People from all over the world know Budweiser. As a non-US resident I have know about this beer since childhood even though I had never laid my eyes on one before my 25th birthday. Luckily I grew up with American television programs on our local channels and on TV I always saw a guy walking into a bar and asking for a beer, only to get a Budweiser, as if it was the only beer available. For a long time I did think that Americans only drank Budweiser but with age I came to know that this is, of course, not true. This, however, does not mean that it isn’t a national (and international nowadays) favorite. I have had the pleasure of tossing back quite a few Buds and what can I say, it’s a darn good beer.
Budweiser uses five ingredients: water, malt, hops, yeast and rice. Although you won’t find rice in many German or UK beers, the added ingredient has not done any harm as far as anyone can tell. Most craft brewers will out of principle not add rice to their beer but some say it adds lightness and crispness and is not just an additive to water down the beer. Be that as it may, Budweiser has had a following for many years, rice and all and few people want to bicker and argue about ingredients and just enjoy the taste. According to Budweiser brewers the rice adds a “clean finish” and who are we to argue.
As with most beers there are several varieties of the same brand and the 2 most recent additions to the Budweiser team is Budweiser American Ale in September 2008, the first to be produced under the Budweiser trademark as an ale rather than a lager; and Bud Light Golden Wheat in October 2009. The latter was an idea conceived to simulate the German hefeweizen style beers also called weissbier.
Here are a few interesting short facts about Budweiser beer:
1. In 1936 Budweiser sells beer in a can for the first time.
2. One in every 5 beers served in America is a Budweiser.
3. Worldwide, every second a barrel of Budweiser is sold, that is 360 servings per second.
4. 80% of countries worldwide serve Budweiser.
5. Before any batch of Budweiser leaves the brewery it has to go through 200 quality checks.
6. The manufacturers of Budweiser produce half of all the beer consumed in The United States.
The Germans have an old saying that goes: “beer turns thirst into a beautiful thing” and this nation has always had a good relationship with quality beer. Germany boasts with over 1,200 breweries and around 5,000 different brands of beer; and lucky for beer lovers, they export far and wide.
Although beer was not invented in Germany, it is, according to archeological findings, the country with the oldest beer brewing traditions in the world and it is no wonder that they are the third largest beer producers worldwide. German breweries produce more than 2.6 billion gallons of beer annually, just under half the amount that American breweries produce. This, if you take into account the size of Germany in relation to the United States, is a helluva lot of beer for a relatively smallish country. What’s more is, even though they export some of their beer, Germans consume a full 90% of the beer they produce! This roughly translates into every German drinking on average 31 gallons of beer per year, twice the amount that Americans drink. As this is an average that includes children and babies, it is considerably more if you minus them from the equation and thus more than doubling that amount.
So what is it that makes the Germans love their beer so? It could be because most of the German breweries, even in today’s modern time, use more traditional methods of brewing, using fewer chemicals that negatively affect the quality and taste. Or is it perhaps the fact that, unlike in most countries like America, Germany has fewer stringent laws that prohibit the sale of beers during certain hours and in certain place? Beer is readily available anywhere, anytime (even in some vending machines) and some breweries even make house calls. Then again, it can also be because of the great variety of superb beers so easily available.
In Germany there is truly a beer for any mood or occasion. If it is a hot summer’s day a patron in a local pub may ask for a Helles (a light and refreshing beer) to cool himself down while another patron on a colder day may ask for a Doppelbock (a thick, dark and strong beer) to warm his insides. Germans really do pride themselves on their quality and variety of beer and if you ever find yourself strolling past a German pub or even if you visit the country itself, make sure to ask the barman for a pint of their best and you will be treated to a mouthful of brewing delight with years of brewing tradition and dedication to craftsmanship.