-
Bitter Brew
- The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 11-06-12
- Language: English
- Publisher: HarperAudio
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $28.51
People who bought this also bought...
-
Dethroning the King
- The Hostile Takeover of Anheuser-Busch, an American Icon
- By: Julie MacIntosh
- Narrated by: Joyce Bean
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 102
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
How did InBev, a Belgian company controlled by Brazilians, take over one of America's most beloved brands after barely a whimper of a fight? With timing - and some unexpected help from powerful members of the Busch dynasty, the very family that had run the company for more than a century. From the very heart of America's heartland to the European continent to Brazil, Dethroning the King is the ultimate corporate caper and a fascinating case study that's both wide-reaching and profound.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good Story but Narration Can be Annoying
- By Ken on 10-21-11
-
Quench Your Own Thirst
- Business Lessons Learned over a Beer or Two
- By: Jim Koch
- Narrated by: Jim Koch
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 695
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 629
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 625
Founder of The Boston Beer Company, brewer of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and a key catalyst of the American craft beer revolution, Jim Koch offers his unique perspective when it comes to business, beer, and turning your passion into a successful company or career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great story and inspirational!!
- By Kimberly S. on 04-17-16
-
Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out
- Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business
- By: Josh Noel
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
Goose Island opened as a family-owned Chicago brewpub in the late 1980s, and it soon became one of the most inventive breweries in the world. In the golden age of light and cheap beers, John Hall and his son Greg brought European flavors to America. With distribution in two dozen states, two brewpubs and status as one of the twenty biggest breweries in the United States, Goose Island became an American success story and was a champion of craft beer. Then, on March 28, 2011, the Halls sold the brewery to Anheuser-Busch InBev, maker of Budweiser, the least craft-like beer imaginable.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Two Books in One Nut One of Them Not So Good
- By Encino Man on 09-09-18
-
Beyond the Pale
- The Story of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- By: Ken Grossman
- Narrated by: Jones Allen
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 267
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 245
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 245
Beyond the Pale chronicles Ken Grossman's journey from hobbyist homebrewer to owner of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., one of the most successful craft breweries in the United States. From youthful adventures to pioneering craft brewer, Ken Grossman shares the trials and tribulations of building a brewery that produces more than 800,000 barrels of beer a year while maintaining its commitment to using the finest ingredients available. Since Grossman founded Sierra Nevada in 1980, part of a growing beer revolution in America, critics have proclaimed his beer to be "among the best brewed anywhere in the world."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A love of beer, and friends and family with money
- By jennifer on 10-21-17
-
My Father's Business
- The Small-Town Values That Built Dollar General into a Billion-Dollar Company
- By: Cal Turner Jr., Rob Simbeck
- Narrated by: Cal Turner Jr.
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 35
Longtime Dollar General CEO Cal Turner, Jr. shares his extraordinary life as heir to the company founded by his father Cal Turner, Sr. and his grandfather, a dirt farmer turned Depression-era entrepreneur. Cal's narrative is at its heart a father-son story, from his childhood in Scottsville, Kentucky, where business and family were one, to the triumph of reaching the Fortune 300 - at the cost of risking that very father/son relationship. Cal shares how the small-town values with which he was raised helped him guide Dollar General from family enterprise to national powerhouse.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!
- By Rick Caldwell on 06-19-18
-
The Secrets of Master Brewers
- Techniques, Traditions, and Homebrew Recipes for 26 of the World's Classic Beer Styles, from Czech Pilsner to English Old Ale
- By: Jeff Alworth, Stan Hieronymus
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 33
Best-selling author Jeff Alworth takes serious beer aficionados on a behind-the-scenes tour of 26 major European and North American breweries that create some of the world's most classic beers. Learn how the Irish make stout, the secrets of traditional Czech pilsner, and what makes English cask ale unique by delving deep into the specific techniques, equipment, and geographical factors that shape these distinctive styles.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Must read book for beer drinkers and beer brewers
- By Josh on 12-29-17
-
Dethroning the King
- The Hostile Takeover of Anheuser-Busch, an American Icon
- By: Julie MacIntosh
- Narrated by: Joyce Bean
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 102
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
How did InBev, a Belgian company controlled by Brazilians, take over one of America's most beloved brands after barely a whimper of a fight? With timing - and some unexpected help from powerful members of the Busch dynasty, the very family that had run the company for more than a century. From the very heart of America's heartland to the European continent to Brazil, Dethroning the King is the ultimate corporate caper and a fascinating case study that's both wide-reaching and profound.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good Story but Narration Can be Annoying
- By Ken on 10-21-11
-
Quench Your Own Thirst
- Business Lessons Learned over a Beer or Two
- By: Jim Koch
- Narrated by: Jim Koch
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 695
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 629
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 625
Founder of The Boston Beer Company, brewer of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and a key catalyst of the American craft beer revolution, Jim Koch offers his unique perspective when it comes to business, beer, and turning your passion into a successful company or career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great story and inspirational!!
- By Kimberly S. on 04-17-16
-
Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out
- Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business
- By: Josh Noel
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
Goose Island opened as a family-owned Chicago brewpub in the late 1980s, and it soon became one of the most inventive breweries in the world. In the golden age of light and cheap beers, John Hall and his son Greg brought European flavors to America. With distribution in two dozen states, two brewpubs and status as one of the twenty biggest breweries in the United States, Goose Island became an American success story and was a champion of craft beer. Then, on March 28, 2011, the Halls sold the brewery to Anheuser-Busch InBev, maker of Budweiser, the least craft-like beer imaginable.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Two Books in One Nut One of Them Not So Good
- By Encino Man on 09-09-18
-
Beyond the Pale
- The Story of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- By: Ken Grossman
- Narrated by: Jones Allen
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 267
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 245
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 245
Beyond the Pale chronicles Ken Grossman's journey from hobbyist homebrewer to owner of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., one of the most successful craft breweries in the United States. From youthful adventures to pioneering craft brewer, Ken Grossman shares the trials and tribulations of building a brewery that produces more than 800,000 barrels of beer a year while maintaining its commitment to using the finest ingredients available. Since Grossman founded Sierra Nevada in 1980, part of a growing beer revolution in America, critics have proclaimed his beer to be "among the best brewed anywhere in the world."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A love of beer, and friends and family with money
- By jennifer on 10-21-17
-
My Father's Business
- The Small-Town Values That Built Dollar General into a Billion-Dollar Company
- By: Cal Turner Jr., Rob Simbeck
- Narrated by: Cal Turner Jr.
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 35
Longtime Dollar General CEO Cal Turner, Jr. shares his extraordinary life as heir to the company founded by his father Cal Turner, Sr. and his grandfather, a dirt farmer turned Depression-era entrepreneur. Cal's narrative is at its heart a father-son story, from his childhood in Scottsville, Kentucky, where business and family were one, to the triumph of reaching the Fortune 300 - at the cost of risking that very father/son relationship. Cal shares how the small-town values with which he was raised helped him guide Dollar General from family enterprise to national powerhouse.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!
- By Rick Caldwell on 06-19-18
-
The Secrets of Master Brewers
- Techniques, Traditions, and Homebrew Recipes for 26 of the World's Classic Beer Styles, from Czech Pilsner to English Old Ale
- By: Jeff Alworth, Stan Hieronymus
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 33
Best-selling author Jeff Alworth takes serious beer aficionados on a behind-the-scenes tour of 26 major European and North American breweries that create some of the world's most classic beers. Learn how the Irish make stout, the secrets of traditional Czech pilsner, and what makes English cask ale unique by delving deep into the specific techniques, equipment, and geographical factors that shape these distinctive styles.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Must read book for beer drinkers and beer brewers
- By Josh on 12-29-17
-
Billion Dollar Whale
- By: Bradley Hope, Tom Wright
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 10
In 2009, with the dust yet to settle on the financial crisis, a baby-faced, seemingly mild-mannered Wharton grad began setting in motion a fraud of unprecedented gall and magnitude - one that would come to symbolize the next great threat to the global financial system. His name is Jho Low, a man whose behavior was so preposterous he might seem made up. An epic true tale of hubris and greed, Billion Dollar Whale reveals how this young social climber pulled off one of the biggest heists in history.
-
Brewing Up a Business
- Adventures in Beer from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Revised and Updated
- By: Sam Calagione
- Narrated by: Kris Koscheski
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 437
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 389
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 389
Starting with nothing more than a home brewing kit, Sam Calagione turned his entrepreneurial dream into a foamy reality in the form of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, one of America's best and fastest-growing craft breweries. In this newly updated Second Edition, Calagione offers a deeper real-world look at entrepreneurship and what it takes to operate and grow a successful business. In several new chapters, he discusses Dogfish's most innovative marketing ideas.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book about starting a brewery
- By William Schooley on 01-07-13
-
Brewmaster's Art
- By: Prof. Charles Bamforth
- Narrated by: Prof. Charles Bamforth
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 165
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 165
With origins 8,000 years in the past, beer brewing has held a prominent place in many and diverse cultures the world over. A university professor with more than 30 years' experience in the brewing industry, Professor Charles W. Bamforth is ideally suited to lead these engaging lectures on beermaking.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect
- By Fletcher on 10-01-15
-
Tasting Beer, 2nd Edition
- An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink
- By: Randy Mosher
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
Everyone knows how to drink beer, but few know how to really taste it with an understanding of the finer points of brewing, serving, and food pairing. Discover the ingredients and brewing methods that make each variety unique, and learn to identify the scents, colors, flavors, and mouthfeel of all the major beer styles. Recommendations for more than 50 types of beer from around the world encourage you to expand your horizons. Uncap the secrets in every bottle of the world's greatest drink!
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good bad not so great reader
- By ogmarkyvee on 09-02-17
-
Bad Blood
- Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- By: John Carreyrou
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7,012
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6,361
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6,350
In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup "unicorn" promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood testing significantly faster and easier. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than $9 billion, putting Holmes' worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem: The technology didn't work.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent listen & definitive account
- By Michael J Canning on 06-30-18
-
So You Want to Start a Brewery?
- The Lagunitas Story
- By: Tony Magee
- Narrated by: Brett Barry
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 790
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 726
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 727
So You Want to Start a Brewery? is the first-person account of Tony Magee's gut-wrenching challenges and heart-warming successes in founding Lagunitas Brewing Company. In just 20 years, the company has grown from a seat-of-the-pants, one-man operation to be the fifth largest--and the fastest growing--craft brewer in the United States.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I did not even like beer before I read this book!
- By D. Bessire on 09-18-15
-
The United States of Beer
- A Freewheeling History of the All-American Drink
- By: Dane Huckelbridge
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 26
Huckelbridge shows how beer has evolved along with the country - from a local and regional product (once upon a time, every American city had its own brewery and iconic beer brand) to the rise of global megabrands, like Budweiser and Miller, that are synonymous with US capitalism. We learn of George Washington's failed attempt to brew beer at Mount Vernon with molasses instead of barley and of the 19th-century "beer barons", like Captain Frederick Pabst, Adolphus Busch, and Joseph Schlitz.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
History Humanized
- By Dave on 06-25-16
-
The Brewer's Tale
- A History of the World According to Beer
- By: William Bostwick
- Narrated by: Christopher Sutton
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 200
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 175
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 175
The Brewer's Tale is a beer-filled journey into the past: the story of brewers gone by and one brave writer's quest to bring them - and their ancient, forgotten beers - back to life, one taste at a time. This is the story of the world according to beer, a toast to flavors born of necessity and place - in Belgian monasteries, rundown farmhouses, and the basement nanobrewery next door. So pull up a barstool and raise a glass to 5,000 years of fermented magic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good insights!
- By Michael on 03-08-16
-
Built from Scratch
- How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion
- By: Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Bob Andelman
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 167
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 146
Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people - and their associates - built a business from nothing to 761 stores and $30 billion in sales in a mere 20 years. Built from Scratch tells many colorful stories associated with The Home Depot's founding and meteoric rise; shows that a company can be a tough, growth-oriented competitor, and still maintain a high sense of responsibility to the community; and provides great lessons useful to people in any business, from start-ups to the Fortune 500.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Long Commercial For How Great Home Depot Is
- By Mark on 06-05-18
-
The Bonanza King
- By: Gregory Crouch
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 23 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 24
Born in 1831, John W. Mackay was a penniless Irish immigrant who came of age in New York City, went to California during the Gold Rush, and mined without much luck for eight years. When he heard of riches found on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1859, Mackay abandoned his claim and walked a hundred miles to the Comstock Lode in Nevada. Over the course of the next dozen years, Mackay worked his way up from nothing, thwarting the pernicious “Bank Ring” monopoly to seize control of the most concentrated cache of precious metals ever found on earth, the legendary “Big Bonanza”.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Stellar narration, biography exemplar!
- By Greeny on 06-25-18
-
Fear
- Trump in the White House
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,509
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,902
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,865
With authoritative reporting honed through eight presidencies from Nixon to Obama, author Bob Woodward reveals in unprecedented detail the harrowing life inside President Donald Trump’s White House and precisely how he makes decisions on major foreign and domestic policies. Woodward draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand sources, meeting notes, personal diaries, files, and documents. The focus is on the explosive debates and the decision-making in the Oval Office, the Situation Room, Air Force One, and the White House residence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Extremely Depressing...
- By Sena on 09-11-18
-
Railroaded
- The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America
- By: Richard White
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 23 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
The transcontinental railroads of the late 19th century were the first corporate behemoths. Their attempts to generate profits from proliferating debt sparked devastating panics in the US economy. Their dependence on public largess drew them into the corridors of power, initiating new forms of corruption. Their operations rearranged space and time, and remade the landscape of the West. As wheel and rail, car and coal, they opened new worlds of work and ways of life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great Way to Tell the History
- By Brent Paxton on 06-25-18
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.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars252
-
4 Stars134
-
3 Stars31
-
2 Stars3
-
1 Stars5
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars228
-
4 Stars113
-
3 Stars28
-
2 Stars3
-
1 Stars4
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars233
-
4 Stars104
-
3 Stars30
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars5
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeremy McGough
- Midwest
- 11-09-12
Couldn't stop listening...
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes
Any additional comments?
This is a great story detailing the blood sweat and tears associated with building and ultimately losing one of America iconic companies / brands. I have lived in St. Louis for nearly 4 years now and this story has given me an entirely new perspective on the big brewery and the family that built it. I would reccomend this book to almost anyone who has an interest in history, business or even general drama.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- Chester, MD, United States
- 12-02-12
Pass the Beer and Ammunition
Would you consider the audio edition of Bitter Brew to be better than the print version?
I have not read the print version of Bitter Brew but there is a great PDF attached to the download for pics and charts.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The Forth is my favorite as he is leaving an incredible path of death and destruction in his wake.
Have you listened to any of Peter Berkrot’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but I do plan to listen to his other books in the future.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It was broken into 3 parts, and I finished it in less than a week as I found it very interesting. I think they should make it into a TV mini series.
Any additional comments?
I live in St. Louis so the book is a must read for people living in the Lou, but people from other places will enjoy the book if they have ever drank a beer or wondered what rich people do when they have no morals or common sense.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- BenRias
- Los Angeles
- 11-18-15
Detailed history of A-B
I enjoyed the book, though the beginning was a little slow. Like a biography, the book started at the beginning with establishing the family. It was a necessary inclusion for this particular family that was so intertwined with the corporation, but it was still a little slow starting off. The rest was great.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Deborah
- 10-08-13
Every St. Louisian should read
Where does Bitter Brew rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
One of the best told stories of St. Louis history. This is a book every person in St. Louis should read. So full of a colorful history of one of our city's icon company's rise and fall.
What does Peter Berkrot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Peter Berkrot reads the story as though he was there and experienced every event and episode. He has a great voice, easy to listen to for long periods of time. I could not put it down (turn it off).
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gayle Hallgren-Rezac
- Vancouver, BC
- 03-29-13
Don't Have to Care About Beer to Enjoy this Story
What made the experience of listening to Bitter Brew the most enjoyable?
This history of Anheuser-Busch is fascinating, the wealth, the power and the disfunction. A very well-written, page turning history lesson. One character is more fascinating than the next. I am waiting for someone to do a cable series on this family.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Most of the characters were flawed and that made the story more compelling.
What does Peter Berkrot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Peter Berkrot is an excellent narrator. Doesn't get in the way of the story, no over-acting.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- brntsllvn
- 11-15-12
Great story! Hard to believe it is true.
Really enjoyed this book! Narrator executes well but feel he may have been a bad choice for purely tonal reasons.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Holly Blackorby
- 08-09-18
Fascinating
Absolutely fascinating book. A real page turner. Finally the story those of us that grew up in St. Louis have always wondered.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brendan Bevan
- 01-17-18
good book for beer lovers
the historic value of the Busch story alone makes it worth reading. good drama throughout as well.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amanda
- 11-03-17
So much more to this story than I ever realized!
Very interesting to hear this story in its entirety. I never really knew much about the Budweiser story other than very recent news.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dr. JSH
- 08-15-17
Great history of the King of Beers and Co.
What did you love best about Bitter Brew?
I collect books on the history of food/alcohol and nutrition. I actually own a hardcover version of this book but didn't read much of it. The audiobook from Audible kept my attention from beginning to end.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Bitter Brew?
The naming of Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser and the early years of the company.
Have you listened to any of Peter Berkrot’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but he was a good narrator.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I was struck by the family's love for guns, despite the suicides by firearm and accidental shooting (without major consequences) that occurred in the family's home(s).
Also, the final generation's continual partying, drug use, apparent vehicular homicide (without major consequences), and the many privileges, opportunities, PR staff (spin doctors), and get-out-of-jail-free cards that the very wealthy evidently are entitled to.
Any additional comments?
The book has extra-emphasis on the final generation, before being bought out by a non-American corporation. Budweiser and other Anheuser-Busch products were once synonymous with America, but that can't be truly said any longer.
I enjoyed learning about the initial generations' struggles, successes, and biographies rather than the drawn-out final generation's. Then again, being the most recent, I'm sure the author had much more information to work with (e.g., articles in publications, inability to conduct in-depth interviews with the long-dead associates of the initial generations) regarding the final generation's flop and the eventual buyout of the company.