Anheuser-Busch Companies

First things first: I’m a craft beer snob. I’ve tried over 5,000 different craft beers, I’ve visited numerous breweries, I’ve read several books on craft beer, I’ve watched several documentaries on craft beer, and I’ve brewed beer. That being said. .. I’m not the biggest fan of Anheuser-​Busch. They continually produce sub-​par products and try push out their competitors with cut-​throat tactics. That being said. .. You’ve got to go to Anheuser-​Busch while you are in St. Louis.
I recently read the book «Bitter Brew» about the history of Anheuser-​Busch and the family behind it. It almost makes you feel sympathetic towards the company and the family. It was so neat seeing the things in person that I had just read about.
The architecture alone is breath-​taking. The brewery looks like a cathedral of beer or King Koopa’s castle in Mario Bros. The brewery takes up several blocks. Red brick everywhere. Stories high. The history is amazing. Paintings of Germania from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. A hop chandelier from the 1904 World’s Fair. Everything about the brewery is massive: the brewery itself, the brew tanks, the Clydesdale horses (which you get to see up-​close on the tour), etc.
The tour of the facilities is free. The guides are knowledgeable. The propaganda is minimal (though the tour guides did try to argue that putting rice in a beer is a GOOD thing). You get a free sample of Budweiser (a.k.a. «Bud Heavy») or Bud Light on the tour and then you get a full pint (also for free) in the biergarten afterward. As a craft beer snob, I was quite delighted that I could get a Goose Island IPA in the biergarten afterward (hey, there are SOME benefits of AB buying out craft brewers!). The biergarten is very nice and eloquent: comfy sofas and chairs, large-​sized board games (like Connect Four), nice music, food, and several beers on tap.
While I don’t like AB InBev and their cut throat attacks on their opponents, it is very neat to see where America beer started. This tour is totally worth the $ 0 you pay!

Had a great Beer Masters tour by Mark. So much information for a novice such as myself. Prepare to walk and taste test beer. Very interesting.

My first time at a brewery. They have Clydesdale horses and they’re gorgeous. On the free tour you get a free sample half way through the tour of either Budweiser or bud light. They give you a chip and at the end you can choose from any of the drinks they make! Awesome tour, beautiful area. Definitely go if you have some time in St. Louis.

The free tour was great, and the free samples were much larger then I expected coming from such a giant corporation. The tour guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Recommend anyone in the area to check it out

Free tour with your choice of 1 free glass of beer on tap. You can’t go wrong. Be warned we had to wait little over an hr for our tour but you can hang out to eat or drink before at the beer garden

This is a review of the Christmas lights experience.
I did some research ahead of time and read all about the buffet they offered and decided to skip it and go for the lights and beverages. My kids are older, so I figured we could score some soda or hot chocolate to pacify them. After all, hubby and I just wanted to do it for the free adult beverages and we knew we would have to throw them something to keep them happy.
We got there a few minutes before opening which was the right move. The parking is great if you work there, not so great going in as a tourist. It’s every man, woman and child for themselves! See a spot? Don’t hesitate, park!
We had to wait in line to get in and then walk through an area with people waiting for the buffet. For the $ 13 or $ 15 fee, they had one paper plate. They were all holding on to it for dear life, so I don’t know what that was about. I just remember thinking I was glad we were skipping that.
As far as walking around, there are lots of pretty spots and you can pay (and wait in a long line) for photo with a Clydesdale or kind of avert the system and do your own thing. There are spots along the way with photo ops and they are free.
We got bracelets at the door after they checked our id and they had 5 tickets on them. There were stations for Stella Artois, Budweiser, Bud Light, Lime-​A-​Rita and something else I couldn’t remember. The drinks are only 4 ounces, but free!
They didn’t really have anything for kids, no matter what age. They had fire pits you could rent out, I think they were $ 50 or more and we saw one unmanned hot chocolate station. So kids in a wagon or stroller would be great, you could throw them a few crackers and be done with it. My teenagers were whining a lot about being cold and asking when we were leaving.
The best way to do this is to go with some friends, no kids, get there when they open and bring extra money for the bar!

Came on a trip here with my job and as a person who does not drink beer I truly enjoyed myself. It was very informative and interesting!

This review is only about the Christmas Lights tour.
1^st off parking is a nightmare on busy nights so be prepared for a walk.
2^nd if you aren’t wanting beer samples you do not have to wait in line — at least that was how it was Dec. 2014 but who doesn’t want beer samples at The A-​B Xmas lights?
3^rd don’t let the line around the building hold you back. The tour is self guided so the line in moves quickly.
4^th enjoy the self guided tour and your beer samples!
They have special photo ops for cash money or you can just find your own and make your own memories. They have s’mores stuff for cash money and fire pits you can make them at.
The Biergarten is open and has food and beer available for cash money.
The lights are beautiful. Simple and classic to beachy and fun. My fave part was under the tunnel. They had blue lights set up and snow machines blowing as you walk through.
It is most def worth checking out. Oh and it’s free unless you want to buy stuff!

My friends and I arrived on Friday night to see the Holiday Lights that have been advertised. I planned a group outing and wanted to make sure we all had a great time. There was very little organization or direction once we arrived. It would have been nice to have someone out front explaining the process. Instead, I just hopped in line to see what was going on. I am glad I did though because that line out front is where you can get the bracelet for your 5 free samples! They have a few people checking ID’s and if you are 21+ you can get a bracelet.
Once we went inside it was so chaotic, hundreds of people wandering around aimlessly. No idea what to do or where to go… so, I went to the desk and asked for guidance. There was 1 guy working at the desk and he definitely seemed overwhelmed. He was selling the tickets for the event (they have different packages). We opted for the Biergarten Package which includes a free commemorative glass, a s’mores kit, the dinner buffet and a picture with either the Clydesdale or a giant snow-​globe.
After purchasing the booklet I found my friends and we made plans to walk outside. This is a self-​guided tour and we could just do it at our own pace. Once we made out way outside it was still crazy busy and there were lines all over the place-​lines for beer and lines for either the Clydesdale or the snow-​globe. The lines were so long for the picture opportunities so we opted to get in line for beer. We walked around the street and saw all the cool lights and sampled beers along the way. They had a few fire pits and some areas to with heaters to warm up if needed. As we made our way down the street they had a bunch of advertisements for photo ops… we stopped and took one with all of them just because we could. By the time we made it to the bottom of the hill we found my personal favorite location-​the beach! There was an entire section for the Rita’s and they had a small beach with a cool tree.
After the samples were gone we decided to walk back up to the Biergarten to eat dinner. It was about 7:45 and we needed to eat! I added our name to the list (they call or text when the table is ready). While we were waiting we browsed the gift shop and picked up our free glasses with the tickets we had. Side note: the gift shop was also very unorganized. I don’t know if they had many people working that night… there were 2 registers open, but the lines were crazy and the store was packed. We picked up our glasses and ot out of there as fast as we could.
I receive a call to tell me that our table was ready. We were seated at our table for a few minutes and our server came over to explain the buffet to us. It was all you can eat until 9 pm (we were seated at 8:26) so we didn’t have much time to eat all we could, but we tried. We ordered a few drinks and ate dinner. They had rotisserie chicken, chicken tenders, coleslaw, soft pretzels, salad, squash soup, and toasted ravs that night. Dinner was good, I may have to go back to try out the full menu.
I noticed that all the picture opportunities and s’mores stations would be closing at 9, so we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to do in the time we were there. Luckily I live so close so I can go back again to get the final 2 things I had missed (the picture and the s’mores kit).
I would like to give the event more stars, but it was really too unorganized for me. I felt rushed the entire time I was there and I am sad that I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do. Maybe next year it will be different… the lights and decorations were great, but the lack of organization was not doing it for me.

Not a beer drinker but i loved the tour that they do here! Lots of interesting facts and tidbits. You get a glimpse of everything that goes into beer making from beginning to the very end.
They also incorporate the beautiful Clydesdale horses. They are truly a sight to see as well!
They have a nice biergarten as well! Free tour and free beer (and pretzels). They were sampling flavored beers when we went, but it still didnt hit my tastebuds right, but i still enjoyed!

Dinner buffet was ok, nothing too amazing– typical appetizers. The lights were really good though and the samples were worth the visit. Everyone was very friendly and it was also very clean.

TOUR!
You get to see Clydesdales, the beer making process, and even drink 2 beers (one is Bud or Bud Light, the other is your choice of what is on tap). There was a Clydesdale named Bruce.
Overall, good stuff!

I actually enjoyed this tour! It was informative and pretty cool.
The process for making beer is more extensive than I thought. I really enjoyed it and I learned something. I was kinda hesitant when my friend said that she wanted to come here but it was pretty cool. Plus you get a free beer of your choice at the end. And it’s free to enter!

We were here for the brewery tour that we’ve done several times before. Always a decent (free) option when people are in town visiting.
The tour is about an hour, you see the Clydesdales, packaging lines, and sections of the brewing facility. They pack in the information about AB but sometimes they talk so fast you can’t even understand.
The tour is worth the trip, even just to see the grounds. You’ll spend a decent amount of time outside so dress accordingly.

This is a must for any person who lives or is visiting St. Louis.
Free tour.
Free beer.
Great, rich history.
Beautiful Clydesdales.
There is something for everyone at AB. The tours run every hour, on the hour and the tour guides are very knowledgeable. Be ready to walk the grounds, only shuttle option is the one at the very end. If you’re wanting a more specialized tour, try the Beermaster tour where you learn how to make the beer.
This is something you can come to again and again. They just opened up a Biergarten which is gorgeous and during the Christmas holiday, they have something called Holiday Lights which bring families together.
Check it out!

Really cool free tour. guides emily and alexis were awesome! Don’t miss this stop… oh and free beer at the end WHO DAT

If you’re in St. Louis, this is a MUST VISIT!
I have done the Free Tour, the Beer School, as well as the Brewmaster’s Tour. All are excellent!
The free tour is a walk around the grounds and facilities with a knowledgeable tour guide. Finished with two free beers and pretzels.
Beer school is a little different in that they take you up to a «classroom» and teach you about how beer is made, food pairings, and how to drink different styles.
Finally, the Brewmasters tour… if you have the means, DO IT! Just pay the money and sign up for this one. It is a smaller group than the free tour so you get a more personalized experience, you get to hangout in a fancy lounge room, there is lots more free beer to choose from, and you get to sample FRESH beer straight from the barrels… how cool is that?
All in all, this is a great way to take in St. Louis history, see the Clydesdale’s, and get some free beer while you’re at it.
And now they opened a new Biergarten… check it out!

Do the Brewmaster’s tour and be sure to go to the Biergarten. Well worth the time and effort… if you like beer.

Went on the Free Tour:
Very professional. Very informative. Epitome of Customer Service. Clean. Organized. Had loud speakers in most stops so that the tour guide would not have to yell. Got to see the campus. Got to see the manufacturing line where they made beers-​which made us feel like they were transparent and welcoming. Ended with 2 generous beer samples. Kid friendly-​had soda samples for the kids. Parking free. Must-​see stop. Got to sample my partner’s beers too, which I chose because he was DD.
Shock Top Belgium White:
Tasty light beer. Crisp. Cold. Yum
Shock Top Rasberry Wheat Beer:
Fragrant. Fruity. Crisp. Light. Easy to drink
Stella Artois:
Crisp. Not as light as the Shock Top fruity beers
Shock Top Honey Crisp Apple Wheat:
My favorite. Was very crisp. Had a cider feel. Fun
Would return, and I don’t even care for beer.

I’m writing reviews for the Anheuser-​Busch tour as well as the Coors tour at the same time. So if you’re interested to see how they compare… check out my other review.
I did this tour with my lovely lady during my first trip to St. Louis. We arrived and had to wait a few minutes for our tour to begin. Once it did, we had a nice lady that walked us around the brewery and explained their business. This included a short stint on a little bus. It ended at a tasting room where they allowed you a couple small glasses of the (Anheuser-​Busch) brew of your choice.
Everything was very well organized and had a good flow to it. I learned a lot about the process and would highly recommend it to others. Might be a good thing to do on a cold day as there were some rooms that got toasty!