ANHEUSER-BUSCH TOPS 90 MILLION BARREL MARK FOR FIRST TIME IN 1996; Only Major Brewer to Gain Market Share.

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 1997--Anheuser-Busch, Inc. sold a record 91.1 million barrels of beer in 1996, company officials announced today. This boosts the brewer's market share in the United States to more than 45 percent and widens its sales lead over other major brewers, all of whom lost market share in 1996, according to industry sales estimates.

"This outstanding performance is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication by our sales team and our independent wholesalers across the country," said August A. Busch III, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "We've got the highest quality and freshest beers in the industry. That is coupled with strong advertising and marketing, as well as a great sales team. All these elements worked together for us in 1996."

Fresh high-quality beer is a major competitive advantage for Anheuser-Busch, noted Busch. The company has 12 breweries located across the country, more than any of its competitors. Because of consumer demand, Anheuser-Busch products rotate off retailer shelves more quickly than competitive beers. Anheuser-Busch took the unprecedented step of reducing wholesaler inventories by 1.1 million barrels at the end of 1995, widening its freshness advantage over competing brands.

"We've taken advantage of this freshness edge in recent months by adding `Born On' dates to our packaging and focusing our advertising and marketing efforts to make sure that consumers know that `fresh beer tastes better,'" Busch said. "They clearly have gotten the message."

The record 91.1 million barrels sales figure represents an increase of 3.6 million barrels, or 4.1 percent over 1995. On a "normalized" basis -- adjusting for the impact of the inventory reduction -- the increase was 2.5 million barrels or 2.8 percent.

The increase represents a full point market share increase. Industry sales grew about 1 percent, or a little less than 2 million barrels in 1996, according to Beer Institute estimates. A barrel contains 31 gallons, the equivalent of 330 12-ounce containers.

Anheuser-Busch brews 30 beer brands, including the nation's top two -- Budweiser and Bud Light. The Bud family performed well in 1996, topped by double-digit growth for Bud Light, Busch said. Other premium products also saw gains, he noted.

"We've got great momentum heading into 1997," said Busch. "We're going to continue to concentrate on what we do best, providing the highest quality fresh beer to America's beer drinkers."

Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the world's largest brewer, is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Anheuser-Busch Companies will announce its fourth-quarter performance and full-year earnings next month.

In addition to the Budweiser family of beers, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.'s products include the Michelob family of beers, Busch and Busch Light, and a broad range of specialty brands.

CONTACT: Jim Morice or Barry Murov

for Anheuser-Busch, 314/982-1700