Second Meeting Featured Title: Bitter Brew

Bitter Brew: the Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's King of Beers
by William Knoedelseder

Reported by Bonnie Enos
Report Highlights:

• The writer grew up in St. Louis.  This book is unique among the many books that have been written about Anheuser-Busch, because the author gained more access to inside people such as family members of the Busches.
• The book focuses as much, if not more, on the family and family legacy than the company. 
• Other information is taken from sources such as The St. Louis Post Dispatch and The St. Louis Globe-Democrat
• The recipe for Budweiser was taken from a Bavarian monastery, and used only natural ingredients from the beginning.  This set it apart from other companies that used additives to speed the fermentation process, which influenced the quality.
• Read about how Clydesdales used to deliver beer during the early era, Busch III forced his father out of the head position of the company, and about all of the turbulence surrounding Busch IV, from an inside look.  
• This book generated lots of discussion and is not to be missed!