Free alcohol is a big draw in any context. But free booze, in addition to an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the world’s most popular beers are made? That’s hard to turn down.
The Anheuser-Busch / Budweiser Brewery tour in St. Louis is a cool look into the process that creates the world-famous beer. And you can see the Clydesdale horses in person!
The brewery offers a variety of tours, some of which includes a visit to the finishing cellar, where guests are given a free beer sample straight from the finishing tank.
Thinking of taking a tour of the grounds? Here’s the inside scoop about the Budweiser tour.
Is There a Free Budweiser Brewery Tour?
Not anymore, sadly. The basic brewery tour in St. Louis used to be free, and it used to include two free beer samples at the end.
I attended that free tour several years back. But it’s no longer available, as of this writing. You’ll have to fork over at least $15 for the standard tour, or more for specialized tours.
St. Louis Budweiser Brewery Tour Options (2024)
TripAdvisor recently named the St. Louis Budweiser Brewery tour the #1-ranked brewery tour in the country.
The standard Budweiser Brewery Tour – aka the Day Fresh Tour – generally runs every 45 minutes from 11 am to 4 pm. During the spring and summer, tour hours may be extended.
The tour used to be free, but it now costs $15 per person. The tour takes 75 minutes and covers about 7 blocks of walking, including the horse stable, the Beechwood Aging Cellars, the Brewhouse, and the packing facility.
This is just one of the company’s current tour offerings, however. Here’s the full list.
Current St. Louis Budweiser Brewery Tour options:
The Day Fresh Tour: 75 minutes, $15. This is the basic tour with a visit to see the Clydesdales, aging cellar, brewhouse, and bottling plant.
The Clydesdale VIP Experience: 60 minutes, $30. You’ll get up close with the Clydesdale horses and learn everything about them. Guests can also take photos with the horses.
The Finisher Tour (21+ only): 1 hour, $20. This tour only includes a visit to the finishing cellar to learn about the fermentation process, followed by a free sample of beer poured directly from the finishing tank. You also receive free souvenirs (branded hat & commemorative glass.)
The Beermaster Tour (21+ only): 2 hours, $40. Designed for the hardcore beer lover, this tour includes everything in the Day Fresh Tour and Finisher Tour. Visit the Clydesdales, the aging cellar, the museum and the finishing cellar, with a free sample of beer and free souvenirs.
Other Budweiser Tour Options: The company also has occasional themed-nights, such as Movie Night at the Biergarten, Blues & Brews live concerts, and Beer & Food Pairing Dinners at the Biergarten.
Kids are allowed on all tours except the Finisher and Beermaster Tours, since those include free booze at the end.
See the full list of upcoming tours or purchase tour tickets here. Advance tickets are not required, but they are recommended, since tours can sell out.
Location, Parking, and the Budweiser Tour “Lounge” Area
Parking is free at the facility. No backpacks, large purses or bags are permitted on tours.
The tour is easily accessible by public transportation. I took a bus from downtown that stopped right in front of the Budweiser complex, which is enormous – they even have their own credit union on the grounds.
The complex features plenty of signs directing visitors to the tour site, about a 10-minute walk from the bus stop. Our tour group consisted of about 30 people.
While I waited for the tour to start, I was able to wander around the main room at the tour facility.
The room offers displays about topics like the brewing process itself, Budweiser’s famous Clydesdale horses, the specific ingredients in the beer, the locations of Bud breweries across the country, and more.
There’s also a gift shop. I didn’t bother to enter it since I’m not a fan of overpriced gift shop relics, but if you care for an Anheuser-Busch keychain or postcard, go for it.
My Experience on the Day Fresh Tour: Clydesdales & Aging Cellar
My first visit to the Budweiser Brewery was a few years back. I booked an early incarnation of the Day Fresh Tour.
The tour involves a lot of walking and a good bit of time outside, so if you visit in the winter, dress appropriately.
When the tour began, the guide took us outside to see two Clydesdale horses. I had no idea horses could be this massive – they had to be at least seven feet tall!
The Clydesdales were a treat. They were one of the things that separated the Budweiser Brewery tour from other beer tours, like the Labatt Brewery tour in London, Ontario.
Next, it was into the Beechwood aging cellar, where the guide showed us the wood used during the filtering process.
We stood next to enormous drums which each hold enough beer to provide 1.2 million servings. The thought of that much alcohol is overwhelming!
Then, it was off to another building to see the mash tanks and, finally, the bottling room, where thousands of still-unlabeled bottles made their way down conveyor belts.
That was one of the coolest parts of the tour, seeing thousands of future bottles of Bud without labels and caps.
From there, the Budweiser shuttle trolley took the group back to the main building for a beer sampling.
Sampling Beer on the Brewery Tour
Unfortunately, the beer sampling I received is no longer a part of the Day Fresh Tour, but I’ll share the details anwyay.
We were ushered into the café and offered two glasses of about a dozen different beers on tap. I went with Bud Light Lime and a Christmas-themed winter ale.
Sadly, I didn’t notice the blueberry-flavored beer until it was too late. I immediately regretted not trying it. Blueberry beer, how cool!
We were also given small bags of pretzels and had the opportunity to use the soft drink bar as well, which I also took advantage of, since I was really thirsty and root beer is a much better thirst-quencher than alcohol.
Two beers was a nice free gift at the end of the tour. Hopefully Budweiser will someday make this a part of its standard tour again, because getting to try multiple different flavors adds a lot of appeal to the experience.
Other St. Louis Activities
For other fun St. Louis activities, check out Citygarden, the City Museum, and Arch National Park. Also visit the Delmar Loop, one of the coolest neighborhoods in the area.
See also my guide to driving from St. Louis to Chicago on historic Route 66!
Note that Budweiser also offers brewery tours at its other location in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Here’s the info about that tour.
Would you consider taking the Budweiser Brewery Tour in St. Louis?
