Tag: documentary

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Blood, Sweat and Beers documentary

To those who say there aren’t enough “stories” about the people who make the craft beer that we enjoy. I give you an opportunity to change that.

Filmmaker Alexis Irvin has created Blood, Sweat, and Beer. The documentary follows to tracks of brewery building in two very distinct East Coast cities.

You meet the The Brew Gentlemen Beer Company of Braddock, PA. A steel town in the past that is trying to rebuild with new industries and you also meet the owner of a Maryland Boardwalk brewery as he navigates the hot button issue of trademarks.

You will also not need a keen eye to spot all of the California beer folks including Firestone-Walker, Golden Road, Eagle Rock, Beer Paper LA! The Beer Chicks, Sierra Nevada among others.

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Suds County – The Movie

Suds County.  Not a uber classy name in my mind.  But if you want to know the history behind what is an uber explosive craft beer scene then Suds County, USA is the movie for you.

Screen Shot 2014-08-27 at 6.50.20 PM

And you can download for a mere $5.99!  There are beers that are double that amount for 22ozs. Plus you can check out a few clips if you are still on the fence.

 

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Review – Somm -the Documentary

255428435_640I am sure the people at Netflix streaming are monstrously confused by some of my choices.  I switch from Doctor Who to Aziz Ansari comedy to Dexter and then to a documentary about taking the Master Sommelier test, with the abbreviated title, Somm.

Yes, this is a craft beer blog but the process and the studying and the tasting of wine after wine is very analagous to our world.

The four main characters in this drama are all attempting to reach the final plateau of the wine world.  And the amount of information they must regurgitate like so much wine is astonishing.  History, appellations, grape varietals producers and the list goes on and on.

The Master test is comprised of three parts designed (it seems) to torture those who are probably good enough to in that rareified air.  A serving portion where you have to perform a restaurant style wine task, an oral exam and what seems the most devilish is the blind tasting.

Imagine being given 6 beers from light to dark and being put ON the CLOCK and you then have say not only the style, not only the brewer but the year as well.  All while giving confident tasting notes.

I was held rapt by all four, who could pick out many right.  Do that for me with beer and I would probably give you the correct style on 5 out of 6 but barring a miracle would not be able to tell you the brewer or year.  Hell no.  But these guys could with a sniff, a swirl and a taste (followed by the disgusting spit into the bucket).

And unlike “reality” shows, this doc simply showed the people talking about and tasting wine.  The drama was already there.  It didn’t have to be manufactured because the people were passionate and thus, interesting.

Now we just need these guys to do the Cicerone companion piece.

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Crafting a Nation

Books and movies are catching up to the creativity of the brewers in documenting the revolution of craft beer and, in my humble opinion, there can’t be too many documents of what is happening so that is why it is important to watch Crafting a Nation…

Then check out their website to see if it will be screening near you.

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Behind Zion’s Curtain

If you want to learn more about Utah and their liquor laws there is a documentary called Liquor Behind Zion’s Curtain in the works. According to the folks behind the camera, “It’s a hard look at Utah’s crazy liquor laws from the 1800 to present day.”

The documentary features many of the current craft brewers in the state of Utah including Epic Brewery, Uinta Brewery, Squatters Pub, Wasatch Brewery and many more..”

You can see the second trailer HERE, and the first trailer HERE.

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Brewer’s by the Bay

Usually, if I am asking for the beer geeks of the world to spend some cash to help a start-up, it is for a brewery. Or for a film about beer. This is for the latter, so we can all learn a bit more about what is brewing past and present in San Francisco.
“The Story

The history of brewing beer in San Francisco spans over 150 years, beginning with the Adam Schuppert Brewery in 1849. Between 1849 and the present there have been more than 100 breweries in the beautiful city of San Francisco, today history is still being brewed within nine active breweries.

Brewers by the Bay is the cinematic tale of the past, present and future of San Francisco brewing, told by the owners and brewmasters themselves within the following establishments:

21st Amendment
Anchor Brewing Co.
Beach Chalet
Gordon Biersch Restaurant and Brewery
Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery
Social Kitchen and Brewery
Southern Pacific Brewery
ThirstyBear Brewing
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers

The film is written by Mike Pitsker the Associated Editor of Celebrator Magazine and is hosted by Brenden Dobel the Brewmaster at ThirstyBear Brewing Co.

The brewmasters have opened up their kettles and have shared tales of mishaps, fortune and the amazing friendships and camaraderie that stirs among each other.

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Beer Culture

“Beer Culture is a documentary film about the growing trend in Craft Beer set in the epicenter of it all, Colorado. Beer Culture explains the cultural phenomenon behind the growth of craft beer telling it through the stories of struggles and successes of some top brewers in Colorado including, New Belgium, Oskar Blues, Avery Brewing Company, Tommyknocker, Upslope, including much more. This film is set to debut in the Summer of 2011.”

That had better pique your antenna up. There are a slew of beer doc’s in the pipeling. Personally, I can’t wait for them to hit theaters and DVD.

Beer Culture Trailer 1 from FM Productions on Vimeo.

Thanks to Jay Brooks for unearthing this for the world