Last call for Bud Light The fall and future of America's favorite beer

Anson Frericks

Book - 2025

"The astonishing inside story of how Bud Light lost its position as the most popular beer in the United States from a longtime Anheuser-Busch executive. Anson Frericks, a former president at Anheuser-Busch--formerly the home of America's most popular brewery--watched as the company unraveled at the hands of globe-trotting financiers and progressive middle management. Rather than pursue shareholder profits, Anheuser-Busch suddenly became focused on stakeholder capitalism and the vague mandates of environment, social, and governance (ESG). This ill-advised change cumulated in the shocking evaporation of $30 billion in market cap after releasing an advertising campaign starring political activist Dylan Mulvaney. Now, Anheuser-Busch&#...039;s evolution and its subsequent fallout is brought to light as never before with this ultimate insider's look. Compelling, candid, and eye-opening, Last Call for Bud Light is the unforgettable story of the downfall and future of an American icon."--

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Subjects
Published
New York : Threshold Editions, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC 2025.
Language
English
Main Author
Anson Frericks (author)
Edition
First Threshold Editions hardcover edition
Physical Description
viii, 294 pages ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-294).
ISBN
9781668070901
  • Prologue
  • Chapter 1. From Beer Fan to Beer Financier
  • Chapter 2. The World's Largest Private Equity Firm That Happens to Sell Beer
  • Chapter 3. "Making Friends Is Our Business": The Rise of Anheuser-Busch
  • Chapter 4. The Birth of AB InBev
  • Chapter 5. Welcome to Belgium
  • Chapter 6. Beat the Monkey
  • Chapter 7. Modelo-poly
  • Chapter 8. There Isn't Even Uber There
  • Chapter 9. On Top of the World
  • Chapter 10. Fuel the Future
  • Chapter 11. Scared Dinosaurs
  • Chapter 12. Stakeholder Capitalism and ESG Adoption
  • Chapter 13. Trust and Wobbles
  • Chapter 14. Covid and Stakeholder Capitalism: A Perfect Match
  • Chapter 15. War Efforts
  • Chapter 16. No More Merit
  • Chapter 17. From Suds To Strive
  • Chapter 18. The Emperor's New Clothes (Stakeholder Capitalism Exposed)
  • Chapter 19. Mulvaney Madness
  • Chapter 20. "Would you do this partnership again?"
  • Chapter 21. The Human Cost
  • Chapter 22. End the War: The Path Forward
  • Acknowledgments
  • Endnotes
Review by Booklist Review

Beer aficionado and former Anheuser-Busch President of U.S. Sales and Distribution Frericks offers his insights on the rise and fall of the company. He takes readers on a chronological journey, delving into the company's history and setting the stage for his time there. Following are tales of the undoing of the once most popular beer brand in the United States, Bud Light. First, a controversial marketing partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney dealt a blow to the company's popularity. This alienated loyal customers, leading to a loss of billions of dollars in shareholder value. Another hit to the company was a hostile takeover by a group of Brazilian investors, who redirected the company's focus from consumers and the brand to political activism and social issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion. Frericks' first-hand knowledge and experiences give readers a glimpse of the inner workings of a business usually reserved for those in the innermost circle. Readers will be drawn into the story and layers of this complex and remarkable study of an American business institution.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.