Adolphus Busch, hailed as the greatest American salesman, had an immense passion for top-notch beer. However, he lacked the expertise to brew it himself. Nevertheless, this did not deter him. Instead, he actively sought out skilled individuals who could assist him in this endeavor. Surprisingly, his extraordinary salesmanship allowed him to sell both exceptional and subpar beer with equal efficiency.
During the early days of Anheuser Busch, their product was considered so substandard that disgruntled customers in St. Louis would spit it back across the bar. Despite this setback, Adolphus remained resolute and persisted in selling it. As a result of his unwavering determination and commitment, the quality of the beer significantly improved over time and ultimately became America’s preferred choice.
Adolphus Busch, who was born on July 10, 1839 in Kastel, Germany to Ulrich and Barbara Pfeiffer Busch, immigrated to the United States at eighteen years old. He came to St. Louis, Missouri to join his three brothers.
Initially employed as a clerk at a riverfront wholesale supply house, Adolphus’ career was interrupted by the start of the Civil War. However, he had no interest in participating in the war and decided to leave after serving briefly and with honor. Instead, he entered into the brewers supply business.
In 1859, Adolphus teamed up with Ernst Wattenberg and founded Wattenberg, Busch, and Company. The company became well-known as a wholesale commission house in St. Louis.
Among his customers was Eberhard Anheuser. In 1859, Eberhard, a successful St. Louis businessman, initially financed a loan to a struggling neighborhood brewery called The Bavarian. After acquiring the brewery, he renamed it as E. Anheuser and Company. Eberhard, being a brewer and not a salesman, faced difficulties in selling the beer produced by his small equipment. As a result, he found himself owing Adolphus a significant amount of money. The debt continued to increase until Adolphus was offered an ownership stake in the brewery as payment. Adolphus eagerly accepted this opportunity since he had recently formed a strong liking for Lily, Eberhards daughter. Additionally, Ulrich Busch, one of Adolphus’ brothers, had taken an interest in Anna, Lilys older sister. Consequently, on March 7, 1861, Eberhard arranged for both his daughters to marry the Busch boys in a dual wedding ceremony held in St. Louis.
In 1864, Adolphus started working at his father-in-law’s brewery as a salesman. After five years, he sold his share of the wholesale business and gained majority control of E. Anheuser and Company. Initially, Eberhard was president while Adolphus held the position of secretary. However, by 1875, Adolphus became a co-partner which led to the official incorporation of the company as Anheuser Busch and Company. Sadly, Eberhard Anheuser passed away in 1880 at the age of 75.
Adolphus started to get ready for his significant accomplishments. His initial focus was on the local market. In the 1800s, brewing was primarily a local trade since bottled beer didn’t exist, and keg brew was likely to go bad if transported to faraway places without refrigeration. Nonetheless, St. Louis was the most desirable market. In this city, millions of gallons of beer were already being consumed annually. There was a significant profit potential in St. Louis, and Adolphus embarked on a mission to capitalize on it.
Adolphus did not have the best beer in town. It is rumored that customers would spit back the beer he tried to sell. William Lemp, on the other hand, had a much better brew. Adolphus was aware of this and worked tirelessly to improve his own beer. He never stopped production while searching for a perfect brewer and formula. Even if his beer was not the best, he wanted to find a market for it. All breweries had sales agents, but Adolphus managed to assemble one of the most skilled teams. Eventually, his beer started selling almost as well as Lemps.
Adolphus played a crucial role in the business, spearheading new advancements. He devoted nearly ten years to traveling across Europe, specifically in Germany, where he gained insights into various brewing methods. He developed a keen interest in Bavaria and Plzen in southern Germany. During his time in Europe, Adolphus also familiarized himself with the pasteurization research of Louis Pasteur. Pasteur had discovered that by heating beer and eliminating detrimental germs and bacteria, it could be preserved. This breakthrough enabled beer to maintain its quality and taste during long-distance shipment and guaranteed freshness wherever it was consumed.
In 1876, Adolphus and Carl Conrad crafted a Bohemian-style lager utilizing traditional techniques and high-quality ingredients. Adolphus drew inspiration from his journey to Bohemia and the brewers there who named their beers after their towns with the suffix er, such as Plzners or Pilsners from Plzen. During their visit, they also ventured to Ceske Budejovice, later known as Budweis.
Upon returning to St. Louis, they introduced their beer as Budweiser Lager Beer, produced by E. Anheuser Co.’s Brewing Association and distributed by Carl Conrad. Adolphus believed that this beer was “The King of Beers”. In 1879, the Anheuser company altered its name to Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association, and in the following year after Eberhard Anheuser’s passing, Adolphus assumed the role of president.
Adolphus Busch, who purchased the diesel engine patents in 1898 for 1,000,000 gold marks (approximately $200,000 at that time), had interests beyond brewing beer. He established the Diesel Motor Company of America, later renamed the American Diesel Engine Company. Through this endeavor, he accomplished an impressive milestone by introducing the first commercially viable diesel engine.
After a 30-year presidency, Adolphus died in 1913 at Villa Lily, his Rhine castle named after his wife. Following his instructions, he was buried in St. Louis where he achieved great success. The entire community grieved the loss of this respected merchant. His funeral was remarkable with six thousand employees marching and twenty-five trucks required to transport the floral tributes. The Kaiser dispatched his personal representative while the President of the United States conveyed his sympathies.
