Home > Liquid > Archives > 2009 > April > 17
Friday, April 17, 2009
“Beer Wars” review
Our guest reviewer is none other than Frank Mancuso, St. Arnold’s man in Austin, who writes:
“Beer Wars,” a film by former beer sales slug-turned director Anat Baron was simulcast Thursday in over 400 theaters around the country, and explores the successes and challenges that face many of today’s craft breweries. It predictably but humorously paints the “Big Three” as the bad guys in this sort-of David versus Goliath story. Another bad guy: the mandated three-tier system of beer distribution.
The story focuses mainly on Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head in Delaware, and Rhonda Kallman, co-founder of Sam Adams, but currently pushing Moonshot, a caffeinated beer. The film also includes interviews with some of the more recognizable folks in the craft beer world, Dick Yuengling — fifth-generation owner, Yuengling Brewery — Jim Koch of Sam Adams, Charlie Papazian, president of of the American Homebrewers Assoc. as well as a nice clip of the late British beer guru Michael Jackson. There are also appearances by the MillerCoors brass and a cameo by August Busch IV.
The film chronicles the history of the rabid competition of the big breweries and their role in the rise in popularity of the yellow fizzy liquid that is known in the industry as light lagers.
We get an inside look into what made Sam Calagione decide to make nothing but big beers with loads of oddball (and expensive) ingredients and flavors that have a cult following around the country. The film also follows Rhonda Kallman as she attempted to get her pepped-up beer into bars, clubs, and try to raise money to launch nationwide (which, she apparently has yet to do).
Those of us in the industry are well aware of the issues that face small micros. But the film informs the viewer of some of the important challenges that the little guys face in order to get their beer to you, the consumer: the fight for shelf space in the grocery stores; trying to get the attention of the beer distributors that carry the beers; the issues that the small breweries face in getting financing to build and expand; and the roadblocks that the wholesale beer lobbies throw up in their well-financed agenda to keep anything from chipping away at the three-tier system, which, if tweaked, could benefit both craft brewer and distributor.
While the movie is a bit slow at times it succeeds in presenting the case that there is a LOT more great beers to try besides the mass-produced ones, and that while the big boys may attempt to buy up the little guys, folks who are passionate about the beers they make are just as determined to keep that from happening.
And besides, drinking fresh Texas microwbrews like Saint Arnold, Real Ale and Live Oak out in the parking lot with the owners of those tasty beers helped make the film even more enjoyable. Support your local craft brewer!
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment
Texas Culinary Masters recap
Work, work, work, work, work. The 24th Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival started with a bang Thursday night with the Texas Culinary Masters dinner at the Four Seasons. Of course American-Statesman food writer Addie Broyles and your booze blogger had to go.
Five of the best chefs in the state, including three from the capital city, designed a menu that blazed with imagination and surprise — and lots of great wine with each course didn’t hurt, either. Uchi’s Tyson Cole offered a second course of buri (Japanese yellowtail) crudo with compressed strawberry, golden beet, hydroponic basil (hydroponic basil?) and olive oil.
“I just wanted to blend the flavors and textures so you can have a party in your mouth,” Cole told the crowd. To which diner Emily Marshall replied: “Happy mouth.”
Paul Petersen of Cafe Cenizo at the Gage Hotel in Marathon followed Cole’s challenge with a smoky wild boar mousse-stuffed quail, accompanied by a 2005 Casa Lapostolle Syrah, described as a “smack-you-in-the-face, bold, lucious red wine” from Argentina.
The showstopper, however, had to be Elmar Prambs’ (exec chef of the Four Seasons) main course, a smoked beef tenderloin cooked perfectly rarish with garden greens, cipollini onion and creamed jumbo lump crab. The unfiltered ‘05 cab sav from Newton killed.
The prettiest course came from Naomi Gallego of Trio, who brought out a dessert of banana Bavarian, mocha sabayon, lemon banana salsa and candied pistachios. The dish was as colorful as an Easter basket.
The fest continues in and around Austin through Sunday, when it wraps with the Sunday Fair at the Salt Lick Pavilion.
Look for coverage of the Wine & Food Festival all weekend from Addie Broyles, Mike Sutter and me on austin360.com/food.
(American-Statesman photo by Patrick Beach)
