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

Summary (from the publisher): 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. 

Review: I received a free copy of this book from HarperCollins. 

Bitter Brew tells the story of five generations of the Busch family, who made billions off of their iconic Budweiser brand. The family's fortune and fame was begun with Adolphus Busch, who immigrated from Germany in 1857 and married the daughter of Eberhard Anheuser, the owner of a brewery. Adolphus founded the dynasty that became Budweiser, with the only son taking over the running of the company with each generation. Following Adolphus was his son August A., followed by his son August Jr. (Gussie), then August III, and finally August IV. Sadly, just as quickly as they rose, the family fell, with August IV selling the company in 2008 and ending up a drug addict and the center of multiple scandals. I was surprised at how strongly nepotism factored into the Budweiser business. The takeover by the eldest son in each generation was essentially assured, and the board was filled with family members and close family friends.

It is likely due to limited records, but I was disappointed to not learn more about the founding father of the Busch family, Adolphus. His life and the start of the company are quickly summarized within the first chapter. The majority of the book is spent discussing Gussie's life and the downfall with August IV. Over the years, each patriarch was obsessed with being the number one beer company in America at any cost. In fact, Gussie was quoted as saying "Being second isn't worth shit."  The book's scope is centered on the men who ruled the company, yet I wish the many offspring and wives of the Busch men would have least been glossed over a bit more.

The best way to describe the Busch family in both personal matters and business is excess. Each Busch man had multiple wives, many children, lived in the twenty six room French Renaissance-style chateau, and had opulent headquarters, private jets, and lavish parties. I was surprised to learn that the Budweiser company owned the Cardinals' baseball team for many years, and founded Busch Gardens amusement park, which originally spawned from Gussie's hobby of collecting animals like elephants for pets. Yet each man worked hard to claim his place in the company, which is known for its excellence and its brilliant marketing strategy. There is a reason that Budweiser is a common brand name in America.

The decline of the family was particularly hard to read and watch unfold. None of the men were good fathers, especially to the oldest sons who would inherit. Gussie was fond of telling everyone that his business came first before his family, and was stretched between the eleven offspring of his three wives. Gussie's son, August III, bore no real love for his father, and in fact, worked with the board to forcibly oust him from the company. Likewise, August IV was not close to his father, who divorced his mother when he was quite young, and described his relationship with his father as largely a business one.

Yet most troubling of all was the final leader of the company, August IV. August IV was involved in a car crash that led to the death of a young woman while in college and his track record hardly improved with time. Known to be a terrible philanderer and eventually addicted to a combination of alcohol, antidepressants, cocaine, and oxycodone, its little wonder that he failed to keep the company in the family. In 2009, after the sale of the company, August IV was arrested and forced into rehab. Over 900 weapons were found in his home, including assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols. His friends were quoted as saying, "I don't care anymore if he dies. He'd be better off" and "I think he will die. He is, in effect, dead already. He doesn't care." Its such a tragic way for one glorious example of the American Dream brought to life gone horribly wrong. 

I have a penchant for books covering multiple generations of family history and I enjoyed learning about the history behind the Budweiser brand, which is so commonly known. While disappointed at the poor example many of them set, and the very flawed individuals many of them seem to be, their history is fascinating, and remains a part of American history.

Stars: 3