

BUDWEISER INGREDIENTS Since Adolphus Busch began brewing Budweiser in 1876, a key to the brand’s success has been Anheuser-Busch’s use of top-quality ingredients, regardless of the cost. Anheuser-Busch is the only major international brewer that oversees the production and handling of its raw materials, including seed development, planting, harvesting and shipping as well as brewing. Highly skilled brewmasters taste, test and evaluate all ingredients before they are accepted for the brewing of Budweiser, guaranteeing ingredients that meet the exact requirements and specifications for the brand. Budweiser is made with an all-natural process from barley malt, hops, rice, yeast and pure water. Malt Malt is known as the “soul” of beer. It is made by soaking barley kernels in water, germinating the seeds and then drying the resulting “green malt” in a kiln. This process begins to convert the grain’s starch into the sugars that will provide nutrition for the yeast used in brewing.



There are two basic types of malting barley – two-row, which produces a smooth, mild tasting beer; and six-row, which produces a crisp, snappy flavor. (The rows refer to the number of kernels on each node of the plant.) During the Budweiser brewing process, the malt is adjusted by Anheuser-Busch brewmasters to produce the right balance for the beer.



Anheuser-Busch has developed its own barley varieties through a barley breeding program, in which barley is bred specifically to provide the right balance of flavors for brewing. Company barley experts have visited more than 2,500 barley fields to hand-select barley used in the brewing process.



In addition, Anheuser-Busch is one of the few brewers in the world that malts much of its own barley. The company owns and operates malt plants in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Idaho. Hops Hops are known as the “spice” of beer. Clusters of cones from the vine-like hop plant contribute their own special aroma, flavor and character to beer.



Budweiser uses only the choicest hops hand-selected from the world’s finest fields in locations such as Europe, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The company’s commitment to quality hops is demonstrated by its ownership of hop farms in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and in the world-renowned Hallertau region of Germany.



Anheuser-Busch brewmasters sometimes blend as many as 10 types of hops to achieve Budweiser’s distinct flavor and aroma. Yeast Yeast is one of the most important and least understood ingredients in American lager beers.



The yeast used in brewing Budweiser is proprietary to Anheuser-Busch and is directly descended from the original Budweiser yeast culture first used by Adolphus Busch in 1876. Each of Anheuser-Busch’s breweries is supplied from one carefully maintained yeast culture system to provide consistency and quality.



In the brewing process, yeast is added to a sweet liquid called wort resulting in fermentation. The yeast converts fermentable sugars in the wort to alcohol, carbon dioxide and many subtle flavor compounds. These specific flavors are unique to Budweiser yeast. Rice Rice – which is more expensive than malt in many areas – provides Budweiser with its characteristic lightness, crispness and refreshing taste.



Many brewers use only four ingredients in beer – water, barley malt, hops and yeast.



The additional step of brewing Budweiser with rice provides the balance necessary to create its trademark refreshing taste, “drinkability” and crispness. While “extra,” this step is critical to the unique taste of Budweiser.



Anheuser-Busch is the largest purchaser of rice in the United States, accounting for more than 8 percent of all domestic rice consumption. The company owns rice mills in Arkansas and California. Water Water is a key ingredient in beer. More than 90 percent of the finished product is water, so the water and its mineral content play an important part in the brewing process.



At each Anheuser-Busch brewery, water is highly filtered to remove any impurities or flavors that may be present. Brewing water must be clear and colorless and free from odors or taste.



Anheuser-Busch brewmasters taste water daily throughout the entire brewing process to ensure the highest quality water is used. In fact, brewmasters taste almost as much water as they do finished beer. Return to Anheuser-Busch International, Inc.