Bitter Brew, though is about the family and their lives, and their interaction in the lives of others. In the golden years after the beer was changed to a new recipe, the business became about the people that worked in the breweries. We follow the ups and downs of the family itself but also that of friends and workers. There was something magical about being involved in the Budweiser family; a caring and reaching out to those that were a part.
This is then also about the ending and the changing of the guard, and the difference of a company that had been a part of the American landscape and involved in the backdrop of the prohibition era. Looking back at the heartache and heartbreaks, like looking backwards from a kaleidoscope, where all the disjointed pieces still fit together within the whole, and how the changes of venue no longer held the same heart.
If you are interested in history and the growth of a dynasty, you will enjoy this material. I found it quite fascinating reading, and felt sadness in the pit of my stomach as I neared the end. The story includes so much, including the commercial success and personal growth to the beginning of the Clydesdale as the mascot of the company.It also delves into the darkness of both privilege and power.
A marvelous book for the library, this would also make a great reading club or discussion group addition. It is full of heart and feelings as well as the ending of a Golden Age.
Article comments
1 - Rene
This book is Fiction. As an insider there are some facts,.but there is a lot of embellishment. Do not take this as a documentary of American History. It is sad that former employees like Mike Brooks, who clearly had a good life with AB, as we all did would allow his family to create a book that can mislead readers who cannot discern fact from fiction. The Busch family are good people. They do not deserve to be the continual target of bad press; including mixing fact with fiction.
Rene' - former loyal employee