History
Originally posted on April 20, 2025 @ 10:10 pm
The Food That Built America Recap for Beer Necessities
-In the 1860s, Americans weren’t drinking water because they never knew what was in it, be it poison, garbage or dead bodies. They were instead drinking beer, which was safer and a necessity.
-However, there wasn’t a national brand at the time and people would go to breweries to get growlers to take home.
-One was in St. Louis, Missouri. Adolphus Busch, son-in-law of Eberhard Anheuser. It was a struggle since there was a lot of competition, so he wanted to find a way to stand out…..by shipping his beer to other communities via train.
-At the time, there was no refrigeration to keep the beer fresh, so Adolphus decide d to build his own refrigerated car, having it stop to get more ice from ice houses along the way.
-Another challenge was finding a beer people would like. German beer was often bitter, so he and his company worked on different ways to make it taste better so people would buy it.
-Carl Conrad was brought on board to help. He was experienced with lager, which resulted in a more refreshing beer. They begin experimenting with hops, barley, adjunct, rice and other ingredients until they get one that works.
-The beer that was a winner was inspired by one Carl drank in Budwies, giving us Budweiser….the beer many know and love now. It goes into production and shipped to different places in the country.
-Sales are good at first but soon plummet. They realize that the barrels are being sold to saloon keepers, who would water it down or replace it with cheaper beer. Adolphus is not happy and wants to find a way to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
-Enter the idea of bottled beer! Bottles were improving in quality, so the idea was to sell the beer and label it so everyone would know that it was from Budweiser. There was also no chance if it being altered.
-Adolphus decided to work on this idea by using a factory, but he is so broke that there was no way he could afford it without help. Unable to get a loan, he asks his father-in-law for help pasteurizing and bottling the beer. He agrees to help and before long, bottled beers are sent to saloons, along with swag and advertising.
-The gamble is successful and not Adolphus wants to go national. It becomes the first national beer brand and one of the first national brands in the country overall. This leads to Adolphus becoming a partner in the business, which is how Anheuser-Busch came to be.
-Adolphus’s son August was not interested in the business but instead interested in ranch life. However, he is brought back in thanks to Carrie Nation/Hatchet Granny, who was infamous for chopping up saloons. She has her eyes on Anheuser-Busch.
-By 1910, beer is super popular, and Budweiser is one of the most popular brands. Since they want to stick it to Carrie Nation, they advertise beer as a healthier alternative to liquor. While this seems like a good idea, it came back to haunt him because beer was also a target….especially Anheuser-Busch.
-Prohibition causes them to close down. Adolphus also died during this time of a heart attack. He is honored at all Anheuser-Busch locations and August takes over the business. Despite Prohibition, he is determined to keep the business running.
-The Temperance Movement was also putting a damper in their business as alcohol becomes illegal in the USA.
-August tries to stay afloat by making new products and frustrated by having ingredients he can’t use….so he decides to sell them as is….without making the beer. This is how malt, yeast and barley came to be….and how people can try to make their own beer.
-Speakeasies and bootleggers are still working on selling booze….and organized crime was big at the time. This leads to August and Al Capone working together.
-The Great Depression hits and Prohibition ends, with August promising jobs to people and his brewery is still alive today.
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