Yesterday, Jules and I took a tour of the Anheuser-Busch brewery here in St. Louis. Since it’s one of the things that STL is famous for, we figured we should probably go check it out.
There was a lot to see. After a short introduction on how the company was founded, they took us outside and showed us the Clydesdales. Afterward, they showed us some of the huge fermenting tanks they use for finishing the beer. They are enormous. After some more walking around the scenic grounds, we got an overview of how the beer is made, from start to finish. They then took us up to the top and showed us the factory portion where the beer is actually produced. Right after that, we actually got to walk out onto a small section of the factory floor and see the machines up close and personal. And of course, after a ride back, we got to sample two beers of our choice. (When they said “sample,” I expected Dixie Cup-sized portions, but they actually gave you full glasses.)
Overall, it was a cool experience. I figured I’d share some of the photos I took. (You can click on any of them for the full-sized version.)
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- Entrance to AB
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- Some of the beers that AB produces
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- If you look beyond my reflection, you can see the types of beer sold internationally.
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- The famous AB Clydesdales
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- Apparently, hops look like minature artichokes. I’d never seen one before.
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- Hops, up close
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- The history of AB
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- A couple of the Clydesdales
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- The chandelier in the Clydesdales’ building
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- Horses’ asses
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- There is a horse named “Mike,” but he wasn’t there.
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- Another one
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- The massive fermenting tanks
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- The “mash tanks” where the grains, water, and hops are heated
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- Clock tower
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- Another building labeled “Malt House”
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- Up above the factory floor
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- Another view from up top
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- Down on the factory floor
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- Down on the factory floor
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- Down on the factory floor
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- Down on the factory floor
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- Down on the factory floor
Fun!! I like how you were feeling good after those two beer samples
Full Beer samples – very good.
And of course now AB is owned by Brazilains.
Very cool! I toured a small brewery once… one of those specialty beer breweries, in Ashland, Wisconsin. It was really fun to see the whole process. But I definitely don’t remember free samples.