Bitter Brew

The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer

By: William Knoedelseder

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The engrossing, often scandalous saga of one of the wealthiest, longest-lasting, and most colorful family dynasties in the history of American commerce - a cautionary tale about prosperity, profligacy, hubris, and the blessings and dark consequences of success.

From countless bar signs, stadium scoreboards, magazine ads, TV commercials, and roadside billboards, the name Budweiser has been burned into the American consciousness as the "King of Beers". Over a span of more than a century, the company behind it, Anheuser-Busch, has attained legendary status. A jewel of the American Industrial Revolution, in the hands of its founders - the sometimes reckless and always boisterous Busch family of St. Louis, Missouri - it grew into one of the most fearsome marketing machines in modern times. In Bitter Brew, critically acclaimed journalist Knoedelseder paints a fascinating portrait of immense wealth and power accompanied by a barrelful of scandal, heartbreak, tragedy, and untimely death.

This engrossing, vivid narrative captures the Busch saga through five generations. At the same time, it weaves a broader story of American progress and decline over the past 150 years. It's a cautionary tale of prosperity, hubris, and loss.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2012 William Knoedelseder (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Good things don't last

Really enjoyable audio book about the king of beers. Or at least what used to be the king of beers. Filled with a mix of history and personal anecdotes, it details the rise and fall of AN as clearly stated in the title. Not knowing much about beer companies, it was a bit hard to follow some of the mergers and acquisitions between competitors. Surprisingly a lot of baseball history as well with the Cardinals and Busch Stadium. Unfortunately the last part of the book talks mainly about the fourth and his envy of poor life choices, which is essentially the end to a long standing family owned company.

I was intrigued by this book after going on an AB brewery tour and glad I listened to it. It's unfortunate such a successful American run business couldn't outlast a buyout from an even bigger corporation, but keeping it in the family isn't always the best business decision.

nepotism vs business. you get what you get

it's hard to believe an American empire so poorly managed by the very leaders/founders of the company.

by the time they got to the 4th generation AND GAVE him the reins the mold had been set for total capitalistic annihilation of one of America's pioneering companies.

money, fame, and family were no match for the trappings of big money.

Great story about AB and it’s leader/family members

I liked the rise of AB and it’s expansion over the decades. Also I like the stories about rich privilege, especially related to August 4.

Truly Felt Revealing Account

This content was a business and family account that could be truly felt. It starts heroic and sadly dramatic. AB-InBev definitely makes a very good business study case.

Very Interesting

What made the experience of listening to Bitter Brew the most enjoyable?

Learning more about the history of AB and the each generation.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The thing that drove me crazy was the mispronunciation of St. Louis locales.

Makes History Memorable

This audio book is excellent. The story is real which makes it all the better. The author paints a picture with such detail that you can see the drama unfolding in your mind's eye. The reading was also excellent. This is a book that you will find yourself discussing and thinking about whenever you have a drink. There are only a handful of spots that the story lags, otherwise it is faced paced.

I often try to imagine a future where big corporations rule the economy. This book gives me an insight into what may be the future. Instead of Congress stopping monopoly and oligopoly powers, the businesses may become so big that they fail to deliver their brand promises to the consumer, their stockholders and their employees. Budweiser does have good quality beer but other companies and markets they tried to swallow up failed to be profitable. With the new hedge fund managers who have raped and pillaged the company, you have to ask yourself how long will they continue to have good beer? Will management who is looking for short term profits in the end be the downfall of the company? Will small breweries be able to get a foothold in their local communities if the Budweiser quality is sacrificed for short term profits? Maybe the rise of multi-national corporations gaining power through politicians taking their political contributions is just a phase of capitalism. Maybe they will get so big that they fail.

Birthrights

I haven't been a consumer of Anheuser Busch products for well over a decade. It's a part of my life that I just outgrew, but when I was drinking Budweiser was one of my favorites. "Bitter Brew" is an excellent business story, where generations after generations ruin the family business because of their birthrights.

Instead of getting the job base on merits, August Busch IV (The Fourth), became CEO and ruin the legacy of the family and the business. Not only he made really bad business choices for Anheuser Busch, but he was also a big time substance abuser and playboy. It is because of his family's name that he became the head master brewer.

It's really interesting to read these kinds of books. Not only it's informable, but the ultra wealthy crumbles because of birthrights.

An American Family Empire Down the Drain

I worked at A-B for several years and can attest first-hand to the Busch family cult of personality described in "Bitter Brew." If anything, I found it to be even more palpable and all-consuming in the corporate culture than what is described in the book.

The decades-long story that unfolds is fascinating in a way akin to reading about a royal family -- the aspirations, the battles, the treacheries, the grudges, and the grooming of heirs are all the same.

In this way, I see the whole thing as less a cautionary tale of cutthroat capitalism, than a tragic account of fatal and flawed family dynamics.

My only complaint is that Knoedelseder's telling is more plain and flatly journalistic than the vivid subject matter deserved, and in the end could've benefitted from more descriptive analysis into the meaning of it all.

Eye opening

I recommend for anyone that is interested in the history of a Busch family and the brewery

Great true story.

I loved it. Great true story. I have been to Grant's Farm and the StLouis brewery and have been a AB drinker my whole adult life. But I think will be switching to Kraftig after listening to this.