ST. LOUS — Billy Busch, the great-grandson of Adolphus Busch, shared his story of the Anheuser-Busch family dynasty. In his new book, “Family Reigns: The Extraordinary Rise and Epic Fall of an American Dynasty,” Busch offers a firsthand account of the renowned beer family’s history, from its inception to its remarkable growth. 

“Later on in life, I started realizing that I kind of grew up in a unique situation,” said Busch. “I started looking into who my great-grandfather was, how he got started here, how my grandfather took the company through prohibition.” 

Busch’s unique upbringing within the Anheuser-Busch empire provided him with a perspective few could comprehend. Amidst the bustling business world, his parents, busy building the brewery, were rarely around. 

“My parents were so busy working and building the brewery, my mom was right at my dad’s side the whole time. She was mainly involved in entertaining wholesalers and celebrities and suppliers,” said Busch. 

The book delves into the emotional challenges Busch faced. Despite the family’s success, there were internal struggles, and Grant’s Farm became a subject of contention among the siblings. Busch hopes that the book will serve as a means of connecting the family once more.  

“I think my family is going to relate to this book. There’s never been a book published by a Busch family member before and I think the story needed to be told,” said Busch.  

As part of his endeavor to keep the family legacy alive, Busch has established his brewery in Defiance, Missouri, which opens to the public on August 25th. He intends to share his craft brew with the world, reminiscent of the legendary Adolphus and Gussie Busch beer. 

 Despite the family’s emotional challenges, Busch looks forward to the future, hoping that his book and the brewery will serve as a bridge to bring them back together.