Anheuser-Busch Brewery tours in Houston wind through a jungle of stainless steel tanks the size of railroad cars engulfed in a mechanical roar.
A-B began in 1852 in St. Louis, Mo., and bought their first Texas brewery in downtown Houston in 1893. The company’s fourth oldest brewery in the U.S. opened on the east side of Houston in 1966. For three years it also operated a theme park and hospitality room at the site. After a 19-year absence, the brewery tours (minus the park) began again in 2015. On a Wednesday morning I was the only attendee at the $25 Beermaster Tour while a small group left on the $10 Dayfresh Tour. There is also a $5 “Beer School” in the Tap Room.
My tour guide, Kayla, answered every question I had as we walked through the brewing process from the automated control room to the outrageously noisy bottling line. At the Finishing Room she filled a glass from a secondary fermentation tank. The clear Bud Light tasted overly carbonated, which Kayla said would diminish during bottling. It was interesting to note that Adolphus Busch added “beechwood aging” to Budweiser to add carbonation, not flavor.
The Anheuser-Busch Brewery is off I-10 at 775 Gellhorn Dr. in eastern Houston. For a schedule of tours, go to www.budweisertours.com/locations/houston-texas.html. The Tap Room opens from 10am to 6pm. You can get a free beer just for visiting, but don’t expect any bargains in the gift shop.
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This article appears in October 14 • 2016.
