Monday 10th of September 2007 08:45:12 PM

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Ok, so we're beer snobs. We admit it. But we decided it was only fair to give Bud a chance. And, it would be interesting to see such a large production brew house. My wife and I visited.

The parking is free. The tour is free. The tour is given by college students who have memorized a script full of interesting and "worded just right" facts. However, the loud big brewery and large numbers on the tours is not conducive to asking many questions.

It is very interesting to walk though such a big production, however. More steel tanks and pipes than I've ever seen in one place abound as you wander through floors and corridors full of beer-making equipment.

Toward the end of the 20-30 minute tour, you see the bottling floor. This is literally acres of machinery. The line was not operating when we stopped by, so the tour guide showed us a video about the bottling line. The video was a professionally produced marketing piece more suitable for MTV than a brewery tour. "Fresh" "Fast" "Crisp"

At the simply appointed tasting room, you had your choice of 2 12 oz beers. I tried the Bud Select and a Porter. Both were very plain. The word "flavor" - or rather the fact that this word was not mentioned one single time during the entire tour - came to mind as I was sipping my free Bud. I was wishing it had some.

Then we went to look at the horses. That was fun.

In the end, I guess you could say that the Anheuser-Busch brewers are extremely talented and intelligent people. They are doing an excellent job creating an non-offensive, plain series of beers that is exhaustingly consistent no matter where or when you drink one. I suppose that's just not what two beer snobs like my wife and I are looking for.