A Few Books about the History of the Beverage Industry

By Tom Allan

Sex. Murder. Back room deals. Drugs. Corruption. Do find yourself reading novels to quench your thirst for drama and excitement? Don't waste your time! Look no further than the beverage industry for some of the best true stories of crime, corruption, and high finance. Here are a few particularly juicy books from my reading list that paint a colorful picture of the consumer products game:

Blood and Wine: Unauthorized Story of the Gallo Wine EmpireThis book, written by freelance journalist Ellen Hawkes, tells the story of the Gallo family all the way back to Joseph Sr. (dad to E&J). Old Joe bumped off his wife and himself decades ago, and left Ernest & Julio to raise their much younger brother, Joe junior. Nutshell: They ace little Joe out of his share of the empire and then sue him when he starts his own cheese biz in the eighties. Nasty lawsuit and subsequent testimony results in this tell-all tome. I think Ernest is trying to corner the market on these books. I loaned my copy to a Gallo salesman years ago and never saw it again.

Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty , by Peter Herron. Aside from offering a great history of the early days of the American brewing industry, this also tells a family story that competes with what could be found on daytime (or after-hours) television. This is the Kennedy family of the beer world, and I don't mean just because of their wealth & power (nudge, nudge). Buy this to read about accidental (?) violent deaths, unprosecuted crimes, boardroom patricide, and sex scandals.

For God, Country, and Coca-Cola: The Definitive History of the Great American Soft Drink and the Company That Makes It , by Mark Pendergrast, tells one of the great branding stories in world history. This one is a bit light on soap opera-style drama, but is a fascinating illustration of how single-minded pursuit of a vision can create a culture that transcends time and geography. Oh, and there is a bit of mental illness, trademark hi-jacking, cocaine, and international politics scattered among the pages as well. That and the secret recipe in an appendix.

The last book I'll mention is only marginally related to the drinks industry via the old Heublein organization. The story itself is so amazing, and the book so well written, that it deserves a read. Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco, by Bryan Burrough, is written like a novel, not a business story. It is very hard to put down after you get a few pages into the story. We have here a tale of unbridled greed, stock manipulation, and corruption that makes Enron look like a playground rumble. If you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes of an LBO (and trust me, you DO), read this!

What do these books all have in common aside from long titles with colons in the middle? They will all entertain you endlessly while you actually learn something about the history of the industry we all interact with in one way or another.  Read and enjoy.

Tom Allan is a Contributing Advisor for WineSquire.com