From Anheuser-Busch: Home brewing has come a long way in the past decade. No longer a little-known hobby, the days of having to mail-order supplies are gone. Stores stocking brewing equipment and ingredients are more common; home brew clubs and competitions are more prevalent.
Of course, for those who work in the brewing industry, like employees at Anheuser-Busch, beer is more than just one of life’s pleasures: it’s a living. But not everyone who works for A-B spends their days making fresh batches of Budweiser in the brew house. However, many members of the A-B community try their hand at making beer outside of office hours, and for those lovers of homemade brews, the Anheuser-Busch Home Brewers Group gives them a chance to congregate and communicate with likeminded coworkers.
During the workday, Tom Seiff serves as Anheuser-Busch’s Project Manager, Functional Learning, but during his free time, he carries the title of Chairman of the Home Brewers Group – a club of A-B brewing enthusiasts active since 2009 and currently 72 members strong. “Most of us brew on the weekends,” says Seiff, explaining what a typical member looks like. “Skill level varies. Most begin with a kit and use the extract brewing technique. Some of us have elaborate home breweries and use an all-grain approach to brewing.”
True hobbies are intended to provide a break from the hectic workweek, but making beer on the side can have professional advantages. “In today’s industry, it’s vital to have a deep understanding of beer making, beer styles, etc.,” says Seiff. “Home brewing provides the depth of knowledge, so for most of us, beer knowledge helps you on the job.”
Even better, being a home brewer who also works for Anheuser-Busch comes with some excellent perks. “Full-time Anheuser-Busch brewmasters in the group provide mentoring most home brewers can’t find anywhere else,” Seiff explains about the group that meets every six weeks or so in the A-B Biergarten or in one of the brewery’s smaller brewing centers. “We conduct a hop give-away annually for other home brew clubs in St. Louis and once in a while the grains unloading team shares some barley malt. Everyone at A-B is very supportive.”
Part of that supportive culture includes an annual competition where beers brewed by A-B employees have a chance to not only face off head-to-head, but even get judged by the same Taste Panel that tastes Budweiser brewed around the globe. “We get entries from all over the US – from our flagship breweries, facilities across the country and craft brewers too,” says Seiff. “It’s a super cool event.”
The Home Brewer Group goes beyond simple fun, as well. It serves as an information resource for all employees and an outreach program for members to meet others in local home brew communities. Like most home brew enthusiasts brewing beer is its own reward. And for Anheuser-Busch employees, the connection runs even deeper. They’re already beer professionals; brewing at home is simply an extension of what they do – loving beer and living beer, both at work and at home.
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