Inspiration: Anheuser-Busch filed its application following the success of Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat Ale

As America's biggest brewer, it can't exactly claim to produce craft beers.

But it seems Anheuser-Busch InBev is so keen to develop a local flavour that it's turning to an unlikely source - telephone codes.

The company is trying to trademark the signature area codes of 15 major U.S. cities, in what industry experts say is an attempt to create a range of local-sounding beers.

The move comes just months after the firm acquired the makers of Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat Ale, which is named after Chicago's telephone code.

The beer has become the city's second most popular craft brand since it was launched in 2004, and it seems Anheuser-Busch is hoping to follow on from its marketing success.

It has filed applications to trademark 15 distinctive codes, including Washington's 202, Nashville's 615 and San Francisco's 415.

Scott Slavick, a trademark law specialist, told the Chicago Tribune: 'My guess is they want to come out with sort of local-sounding beer products. People enjoy thinking that they're getting beer from a particular area.'

Anheuser-Busch produces brands including Budweiser and Becks, and accounts for almost 50 per cent of U.S. beer sales.

America's biggest: Anheuser-Busch produces beer brands including Budweiser and Bud Light, and accounts for almost half of the U.S. market

The firm's latest move comes just months after it pledged to invest $1.3million into Fulton Street Brewery, which produces Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat Ale.

It filed the application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May.

The other cities on the list include Dallas (303), Philadelphia (215) and Houston (713).

A spokesman for the USPTO said there was no legal reason why a company couldn't trademark an area code.

Fulton Street Brewery already holds registered trademarks for 312 Urban Wheat and 312 Urban Wheat Ale Goose Island Chicago.

The beer's unusual name was chosen after a disagreement between the company's founder, John Hall, and his son, Greg.

The elder Mr Hall was determined that the beer should still include Goose Island in the name, but his son wanted it to be linked to the city - so they settled on the 312 brand.

Anheuser-Busch has not yet officially said what it plans to do with the names.