While on a recent trip with Budweiser in St. Louis, I had the opportunity to pick the brain of Dave Maxwell, Brewmaster extraordinaire for Anheuser-Busch. The man loves his job and the team he works with. But wouldn’t you, if your job consisted of weekly beer tastings each week? See what Dave had to say in this week’s Coffee Chat:
While touring the brewery in St. Louis, our group had the pleasure of meeting many of the people that make the beer happen. How many people are involved in the process?
Brewing is about people with a passion for producing the best beer possible. We take a very hands-on approach to brewing, nurturing and caring for our beers every step of the way.
We are the world’s largest brewer, but we’re also comprised of hundreds of real people with a passion for brewing great beer. There are hundreds of people involved along the path of brewing a Budweiser – from hop farms and barley fields to the brewery and ultimately packaging and shipping the beer.
I remember when I was kid my dad would only drink Budweiser. Over the years, has the formula changed or stayed the same for customers like him who enjoy the taste?
For more than 160 years, we have brewed Budweiser consistently using the same process to achieve a consistent flavor profile. Part of the challenge and art to brewing is achieving a consistent flavor profile.
What about your beer sets it apart from other beers?
Beer drinkers have made lagers the most popular style of beer in the world. Lager is one of the hardest styles of beer to brew – anyone who has tried it is quick to acknowledge that it takes serious brewing credentials to consistently produce a nice, balanced lager like Budweiser.
While on the tour it was clear everyone that worked at the Brewery was passionate about their job. What are some of the highlight moments you can share with us that makes your job so fun?
The most important and fun part of the job is the people that make it happen every day. Making sure that Budweiser meets and exceeds your expectation every time is quite a responsibility, one that everyone takes personally and will do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Are you part of the taste testing team? If so, how often are you required to taste test?
I am part of the tasting team and taste approximately two times per week. We taste at every step of our process, even the water used to rinse the bottles before they’re filled.
If you could only choose one beer from Budweiser to drink the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
Budweiser is always right for the occasion because it tastes great alone or with food. Budweiser is a refreshing, balanced beer.
A big thanks to Dave Maxwell and Budweiser for the private tour of their St. Louis brewery.
