skip to nav skip to content

Adolphus Busch

An immigrant from the Rhineland, Adolphus Busch entered the brewery supply business in 1857, went into partnership with his father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser, and soon became the first brewer to succeed at bottling beer for shipment. Busch was the most powerful brewer of his day, owning railroads, ice factories and bottling plants. As the Anti-Saloon League steadily gained ground, brewers look to Bush for leadership in the fight against Prohibition. <blockquote>"If you were to imagine an emperor of beer, that was Adolphus Busch. He built the family firm into the largest brewery in the western hemisphere. And he was the leader of the wet movement, such as it was." <cite>Dan Okrent, writer</cite></blockquote>