Busch, Adolphus

Busch, Adolphus (1839–1913) brewer; born in Mainz, Germany. In 1857 he moved to St. Louis, Mo., and opened a brewing supply store with his brother. In 1861, the brothers married the daughters of customer Eberhard Anheuser; soon thereafter Adolphus became a partner in his father-in-law's brewery (and in 1867 a naturalized citizen). When Anheuser died (1879) Busch renamed the brewery the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association. He is credited with having developed a new lighter and drier beer that he named "Budweiser." He pasteurized his beer and helped develop mechanical refrigeration so he could ship farther; he built a glass factory to make his bottles; and he founded the St. Louis Manufacturers' Railway to transport coal from his Illinois mines. In 1898 he brought the Diesel engine to the United States from Switzerland. He was a generous donor to a variety of institutions and causes.