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(Courtesy Anheuser-Busch)
Traditionally, barley was the main grain used in brewing beer. And for the most part, it still is. However, most of the beer sold in the world is made with rice or corn additions in their grain menus.
Craft beer purists are pretty hard on these adjuncts, accusing big brewers like Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors of using rice and corn in their beers to save money, since barley is a much more expensive grain to use in beer production.
But as the Spruce Eats explains big brewer’s use of adjunct grains may be less about cost-savings and more about a beer’s color and “lightness.”
“Alternate grains, like rice and corn, certainly make the beer lighter than barley does, and that seems to be the goal of most makers of pale lager. Lighter colored beer is quite popular and many beer brewers adhere to “the lighter the better” adage.”
And rice, which supplies even less flavor than corn when added to the brewing process, can deliver a dry clean finish to a beer…
Anheuser- Busch uses rice in some of its most popular beers (it’s right there on their labels). They’re also all about rice farmers adopting more sustainable rice growing practices…
On September 1 the Anheuser-Busch Foundation announced a donation of $100,000 to USA Rice to support the organization’s Rice Stewardship Partnership, which provides growers with technical and financial support to transition to more efficient irrigation, nutrient, and energy practices, while creating wildlife habitat on working ricelands.
“American farmers are the backbone of our industry, and we’re committed to helping them continue to develop their efficient practices and technologies,” said Kim Rogowski, Anheuser-Busch’s Director of Agronomy. “Rice plays a critical role in the high quality and great taste of some of our most popular beers, and we’re proud to stand with USA Rice to help the industry thrive.”
As the largest end user of rice in the country, Anheuser-Busch sources all of its rice from American farmers, totaling more than $120 million of rice and nearly 20 million bushels last year alone
The Rice Stewardship Partnership was formed in 2013 when USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited joined forces to magnify conservation impacts vital to the future of rice production and wetland habitat, and it has grown significantly with new partners and supporters, such as Anheuser-Busch.
We can get snarky about “Big Beer” conglomerates here at American Craft Beer. But no brewer in the world (craft or corporate) has made the kind of commitment to planet-saving sustainability strategies that Anheuser-Busch has…
And we applaud their continuing efforts…
(Banner image credit: Anheuser-Busch)
