I’ve always been a Bud guy.
Even when I lived in Seattle – the micro-brew capital of the country – if I was going to drink a non-micro beer, I would have a Bud.
A couple of weeks ago I found myself vacationing in St. Louis and decided to do something I’ve always wanted to do: Take a tour of the Anheuser-Busch brewery.
I hopped online and found all of the tour information I needed to scratch one more item off my bucket list. I called ahead for information and am glad I did. Reservations are needed for the paid tours and their beer school.
The information desk was helpful and got me into the next available tour. Great luck – they often sell out.
I’m fascinated with breweries, wineries and distilleries and look for tour opportunities when I’m out of town. I signed on for the brewery’s Beermaster Tour. The special small group tour cost $23.20 plus tax and is worth every penny. A free tour is available and Beer School will set you back $10.
New friends
My Beermaster Tour included nine people and I made friends with a retired couple from Zephyr Hills, Fla. Gary and Carol Woodward were in St. Louis visiting family and decided – like me – find out what goes on behind the brewery’s walls.
“I was shocked and awed by it,” Gary told me after our tour. “I grew up here and never realized it was as large as it is. You drive by and don’t even know that it’s 100 acres of buildings. It’s amazing what they do. I was impressed.”
Gary said he was wowed by the cleanliness and organization of the plant.
“I’ve taken a lot of factory and industrial tours before, but nothing like that,” Gary added. “If I have friends going to St. Louis, there are two things I will tell them to go see: The (Gateway) arch and the Bud tour.”
Carol, Gary’s wife, was impressed, but for different reasons.
“I knew I wanted pictures of the Clydesdales and I wanted to go to the gift shop,” she said. “I think it’s a great thing for couples to do. It’s a lot of fun.”
Carol said she thought the prices at the gift shop were reasonable.
“Everybody was so nice and the tour was a lot of fun. I loved it because the group we went with was so small.”
Sample time
Both Carol and Gary told me that they were shocked when – during the tour of the final finishing cellar – the guide, Kelly Kuhnert, poked a curly tube into a port on a tank and out poured Budweiser into our commemorative Beermaster glasses.
“When we went into the last cold room (finishing cellar) and the guide stuck that pigtail in that huge tank and out came that fresh beer, that was impressive,” Gary said.
“I’m not necessarily a big beer connoisseur, but I guess I had never tasted beer that fresh before,” Carol said. “That was good stuff.”
Like Gary and Carol, I was impressed.
The walking tour took us from the Tour Center – a temple to Bud and their products – through the brewhouse where kettles brew up 600-barrel batches of AB’s beer. From the brewhouse it was off to the lagering cellar where primary fermentation takes place. Each giant overhead tank holds the equivalent of125,000 cases of beer.
After a walk through the plants packaging center, where thousands of Bud Light bottles sped past my group at breakneck speed (1,300 per minute). After watching labels attached to the brown bottles, it was off to the 35-degree finishing cellar where we tasted our first brews of the day: Bud and Bud Light straight out of the tanks.
“Spoiled rotten”
A highlight of the tour for many was the Clydesdale’s stable. Friendly Dalmatians greeted us at the door and a couple of Clydesdales posed for pics. The horses are crazy big, but as docile as the Dalmatians with which they share the stable. A few horses stay on the brewery grounds, but most of them live out at the AB farm in Boonville, Mo.
Kelly, our guide, laughed and said the iconic horses are “spoiled rotten.” Each set of the horses tack weighs 130 lbs. and a set of tack for a team of eight is valued at more than $200,000.
The tour took around two hours and I never felt rushed. Back at the tour center a few more beer samples and some good conversation with the other visitors capped off the experience. Included in the price of the tour was a Beermaster Tour ball cap, my comparative sample glass, four beers, a Clydesdale photo and an official Beermaster certificate. That’s a pretty good haul for around $25.
Sue O’Leary, senior manager for tours and the gift shop, said the Beermaster Tours have been a success since they started in 2008.
“I think it’s a unique, behind the scenes experience that we offer,” she told me later by phone. “Visitors get to see how we brew our beers. I think the tours have a wide appeal. It’s great for beer enthiusiast, but it’s also great for those looking for an exclusive experience.”
Sue said the public reaction to the Beermaster Tour has been overwhelming positive. It was for me.
If you find yourself in St. Louis and have a couple of hours on your hands, take the AB Beermaster Tour. It’s a great way to spend the afternoon.
Cheers!
Want to go?
The Anheuser-Busch Brewery is located at 12th and Lynch Street in St. Louis. The Beermaster Tour lasts two hours. The cost is $25 for those 21 years and up and $10 for those 13-20. Most major credit cards are accepted. Reservations are needed. Closed-toe shoes are required. Go to www.budweisertours.com or call 314-577-2153 for tour information.
Bud by the numbers
* The St. Louis brewery is a 100-plus acre facility, with three National Historic Landmarks.
* Anheuser-Busch has more than 200 Budweiser Clydesdales.
* The St. Louis brewery produces 15 different brands.
* The St. Louis brewery has a total beechwood aging capacity of 20 million gallons of beer.
* The St. Louis Brewery serves 14 states.
Carol Stark: Editor's Notebook 