Beer Wars: The Movie

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schweaty

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Beer Wars Movie

In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world.

Director Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider’s perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of America’s favorite industries.

Beer Wars begins as the corporate behemoths are being challenged by small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers. The story is told through 2 of these entrepreneurs – Sam and Rhonda – battling the might and tactics of Corporate America. We witness their struggle to achieve their American Dream in an industry dominated by powerful corporations unwilling to cede an inch.

This contemporary David and Goliath story is ultimately about keeping your integrity (and your family’s home) in the face of temptation. Beer Wars is a revealing and entertaining journey that provides unexpected and surprising turns and promises to change the world’s opinion on those infamous 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY-Bg5Odi0M]YouTube - Beer Wars Movie Trailer[/ame]
 
Man, they really make BMC out to be the anti-christ. They are just selling people what they want...that's like blaming McDonalds for people liking hamburgers.
 
Man, they really make BMC out to be the anti-christ. They are just selling people what they want...that's like blaming McDonalds for people liking hamburgers.

I do agree with you about it, but according to them it is war and this is just another attack.
 
Man, they really make BMC out to be the anti-christ. They are just selling people what they want...that's like blaming McDonalds for people liking hamburgers.

That's debatable. Are they selling what the people want or is what they sell the only thing people think is available?

I maintain that more people today like to tie a buzz on than like "beer" as defined by the American Light Lager crowd. America is a beer nation but we don't have the beer culture that exists in places like Germany and the UK. I think that's to the detriment of society. Bars are all about getting drunk and laid, not about meeting friends and producing discourse over a pint.

:(
 
That's debatable. Are they selling what the people want or is what they sell the only thing people think is available?

I maintain that more people today like to tie a buzz on than like "beer" as defined by the American Light Lager crowd. America is a beer nation but we don't have the beer culture that exists in places like Germany and the UK. I think that's to the detriment of society. Bars are all about getting drunk and laid, not about meeting friends and producing discourse over a pint.

:(

That is exactly what this "war" is about it. Things are changing and all considering I think they are changing fairly quickly. More and more brew pubs are popping up and being very succesful and even the get drunk and laid bars are starting to aleast carry 1 or 2 micros.
 
Bars are all about getting drunk and laid, not about meeting friends and producing discourse over a pint.

:(

I couldn't agree more. When I was in Europe, the pub was the place to be. You'd have people of all ages, from teenagers to 80 year old men. Everyone just gathered to talk and enjoy each other's company. Even in Japan, where the beer tasted like water, the pubs were the same way. Good food, good people, and a few beers. It wasn't about getting drunk and laid (although that happened too) it was about people interacting with people.

I really hope that this recent surge in microbrews and brewpubs can bring that kind of culture to America.

Oh, but you can keep your soccer. :p
 
look round there is a intramural league here in lower michigan. battle creek, kalamazoo, and east lansing all have squads. also a couple in indiana iirc, been a few since my fat ass played tho i still like to watch when i can. i know the local club here (bc griffons) just started practices for the spring season.
 
It is a war actually. We have a few grocery stores here that used to have a nice selection in the cooler along with the BMCs. Now that michelob and bud have all of these non-fizzy lagers that they can push the cooler space is being taken by them. the smaller craft brewery beers are being pushed to the warm shelves. This is one example. When someone might be thinking, today is the day I try an SNPA, but wait, its not cold, hmmm, well hell i will give this michelob a shot.
Im sure this sounds rediculous, but you have to understand the average consumer who has been drinking BMC his/her whole life, the difference to them is which one is cold at the point of purchase.
 
i just ordered my tickets - i'm stoked. It will be very interesting as i'm in a very low beer culture place - to see if anyone shows up!

CB
 
Oh, but you can keep your soccer. :p
I see what you did there
blankface.gif
 
Our Budweiser driver at work pointed out to me today that Michelob Light now has pry off bottles. Michelob is expanding their "craft" brew lines agressively. As a matter of fact, the six pack of Michelob Light that I saw had the grains, hops, IBU and OG on the side panel. The OG was listed as 9.4, is that even possible? It's amazing how agressive BMC is becoming after losing 7-10% of their beer sales to real craft brewers. This movie should be a good one. It's pretty sweet that they got Ben Stein to do a live discussion panel on opening night.
 
Our Budweiser driver at work pointed out to me today that Michelob Light now has pry off bottles. Michelob is expanding their "craft" brew lines agressively. As a matter of fact, the six pack of Michelob Light that I saw had the grains, hops, IBU and OG on the side panel. The OG was listed as 9.4, is that even possible?
What do pry off caps have to do with craft brew? The only way I could see the two being related is that homebrewers can now reuse their bottles. As for the 9.4 it was probably degrees plato.
That's debatable. Are they selling what the people want or is what they sell the only thing people think is available?
Sure they might be using "attacks" to keep one leg up on the competition but all they have done is follow market trends. The American people demanded lighter beers decades ago and that is what they provided. Now the trends are moving more towards craft beer and they are once again following right along.
 
Our Budweiser driver at work pointed out to me today that Michelob Light now has pry off bottles. Michelob is expanding their "craft" brew lines agressively. As a matter of fact, the six pack of Michelob Light that I saw had the grains, hops, IBU and OG on the side panel. The OG was listed as 9.4, is that even possible? It's amazing how agressive BMC is becoming after losing 7-10% of their beer sales to real craft brewers. This movie should be a good one. It's pretty sweet that they got Ben Stein to do a live discussion panel on opening night.

Don't forget Bud American Ale...it too has pry off bottles as well as "crystal malts, and american hops." The bottles are really nice actually, despite having the birdy on the shoulder.
 
Our Budweiser driver at work pointed out to me today that Michelob Light now has pry off bottles. Michelob is expanding their "craft" brew lines agressively. As a matter of fact, the six pack of Michelob Light that I saw had the grains, hops, IBU and OG on the side panel. The OG was listed as 9.4, is that even possible? It's amazing how agressive BMC is becoming after losing 7-10% of their beer sales to real craft brewers. This movie should be a good one. It's pretty sweet that they got Ben Stein to do a live discussion panel on opening night.

9.4 is a Plato measurement of OG. Would be 1.038.

Unfortunately, the beer market isn't growing, so they are all fighting for the same slice of pie.
 
I'm always up for some BMC bashing, but I'm not going to drive 45 minutes to see it. Those that go see it, please post a summary here next month!
 
Man, they really make BMC out to be the anti-christ. They are just selling people what they want...that's like blaming McDonalds for people liking hamburgers.

I have to really disagree with this as well. They aren't selling what you like, they are telling you what you like. For years there was no competition. Why did all the available American beers taste almost identical? Now that the Craft Beer industry has put a small dent in their profits and have shown they are here to stay and continue to grow, the big boys are fighting back to maintain market share. Really easy to see. Hell, AB buys every craft brewery label they can it seems now days.

On a side note, I live in Bud Lite country and the local AB distributor here doesn't make an effort to market, or lets say train their route people about their "craft" beers. When the Michelob and Budweiser craft brews came out I was in the local, evil, Wal Mart looking for it. The Bud guy was there and I asked him about it. He said "We are in the south, this is Bud Light country, No one drinks Ales here, we don't stock our low line products here. You have to go to Albertson's or a Specialty Beer Shop where the Yuppies shop. I just smiled and walked away. BTW, I walked around the corner and there was an end cap with the sample 20 pack cases of the Michelob not 20 feet from the dufas delivery dude.

I have my tickets and can't wait to see the show. We actually have a few fine craft breweries here. Abita is local for me and rules the craft brew scene here. We have a few others and actually had a new brewery, NOLA Brewery, roll out their first run a couple days ago. I haven't got to try it yet but reports sound good. We are working hard to change the beer scene here. We have a BJ's, a Gordon Bierch, and a few other small brew pubs. New Orleans get most of the stuff over Baton Rouge but I live between the two so I get the best of both worlds in our anemic at the present market. Hope I see a few other Baton Rouge beer drinkers at Perkins Rowe theater.
 
I have to really disagree with this as well. They aren't selling what you like, they are telling you what you like. For years there was no competition. Why did all the available American beers taste almost identical? Now that the Craft Beer industry has put a small dent in their profits and have shown they are here to stay and continue to grow, the big boys are fighting back to maintain market share. Really easy to see. Hell, AB buys every craft brewery label they can it seems now days.

Here in Texas, AB has Zeigenbock, brewed and marketed only in Texas to compete with Shiner Bock. Is AB that scared of a brewery in a town of 2,000 people in south Texas that they have to try brew up a beer only for Texas to compete?
 
Here in Texas, AB has Zeigenbock, brewed and marketed only in Texas to compete with Shiner Bock. Is AB that scared of a brewery in a town of 2,000 people in south Texas that they have to try brew up a beer only for Texas to compete?

States my point exactly. Why would they care about such a small market. Any public held corporations duty is to maximize shareholders wealth plain and simple, Nothing else. Evidently that small brewery in that small market (wait, nothings small in Texas!) must be turning a profit or is being used to enable other products to enter the region.
 
I'll just quote myself here instead of typing out the same reply I did on the last page.
I have to really disagree with this as well. They aren't selling what you like, they are telling you what you like. For years there was no competition. Why did all the available American beers taste almost identical? Now that the Craft Beer industry has put a small dent in their profits and have shown they are here to stay and continue to grow, the big boys are fighting back to maintain market share. Really easy to see. Hell, AB buys every craft brewery label they can it seems now days.
Sure they might be using "attacks" to keep one leg up on the competition but all they have done is follow market trends. The American people demanded lighter beers decades ago and that is what they provided. Now the trends are moving more towards craft beer and they are once again following right along.
 
Choo choo trains, hot chicks in bikinis and retired sport stars?
That's their advertising, not their product. I never said their advertising was great, or that I like what it does to the image of beer. I simply said they are supplying the product that the majority of consumers want.
 
I'll just quote myself here instead of typing out the same reply I did on the last page.

OK, after reading that I see where you are coming from and agree. That explains your statement clearly. I don't see the big boys as evil. Just doing their jobs. The people want variety and they have started to provide it. Like I said, their job is to maximize investor wealth and the market has been proven. I give them a chance and try their products. I haven't been too impressed yet. Not because of who made it, but rather it just wasn't that good. To be fair, I have tasted a whole lot of small craft brews that weren't very good either. I still feel they believe they feel they have been forced into this market or they would of dove in a few years back. It is only after the loss of significant market share that they move on.
 
I did a search and didn’t see anything and I’m not sure even sure where to put this so if the mods want to move it feel free. This is a one day only documentary playing at select theaters about the beer industry. Micro against macro with interviews from many well known people in the biz. Looks interesting so I thought I’d pass it along. I’m going with a few buddies to check it out. You can see a trailer here as well as some other info.

Beer Wars Movie
 
I saw this posted somewhere else. Do you have to buy tix in advance or can I just show up at the theater and get tix? It will be showing at a theater not too far from home and I'd kinda like to go.
 
Do you have to buy tix in advance or can I just show up at the theater and get tix? It will be showing at a theater not too far from home and I'd kinda like to go.
I am sure if it isn't sold out they will still be selling admission at the time of showing.
 
I think I read that you don't have to buy tix in advance. I just bought mine so my wife can't try to talk me out of it the day of the show (i.e., will just tell her that I already spent the $15 and don't want to lose it).
 
Got my tix.
I am sure you will be able to buy at the door. I don't think it will sell out.
We are still a pretty obscure group of fanatics!!:rockin:
 
I will be going, but I want to wait about another week or so to see if it comes to a closer theater before I buy my ticket. Thanks for posting this, I'm stoked!
 
Anyone heard about this? It's showing for one day only, simulcast across the country. It'll be followed up by a panel discussion. I have it linked on my blog: Brew News. Anyone planning on seeing it? Or have any idea why they're screening it this way?
 
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