I have just finished watching
Beer Wars for the first time, and even with what some have called my considerable knowledge of beer and the brewing industry, I have to admit I have been floored, if not downright humbled by the insights shared and stories told.
Before I share my thoughts about the film, a caveat: I am
not a movie reviewer. But just like the beer I drink, I know what I like, and I really like this film.
That said, by providing a revealing look at everything from packaged goods shelf strategy to politics, I believe filmmaker
Anat Baron has done a fine job of providing a behind-the scenes look at the business of beer.
Beer Wars tells the stories of craft beer evangelists like Sam Calagione, president and founder of
Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales (DFH), and
Sam Adams co-founder Rhonda Kallman, whose new beer venture
Moonshot is struggling to - pardon the pun - take off as the first craft beer brewed with caffeine as a major ingredient.
Baron aptly chronicles the plight of the craft brewer trying to take on macro brewers like
Budwiser,
Coors and
Miller, while ultimately reinforcing the importance - and power - of voting with your wallet, even in something as seemingly innocuous and non-political as buying beer.
So what does all of this have to do with beer? It is my belief that if you're going to enjoy beer - really savor, appreciate and "Respect Beer" as the Alstrom Brothers of
BeerAdvocate.com urge us to do - then you need to know that some of what's being sold as "artisanal," "hand crafted," and even "100% organic" under names like "
Stone Mill" and "Green Valley," are actually a guise from bigger brewers like
Michelob - and all of which are actually included the
Anheuser Busch house of brands.
That's right - the big beer guys have gone so far as to create brewery "alter egos" in an attempt to counter the
really good stuff like
Stone Pale Ale or
Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA.
In other words, as you hunt down truly good beer in an effort to learn what you like, you also need to be mindful about whose really brewing what you drink.
Dogfish Head's Calagione puts it best as he's talking about the big brewer's take on specialty and seasonal beers like DFH's
Punkin' Ale. I'm paraphrasing here but the gist of what he says is when the average consumer goes to their local beer and wine store with the intent of trying something different, and the big players have a prominently-displayed pumpkin flavored offering for say $4.99 for a six-pack, and his
Punkin' Ale sells for $7.99 for a four-pack, the well-intended but cost-minded consumer is more likely to risk five bucks before parting with eight.
And ultimately if that five buck beer leaves that consumer with a bad taste in his or her mouth, they are much less likely to go back and spend more on the DFH offering after having had a bad experience with the cheaper beer.
Sure the big beer brewer had to spend time and money developing the seasonal offering, though much of the work has been done by guys like Calagione, and all the big brewers need to do is go to the store and buy a few bottles of the real craft brewed beer in order to make a reasonable knock off.
But in the end, the profits of their huge flagship brands will likely absorb any losses associated with making the pumpkin stuff - and they will have succeeded in taking market share from the real artisans - the folks who are making the real beer that you really want to drink.
By doing this - and it is evident in the film that they do - the big brewers are making beer choices for you. And believe me - those choices are not what the craft beer movement is all about.
In the end, if you are serious about good beer hunting, then you should see this film. Then be sure to go out and support your local or regional craft brewer. Theirs is the stuff that true beer lore is made of.
These days I'm not writing nearly as much for my livelihood, but I am involved with the Internet more than ever before. So I decided to dive into blogging and writing about beer, both here and on Examiner.com as the Pasadena Craft Beer Examiner.
