Question 1

True or false: August Busch Sr. was a direct descendant of German nobility.

Accepted Answer

False. The Busch family were brewers, not nobles. Adolphus Busch (founder) was the son of a wealthy merchant, but had no aristocratic title.

Question 2

True or false: August Busch IV was a Medal of Honor recipient for his service in the Vietnam War.

Accepted Answer

False. Busch IV did not serve in the military; he avoided the draft with a student deferment and later faced controversy over his safety at the brewery.

Question 3

True or false: August Busch Sr. invented the modern beer can in 1935.

Accepted Answer

True. While not the sole inventor, Busch Sr. pushed for the first successful canned beer, which Anheuser-Busch launched in 1936.

Question 4

True or false: August Busch IV was the first Busch to run Anheuser-Busch without a college degree.

Accepted Answer

True. He dropped out of college to work at the brewery, unlike his predecessors who were all college graduates. He became CEO in 2006.

Question 5

True or false: August Busch III fired his own son from the company for poor performance.

Accepted Answer

False. Busch III retired before his son August IV became CEO, and IV left the company only after InBev’s takeover in 2008, not by being fired.

Question 6

True or false: August Busch III was a licensed airplane pilot who flew his own jet to work every day.

Accepted Answer

True. He earned his pilot's license and often flew a Learjet from his ranch to the St. Louis headquarters, bypassing traffic.

Question 7

True or false: August Busch Jr. once wrestled a bear at the St. Louis Zoo to prove the toughness of his beer.

Accepted Answer

False. This is a tall tale; Busch Jr. was known for publicity stunts, but no record exists of him wrestling a bear. He did ride an elephant in a parade.

Question 8

True or false: August Busch Jr. personally delivered beer to President Harry Truman in a horse-drawn carriage.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1945, Busch Jr. famously drove a Clydesdale-drawn wagon to the White House to present Truman with a case of beer.

August Busch Trivia Questions