An American Icon
The brand Budweiser is known and recognized in every corner of the globe, it is a national and global icon in the brewing industry. It is the largest brewery in the world in terms of volume and profits. However, this brewery was not always what it is today. The story of how the brewery was founded does have some controversy surrounding it. The founding of the brewery was in 1852 in St. Louis by German American immigrant by the name of George Schneider. However, he was unable to make the brewery successful and sold it in 1857 to Urban and Hammer. Also unable to make the brewery work, the company went into debt and went bankrupt. This is how it ended up in the hands of Eberhard Anheuser, the man who we typically associate the current Budweiser with. Some people would argue that George Schneider never touched the brewery and that it was found by Hammer. However, it doesn’t seem that history is all too sure. What we do know is that the Budweiser we know and love today is because of the work of Eberhard Anheuser and his son in law Aldophus Busch.
Eberhard Anheuser was a German American immigrant who came to St. Louis in 1843. He made a name for himself in the business world in St. Louis. He owned the largest soap and candle shop in St. Louis. He became part owner of the brewery through a loan that Hammer wasn’t able to pay back. Without any brewing experience, he then proceeded to buy out the rest of the investors. He then changed the name of the brewery from Bavarian to E. Anheuser Co.
Adolphus Busch is widely regarded as the brains behind building the Budweiser brand that we see today. Busch was born in Germany and was the 21 child born to his father, a successful businessman in Germany. Busch received great education during his time in Germany, studying at many universities. In 1857 Busch moved to America in search of new business opportunities. He got a job in St. Louis worked along the river bank judging merchandise. He became recognized for his ability to judge merchandise, in particular the merchandise related to brewing. Originally Busch met Anheuser through the purchase of the brewing merchandise that Busch had become quite well known for judging. In 1861 Busch would marry his wife Lilly, who was Anheusers daughter. Shortly after marriage, he would join the union army during the outbreak of the civil war. After serving his three month enlistment Busch went back to work. With Anheuser being too busy working his soap and candle shop to give the brewery the attention it needed, he looked to find some younger help. In 1865 Busch officially invested in the brewery and became part of the management team. The company grew rapidly under Buschs leadership and expanded quickly. In 1879, the company went public with Busch and his wife holding a large share of the brewery. By 1885 Busch had led the brewery to the largest one in St. Louis and by 1890 the largest one in the county.
Budweiser also changed brewing in America. Before Budweiser, most breweries had a huge beer spoiling problem, which didn’t allow them to be able to ship their beer very far. So, most breweries had a very local consumer base. This changed completely when Budweiser learned how to defeat the beer spoiling problem and started shipping their beer nationwide. In 1873 Budweiser started to pasteurize their beer, killing the bacteria that caused beer spoilage, allowing them to now ship their beer everywhere. This new method forced Budweiser to switch up the taste and marketing of their brewery. They were no longer just a St. Louis brand, they were now a national brand who needed to be able to appeal to a larger audience. In 1876 the company officially became Budweiser and they dubbed themselves the “King of beers”.
Not all of Budweisers history has been only glory and greatness.
During world war 1 at the height of anti German sentiment in St. Louis, Budweiser much like many other German cultural items were not spared from the mob. St. Louis was a heavy German city, they had aspects of German culture everywhere in St. Louis. The city started renaming city streets away from German names, churches stopped giving sermons in German, and Budweiser came under fire for using German language on their beer cans and having what appeared to be an eagle atop a German war helmet and an Austrian coat of arms. One of the most disturbing acts was done to Busch’s wife Lilly, who went to visit family in Germany and upon arrival back to America was suspected of being a German spy and subjected to a full body search, by the order of the attorney general. The newspapers slandered the family deeming them un-American. However this doesn’t mean that Budweiser has completely forgotten its German heritage. Most recently Budweiser had a super bowl ad, depicting Aldophus Busch making his journey to St. Louis from Germany. They even have a scene where Busch is told “Go back home” by another man in the street. Referring to the hostility that many German immigrants faced when coming to America in the 1850’s.
Drinking and brewing was a huge part of the American German identity. By the late 1870’s it is estimated that there were around 4,000 German American made breweries in America. Some of the largest breweries in America were created by German Americans. On top of Budweiser Frederick Miller created Miller Beer and Frederick Pabst created Pabst Beer. For many Germans drinking was thought of as a social thing to do with family and friends. Many Germans would frequent beer halls and drink on Sundays, which many Americans frowned upon. They looked at drinking as an act of the low class citizens and this anti immigrant behavior is what largely pushed prohibition.
Budweiser still has a huge impact on St. Louis to this day. The relationship between Budweiser and the people of St. Louis is a strong one. I personally would argue that being from St. Louis, Budweiser is the most recognizable brand to have ever. The flagship brewery of Budweiser has resided in St. Louis for over 160 years. Every year thousands of St. Louis family’s flock to the brewery to see it all lit up in its festive Christmas lights. Budweiser owns the beloved St. Louis Cardinal, who to this day still plays in Busch Stadium. Also, if you have never been to St. Louis cardinals day home opener, it’s a tradition like no other in sports. The world famous Budweiser Clydesdales are always the first ones to a quick jog around Busch Stadium. Grants Farm a staple in the St. Louis community, the old Busch residence went public in 1954 and has been hosting St. Louis family since. It’s home to over 900 animals, including the world famous Budweiser clydesdales. The property is home to the Busch mansion that many Busch family members have lived in. Also while Budwesier hasn’t stayed in the hands of the Busch Family, Grants Farm is still in the hands of the Busch Family.
