Are Budweiser And Bud Light The Same Company?
Budweiser and Bud Light are two of the top beer brands in the United States. You may wonder whether these beers are actually from the same company. Well, here’s the answer.
Budweiser and Bud Light are both owned by Ab InBev, an international beer conglomerate with over 600 beer brands in its portfolio. The same company, Anheuser-Busch, invented Budweiser and Bud Light, although Budweiser was invented in 1876 and Bud Light was invented much later in 1981.
What Company Owns Budweiser & Bud Light?
Currently, both Budweiser and Bud Light are owned by Ab Inbev, the largest beer brewing company globally. The Budweiser and Bud Light brands are managed by Anheuser-Busch, the original company that invented Budweiser and Bud Light and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ab InBev.
The origins of Anheuser-Busch can officially be traced back to 1860 when Eberhard Anheuser and William D’Oench bought the Bavarian Brewery on Carondelet Avenue, St Louis, Missouri. This brewery had been struggling to open in 1852 and had been struggling ever since.
When they bought the brewery, they called it ‘E. Anheuser & Co.’. This is how it was known between 1860 and 1875. In 1869, Adolphus Busch (who had married the daughter of Eberhard Anheuser) bought the shares of William D’Oench.
Adolphus Busch invented Budweiser in 1876 after his tour through Europe. Budweiser beer was originally modeled after a Czech beer that they made in the Budweis region.
In 1981, the company Anheuser-Busch International, Inc. was founded. At that point, they owned around ten breweries in the United States. However, between 1981 and 2008, they also expanded internationally. In 2008, they owned 12 breweries in the United States, 14 in China, and one in the United Kingdom.
On July 13, 2008, InBev and Anheuser-Busch agreed on a $52 billion deal, which meant Anheuser-Busch would officially become part of InBev. With this, the brands Budweiser and Bud Light also became owned by the newly formed Ab InBev company.
Are Budweiser And Bud Light Made In The Same Breweries?
Budweiser and Bud Light are made in the same breweries in the United States. This is because both beers are sold in large quantities, meaning they must be distributed across the country. Breweries are located in the following places:
- St Louis, Missouri
- Newark, New Jersey
- Los Angeles, California
- Columbus, Ohio
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Merrimack, New Hampshire
- Williamsburg, Virginia
- Fairfield, California
- Baldwinsville, New York
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Cartersville, Georgia
It’s interesting to know that Budweiser is also brewed in the United Kingdom. This obviously makes sense logistically because the beer is so popular in the UK.
When Were Budweiser And Bud Light Created?
Budweiser and Bud Light were created at different times and for different reasons. Budweiser was first invented in 1876 after Adolphus Busch made a tour through Europe. There, he learned that Europeans enjoyed a bottom-fermenting, light beer that we now call a European pale lager.
Amazed by the success of this type of beer in Europe, Adolphus wanted to create the same kind of beer in the United States. This proved challenging because the barley available in the United States had different protein contents, creating a product that didn’t taste like the European pale lagers. Rice was eventually added to make a fresher, more crips beer and to offset the effect of the American barley.
Bud Light was invented much later than Budweiser in 1981. This was a time when American consumers started to prefer less bitter beers. Bud Light only has an IBU of around 6, which is relatively low on the International Bitterness Units Scale. Since its creation, Bud Light has become ever more popular and is now one of the best-selling beers in the United States.
Bud Light’s success also marked a significant shift in beer marketing and consumption trends. It wasn’t just the beer’s flavor profile that appealed to consumers; its branding and marketing campaigns played a crucial role in its popularity. The brand has been known for its innovative and often humorous advertising, which has helped it maintain a strong presence in the market.
Furthermore, the launch of Bud Light was part of a broader trend towards light beers in the beer industry. This shift was driven by a growing consumer preference for beverages with fewer calories and lower alcohol content, reflecting a larger trend towards healthier lifestyle choices.
Today, both Budweiser and Bud Light hold iconic statuses in the beer industry. While they cater to different consumer preferences, their shared heritage under the Anheuser-Busch brand highlights the company’s adaptability and innovation in the ever-evolving world of beer brewing.
