Budweiser. Horses. Hoboken. What could all three possibly have in common? Saturday, December 8th is the answer. This weekend, the Clydesdale horses are a long-standing tradition in Budweiser’s history — and they’re officially coming to Hoboken for the day.
A bit of the backstory: To celebrate the repeal of Prohibition back in 1933, August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their father, August S. Busch, Sr. with the gift of a six-horse Clydesdale hitch. Ever since, the Clydesdale horses have been an icon of the end of Prohibition. Now, they’re coming to Hoboken!
On Saturday, December 8th, the Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to Hoboken, New Jersey to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition and deliver beer to the local bars. The Clydesdales will clamor through the Mile Square, iconic red wagon in tow, on Washington Street between 1st and 8th Streets.
{Photo courtesy of Anheuser-Busch}
The Budweiser Clydesdale hitch will make several stops along its Washington Street trek. At each stop, the Clydesdales will deliver cases of Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager — an American Copper Lager featuring two-row barley that’s aged on Jim Beam bourbon barrel staves. With a toasted oak aroma and the nutty taste of caramel rye and vanilla, the Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager is a post-Prohibition Budweiser staple. Fans will have the opportunity to take photos with the iconic hitch as it makes its stops.
The repeal of Prohibition happened in 1933 and marks one of the most crucial moments in history for both Anheuser-Busch and the beer industry. After August Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their dad with a six-horse Clydesdale hitch, the Clydesdale horses became iconic imagery for Anheuser-Busch.
A horse-drawn beer wagon attracted a lot of attention from the public, so the Busch family arranged to send a second six-horse hitch to New York City. The beer wagon drew in a crowd of thousands as the Clydesdales made their way to the Empire State Building. The Clydesdales continued on a tour of New England and Mid-Atlantic states, which culminated in a stop in Washington D.C. in April of 1933 where the tour reenacted the delivery of one of the first cases of Budweiser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
{Photo courtesy of Anheuser-Busch}
Soon after, the Clydesdale hitch increased from six to eight. Then in March of 1950, Anheuser-Busch introduced a Dalmatian as the Clydesdales’ mascot. The black-and-white spotted mascot was introduced on March 30 to commemorate the opening of the Anheuser-Busch Newark Brewery.
The Clydesdales will make their first appearance in Hoboken down Washington Street between 1st and 8th Streets from 3 to 5pm on December 8th. Will you be there, taking pics? Let us know in the comments below!
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