Members of the same family who founded Anheuser Busch have recently started a new brewing tradition with the founding of William K Busch Brewing Company. They are currently in the process of launching some mainstream beers called Kräftig and Kräftig light. Right now, the beers are regional, being served in Missouri and Illinois, but within the next couple of years, these premium lagers will be dispensed nationwide, including in Mississippi.
However, the Busch family has already moved into Mississippi territory. Billy Busch, whose father is the namesake of the new company, is a senior marketing major here at The University of Mississippi as well as a member of the Ole Miss football team.
Regarding the new brand Busch said, “It’s a beer that’s aimed at competing with brands such as Budweiser, Miller, Coors, Bud Light, Miller Light, but a point of difference, what sets us apart from other companies is our brewing tradition. We have a very old school style brewery, where it follows the German purity laws called Reinheitsgebot. It includes the purest ingredients possible.”
These ingredients are water, barley, yeast, and hops.
“Right now we just want to stick with our heritage,” Busch said.
This Busch family heritage is not exclusive to the brewing industry, and this expansive heritage has had a major effect on Billy’s life choices so far.
“It all started back in high school,” Busch said. “I wanted to base my college decision on football like my father, and my father played for University of Missouri, so I wanted to play at that same caliber, that level of football in college. So while (Ole Miss) had the same caliber, I loved the fan base and the town. It was exactly the type of people I wanted to play for.”
Olemissports.com has Billy listed as a running back, but he says strength and conditioning has been what he has enjoyed most as a player.
“What has really kept me going with football is that strength and conditioning aspect, that outside of season training,” he said. “I absolutely love my strength and conditioning coaches. I absolutely love weight training, just shaping my body and building muscle.”
Concerning his life after college, Busch said he would like to stay in Oxford and be involved with the football program.
“I’m at a tie at the moment right now between (working for the family) and trying to gain a job at the strength and conditioning staff at the school,” he said. “I would absolutely love to be able to stay and be a trainer.”
As Busch’s grandfather owned the St. Louis Cardinals, sports is somewhat of a family business too. At some point in the future Busch would love to be able to work in a similar role as his grandfather, except in football.
“Even though I’m from St. Louis, I don’t know if I’ll end up living there so that dream is all up in the air at the moment,” he said.
Wherever Busch goes in the future, he has so far loved his time in Oxford and at Ole Miss.
“I was surprised by how friendly and how classy the people are,” he said. “I’ve never really come across any sort of rudeness or had any sort of problems with people down here.”
Busch has two more years left before he finishes his degree, but it is possible that other family members may follow in his footsteps.
“I have a little brother who is also interested in playing there now just because I’ve had the time of my life,” he said.
Between Billy’s passion for Ole Miss sports and the spread of Kräftig and Kräftig Light, it seems that the Busch family has come to Oxford to stay.
