Budweiser during Prohibition?

Question

How did A-B remove the alcohol? Which was more popular during the time, non-alcoholic Bud or Bevo?

Answer 1

I don't think they removed the alcohol at all; I think they made it so that fermentation didn't occur at all.

Beer in those days wasn't as popular as it is now.  It wasn't until after the end of prohibition that beer really became a big deal.  Before then whisky, applejack, gin, and rum were the drinks of choice for the most part.  Beer was sort of a niche thing, mostly in places where water wasn't potable.

Answer 2

The beer was brewed as normal and the alcohol was removed in non-alcohol Budweiser. They either distilled the alcohol off or vacuum distilled it. I am not sure when vacuum distillation came  in use for low and non alcohol beers.

This is from the site I provide below.

"Budweiser bottle (ca. 1920-1932). This was a “near-beer” brewed in the traditional Budweiser lager style and de-alcoholized to ½ of 1 percent, in accordance with the law. "

http://www.anheuser-busch.com/Press/Proh...

Since this site says Bevo sales were declining during prohobition I think the non-a;cohol Budweiser sold more.

http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/fall...

Answer 3

They didn't ferment it and NA Bud was more popular.