Newcastle Toasts Britain on ‘Independence Eve’

British beer brand Newcastle Brown Ale is getting in on the action of Independence Day-related beer promotions by creating its own holiday: "Independence Eve."

The beer maker will celebrate Independence Eve on July 3 by whimsically exploring how great America could have been if Great Britain had won the Revolutionary War. The "If We Won" program features 16 pieces of filmed content to help Newcastle celebrate the land that nearly became "Great Britain 2."

The program includes several "alternate history" videos imagining how different America might have been if the Brits had won, tongue-in-cheek Revolutionary War re-re-enactments, and more. The series also features several film shorts starring a lineup of celebrity talent, including British actress Elizabeth Hurley; Stephen Merchant, Golden Globe-winning British actor and co-creator of "The Office"; and Zachary Quinto, an American actor best known for his roles in "Heroes," "Star Trek" and "American Horror Story."

Each video will be made available at www.IfWeWon.com between now and the Independence Eve "holiday.: Fans can follow @Newcastle on Twitter and "like" Newcastle's Facebook page for even more Independence Eve content.

"It's not easy to sell a British beer during a supremely American holiday, so we're imagining how great America could have been -- and how much beer we could have sold -- if the Brits had won the Revolutionary War," said Quinn Kilbury, brand director for Newcastle Brown Ale. "In the late 1700s, colonial Americans risked life and limb to fight for their freedom. Today, we're running the very real risk of people totally not getting the joke here, and we think that's pretty patriotic."

Newcastle Brown Ale is imported by White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA, a subsidiary of Heineken International BV.