Reflections from the Guys
Nick’s Thoughts
Today, we thought we’d share a bit of an unconventional post for you all, but one that we feel deserves attention – a movie review, more or less. If you’ve been reading and following our content, you’re almost certainly a fan of craft beer, and perhaps even brew it yourself. Beer is a unique beverage in the sense that it does more than just quench a thirst or appeal to our taste buds. Beer is a source of passion for those who enjoy the complexities and nuances that can present themselves in each and every style, whether you’re a consumer, a brewer, or both. Beer is a concoction that is thousands of years old and is constantly adapting and improving, creating a booming demand worldwide. Beer brings people together to enjoy each other’s company, share stories and catch up on life, and have a few laughs (nothing against soft drinks, but I don’t think I’ve ever asked someone, “Hey, want to meet up and grab a couple sodas?”). The point is, beer has transcended beyond being just a source of imbibement, and the pride and passion that beer enthusiasts-turned-brewers have put into their craft is largely responsible for the continued growth.
If you have an inkling to get up close and personal (while staying safe in the comfort of your own home) with brewers and brewery founders, the decisions that go into brewing beer, and how these individuals ended up with some of the coolest jobs in the world, a new film has come out that gives you this very opportunity. Yesterday, Joe and I watched the documentary BEER! A Love Story, which showcases the work and experiences of several brewers around the globe. We discovered this film through a sponsored ad from Untappd, who partnered with producers to make the movie digitally available. If you are an Untappd user, definitely check out their promotion to receive a discount through February 28. Going into the movie, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but I found so much to enjoy while watching it and believe that many of you would feel the same.
Those of you who enjoy craft beer like me might know a thing or two about the history of beer, how beer is made, and the evolution of craft beer. If you’re a lot like me, then you probably spend a fair amount of time thinking about craft beer, trying to learn more about the industry and brewing techniques. Even though I’ve been able to learn about the history and evolution of craft beer through my experience with brewery tours, guided tastings, and my own research, I know that I’ve only scratched the surface. As I mentioned earlier, there is an element of passion and personality in brewing that you don’t often get to see, because the work gets done behind the scenes. Brewery tours are a great way to get a firsthand look at the process of brewing beer, but unless you’re being guided by the head brewmaster, it’s likely that you’re getting more of a descriptive experience than an impassioned story (often because the brewers are busy working on the next batch). BEER! A Love Story is what the title suggests: a love story to beer, quite simply. More specifically, it is an interweaving tale from the point of view of several brewers, from all over the world, including Austria, Belgium, Italy, England, and several cities across the United States.
The beauty of the storytelling in this documentary is how you get to hear each individual’s unique experience with beer, from how their journey began to how their passion for the beverage grew. While Cristoph from Brauerei Bierol in Schwoich, Austria may have a different story than Dan and Vern from La Cabra Brewing in Berwyn, PA, the shared sentiment is that these brewers take pride in their work, and strive to put out a quality product. You might say they put the “craft” in craft beer. There is also attention in the movie to the brewing techniques and practices of these international brewers, which was especially interesting for me (look out for the part about how Stiegl makes their Urbier in Austria).
BEER! A Love Story also paints the picture that brewing craft beer for a living doesn’t come without its trials and tribulations. It depicts the efforts and tenacity of the individuals in the film, which I think is important to understand. Often, professionals in the craft beer industry must take a complete leap of faith in order to achieve success, and that might be lost on the average beer consumer. Times have changed and craft beer is certainly more popular now, but this does not happen without the work of those early enthusiasts who had the ambition to bet on themselves and make beer their life’s work.
I could say a lot more about this film, but want to avoid any spoilers or retelling. I highly recommend that you rent or buy this movie and view it for yourself if you have an affinity for craft beer. You can find it at beermovie.org. If you have seen it already or check it out after reading this post, let us know what you think!
Joe’s Thoughts
This week we’re mixing things up and doing a review of a different variety. Nick and I recently became film buffs (maybe we should stick to beer drinking) and sat down for a viewing of the newly released film BEER! A Love Story. In collaboration with Untappd, filmmaker Friedrich Moser has created a film that explores exactly what the title insinuates, the passion for the beverage shared by brewers and beer drinkers alike.
The film is offered via streaming on Vimeo which brought forth its own set of challenges for us. However, once we got past the technical difficulty associated with closed captions, we enjoyed a cinematic experience that inspired us to keep our beer glasses full throughout the film. In the spirit of brewing, we enjoyed a few pints of homebrew during the film to connect to the featured brewers by enjoying the fruits of our labor (or maybe it was because the kegerator was 5 feet away from us).
The film followed the story of two brewers of different backgrounds at different points in their career and managed to pull their stories together by highlighting the “why” behind their “how.” As I watched this film the collective “why” became increasingly obvious that their passion was to use the sugars from malt, bitter aromatic oils of hops, and the appetite of yeast to create unique beverages that bring people together. I’ve seen a similar passion or “why” in many other beer documentaries and it gets me fired up and ready to brew every time. Passionate people are infectious – spreading knowledge and in some cases inspiration for others to pursue their aspirations. Just ask my fianceé about how many times I’ve said let’s open a brewery or bottle shop.
In addition to emphasizing the common interests of the brewers the film chronicled them working in their current brewery, traveling to find new ingredients, and experimenting with non-traditional flavors. They traveled across continents to visit hop fields, growing breweries, and a variety of taprooms in the United States, Belgium, Austria, Italy, and England. In their travels they met with other brewers and members of the beer industry. I enjoyed watching the variety of passionate people talk about beer. Their animated speech and fire in their eyes told you that they wholeheartedly believed in what they were saying. Their united cause to promote the artistic and social beverage that is beer drew me in.
I think this is what made the film so relatable to me – I love beer because it features a human element that inspires creativity and promotes experimentation. Passionate brewers make great beer in a fusion of science and art. An excellent beer is one that marries the two in perfect harmony and infuses the creativity and style of the brewer into every pint.
In addition to the insight and resonance of the movie, I remembered how much I miss beer festivals and social events around beer. Being able to enjoy and experience beer with complete strangers is rewarding as beer provides the social lubricant that can lead to developing new friends and sharing a common interest with someone you otherwise may have not met. I mean, I also really miss being able to go and get my fill on some of the amazing beer that’s available in our area and across the country.
If any of this sounds interesting to you and you want to check out the film I suggest you do, but make sure you grab a beer (or two) first!
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