Twenty years ago, when the Busch family still ran the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch decided to stop giving tours at its Williamsburg brewery. That was about the same time the craft brewery movement was gaining steam. And what do craft brewers do? Offer tours and samples. Arguably, that was a dumb decision by A-B.
Give credit to Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company has decided to stick its toe in the touring water by offering tours of the Williamsburg, Va., brewery on selected weekends though Sept. 2.
Here’s what’s cool, and what A-B wasn’t doing at the Saint Louis brewery when we toured there): Guests at the Williamsburg brewery will be able to sample beer directly from a finishing tank.
Here’s what’s not cool: ABI will charge for the tours: $25 for guests 21 and over, $10 for those 13-20. The tours should be free and the cost of the running them should be part of A-B’s marketing budget. We suspect the tours will do more to boost A-B’s U.S. sales than such initiatives as the “Bud Light Hotel.”