by Adam Nierenberg

Created on: June 21, 2008   Last Updated: November 29, 2011

The American beer drinking public purchases its beer based on a combination of cost and flavor. It is with this knowledge that if a Belgian company were to purchase Anheuser-Busch the general beer-buying public wouldn't realize this change. But the new owners ought not to alter the user end cost, the recipe and the system of advertising. These three facets are what make Budweiser one of the most popular beers in America, and a world famous American icon.

The recipe for Anheuser-Busch's beer dates back to 1876. Budweiser has become one of the most popular beers in America. It has become an American institution based on its wide availability, full flavor, little cost to purchase, and its method of marketing. Budweiser Beer in comparison to domestic craft breweries turns out to be 25% cheaper, making it more affordable on average to the American public.

Anheuser-Busch has been using the same formula of hops, water, barley and rice to brew its beer for over a century, since 1876. They have a systematic way of making the mash resulting in the beer we know as Budweiser. Regardless of who the owner of the company is, this is the method of making the beer. If they change the recipe, it would no longer be the Budweiser that so many have come to know and love. Do you remember when Coca-Cola changed their recipe? There was a clamor for a return to the old recipe to the point that Coca-Cola reintroduced the beverage as Coke Classic. It is impossible to change an American icon.

Budweiser is synonymous with American sporting events. We can't watch the World Series or the Superbowl without seeing several Budweiser advertisements during the event. And not only has the beer become an American icon, the Clydesdales that pull the old beer carriages are just as important to the brand. The horses are known as the Budweiser Clydesdales and are known just by their appearance with the beer carriage. These unique horses have become a very important facet of the Budweiser marketing tactic. A change in ownership of the company would mostly go unnoticed by the beer drinking public, as long as the new owners don't change Budweiser's advertising strategy and it's ever present stature in the world of sports. Anheuser-Busch's advertising and marketing are just as important to the brand as the recipe of the mash and cost.

Budweiser is only one of several beers that Anheuser-Busch brews or imports; making Anheuser-Busch one of the biggest suppliers of liquor to the United States. Budweiser is the brand that over the years has become linked with American culture. Through cost effective measures and mass appeal combined with unique and memorable media campaigns, Budweiser has solidified Anheuser-Busch's relationship with the American beer drinking public. If the new owners maintain the current business culture, the transition from the Anheuser-Busch family to the new owners should be seamless to the American public.

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