ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -- The William K. Busch Brewing Company is ending all operations. That means that the Kräftig and Kräftig Light taps will soon run dry.
Why? Busch says they were selling high-quality beer at a low price. The business model required high volumes of suds going out the door. But sales fell short.
"I wanted to price our beer so everybody could enjoy it, everybody could afford it," he explained to KMOX News. "Maybe I should have come out with a higher price on it."
The timing is bittersweet.
"We just found out yesterday we won the Denver International Beer competition. Gold with Kräftig lager and silver with Kräftig Light."
He doesn't want to stay out of the brewery for too long.
"The beer business is in my blood," Busch says.
Since then, the all-malt lager beer brand has been sold throughout the Midwest.
Busch says plans for a brewery in Defiance, Missouri are on-hold, although he's still considering a distillery. He says spirits continue to siphon volume from beer.
Although the company will be winding down its operations, inventory is predicted to last through September of 2019. Watch for it at retailers and other outlets while supplies last.