Remember the Swedish Bikini Team? That was a Stroh’s Beer marketing campaign that offended women but increased sales. Frances Stroh, member of a wealthy family whose fortune came from their breweries (established in Detroit in 1850), writes about the shopping trips to London, swanky restaurants, mansions, and a life of privilege. The Stroh Brewing Company was the third largest brewing company in the United States in 1984. At that time, the Stroh family fortune was estimated to be $700 million.
But as Frances Stroh’s memoir shows, the Stroh’s business plan was flawed. Detroit’s economy crashed in the 1980s. The family faced costly divorces, drug busts, business problems, and family feuds over the dwindling money flow. The story of the decline and fall of the Strohs shows how Bad Decisions and Greed can ruin everything. If you’re interested in family drama at its most extreme, I highly recommend Beer Money. What do you think of Stroh’s beer? GRADE: A
You couldn’t drink anything else here in that era.
Patti, Stroh’s was the hot beer in the 1980s. Then it all fell apart.
I’m not a beer drinker. The only time I had a beer was in Syracuse NY, where I had a berlinerweise (beer with raspberry syrup) It was ok.
I’m getting Importance /Ernest today from netflix (in the mail, not streaming)
Maggie, I like Ginger Beer and Root Beer. Regular beer doesn’t appeal to me. You’ll enjoy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST disk with the extras!
I’ve never had one. It’s got to be better than Bud products. Everything is.
The book sounds worth reading, however.
Jeff, reading about losing $700 million is fascinating.
Well, no, Coors products are universally worse than Budweiser. So is Grolsch. And Red White and Blue (if that even still exists).
Thinking of those keep me from missing real beer too much.
Never tried Stroh’s much, if ever…it wasn’t too prominent, much less dominant, in Hawaii nor the mid-Atlantic.
OK, I put it on hold.
Maggie, we used to go to the free tours at the big breweries in Europe, because they gave free samples after the tour! Jackie doesn’t like beer, so I would get hers too. The drawback was, unless you got there early you’d get shut out because there were only a limited number they let in each day. My favorite was the Tuborg Brewery in Copenhagen. Their Export beer was a LOT stronger than the stuff I’d been drinking.
Skoal!
I went on a brewery tour in or near syracuse when I was about 20. We made friends with the bartenders who gave us about 20 coupons for free beer. totally wasted on me because I don’t like beer. my friend couldn’t drink that much, so they went to waste as far as I can remember
Not much of a drinker and definitely not beer, so I’ve never had a Strohl’s (that Swedish Bikini Team nonsense would have disinclined me even if I were a beer drinker). I’d be interested in reading this book, though. Based on your review, it reminds me of Rich Cohen’s SWEET AND LOW: his family fortune came from packets of artificial sweetener, but dysfunction and money squabbles destroyed the family.
Deb, BEER MONEY proves that money is the root of all Evil. The Stroh family had a lot of divisions based on the revenue from the beer business.
Deb, I forgot about that book until I saw another reference to it in connection with this one. I also have that on hold, waiting for the ebook edition.
I guess an eastern beer, I don’t remember seeing or drinking it.
Rick, Stroh’s was a fad beer. For about 10 years–mostly the 1980s–it was hip and fashionable. Then the ceiling fell in.
Over the years I’ve had a few beers that I liked, but never was a heavy drinker! These days, on the rare occasion that I have a beer, it’s Miller Genuine Draft!
Bob, if you ever show up at a Bouchercon, I’ll buy you a Miller Genuine Draft.
From the first moment I knew this had to be a “German” company – and I was right, it was a Germanwho had learned how to bre a beer in “Pilsen style”…
Never heard about this brand before, but it’s an interesting story – ups and downs over almost 150 years until the end …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroh_Brewery_Company
I am a beer drinker but have to confess that I don’t like US beers – some of the smaller craft beers are ok, but still too much marketing, not enough taste!
And Bud, Miller etc are almost undrinkable for a European – Coors was the only one I could stand on my travels to the USA.
We just had a discussion here – the Germans have a special law on what is allowed in abeer – no maize or rice e g, but in Hungary these are allowed and of course the beers are cheaper to produce but no good (for a real German …)!
Wolf, most of the beer drinkers I know acknowledge the Germans have the best beers. The American products are mostly colored water with some carbonation and alcohol added.
I mostly know Belgian ale snobs. They have a point.
Surprised you could tolerate Coors, Wolf. There is VASTLY better US beer. The best cheap beer I’ve had was twenty+ years ago, National Bohemian, NattyBo, of Baltimore. Some tasty stouts and such in the US, and Guinness was the default for me when I couldn’t get better back when. Drank a Kaliber today…diabetes meds don’t play well with alcohol.
Most US beers were the products of German family business at first, some of which were bought or became corporate monsters.