FuzzyBrew

Read all entries from the St. Louis beer tour:
Part 1: Schlafly Tap Room || Part 2: Morgan Street fail(s), and a decent Downtown sports bar || Part 3: Six Row Brewing Company || Part 4: Straub’s (Bringing home some beer) || Part 5: Anheuser-Busch

The first time I went on the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour in St. Louis, I was 21 and Bud Light was the greatest gift to man. The brewery was cool, sure, but the “Hospitality Room” was the highlight of the tour.

Twelve years later, my beer palate has changed significantly. I like to taste my beer. I don’t chug, I sip. And I’m now a brewer myself, so I understand a lot more about what makes a beer a good beer.

So on my recent visit to the St. Louis Brewery, I marveled at the massive mash tuns and boil kettles. I appreciated the history of the facility, which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark, with some buildings dating back to the 1800s.

I smirked at the tour guides who bragged about the use of rice in making Budweiser. I also found the frequent use of the words “sub-premium” beers  — describing the Anheuser-Busch beers priced below Budweiser, i.e. Busch Beer, etc. — just a little weird.

There is a Beermaster Tour, which is supposed to be more in-depth than the typical free tours that run all day.

I did the free tour, and it was still fairly extensive. It took us to the Budweiser Clydesdale Stable, Beechwood Lager Cellars, historic Brew House, Bevo Packaging Facility and, of course, the Hospitality Room. (Budweiser American Ale = Not half bad.)

Whether you like Budweiser products or not, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour in St. Louis is worth checking out.

Our tour guide

Budweiser carriage

Clare the Clydesdale

Beechwood chips

Lager tanks

Explaining the “Time-Honored Budweiser Brewing Process”

Mash tanks

Brew kettle

Bottling some Bud Light