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.