Beer Wars: The Movie

[jiggs_casey]

"I"m a little peon in this vast sea of beer" thing. This woman has launched major brands before but she can't get any traction on this one....that means it's a dud and no one wants it.

I agree. Seriously! Caffeinated beer!? I remember the fad of redbull and vodka and thinking the same thing. Let's dump a stimulant on top of a depressant and see just how much the heart can take... after eight or nine of these, I'm pretty sure I'd be a raving lunatic... and drunk..

 

[DilvishTheDamned]

I also don't buy her "I"m a little peon in this vast sea of beer" thing. This woman has launched major brands before but she can't get any traction on this one....that means it's a dud and no one wants it.

That appears to be part of it. I also suspect that she's still trying to market things the same way she did when she was 10-20 years younger, which just doesn't work for women.

 

[Brewkowski]

I agree. Seriously! Caffeinated beer!? I remember the fad of redbull and vodka and thinking the same thing. Let's dump a stimulant on top of a depressant and see just how much the heart can take... after eight or nine of these, I'm pretty sure I'd be a raving lunatic... and drunk..

Reminds me of the days of mixing Jim Beam and Jolt cola:rockin::cross:

 

[remilard]

I also don't buy her "I"m a little peon in this vast sea of beer" thing. This woman has launched major brands before but she can't get any traction on this one....that means it's a dud and no one wants it.

I also think it is a bit absurd for her to claim that AB ripped off her caffeine beer idea as the fictional Buzz Beer beat her to the idea by about a decade, and more people have heard of it than Moonshot.

 

[Brewkowski]

I went to Moonshot's website and for trying to get the word out even a few years ago, it doesn't really tell me anything about the product. http://www.moonshotbeer.com/
You get some testimonials from bar hoppers, and a photo gallery with no photos, information where to contact her or how to get it into your bar, and nothing really describing the beer. I just think developing Boston Beer Co is a completely different arena than pushing a mediocre single brand. Boston Beer is a full dynamic brand with a lot more to sink your teeth into.

 

[AirBronto]

If you think that the practices of these big brewers, debatable if you can even call them brewers, is ok, then there is something wrong with you. Especially as they have taken over a ludicrous system that gives far to much power. But as a film lover, even more so than beer, this is a terrible doc and a bad film. Not to say that it does not have good information, but the is just not good.

 

[smizak]

If you think that the practices of these big brewers, debatable if you can even call them brewers, is ok, then there is something wrong with you. Especially as they have taken over a ludicrous system that gives far to much power. But as a film lover, even more so than beer, this is a terrible doc and a bad film. Not to say that it does not have good information, but the is just not good.

Precisely.

I would first start with having somebody else narrate, she was hard to listen to.

They should have spent more time on unfair business practices and legislation than suggesting that craft brewing can compete with BMC. The shady stuff that BMC pulls is the only real threat to craft beer. They are two completely different products with different markets and different clientele. I don't care if you give Sam Calgione a billion dollars and all the distribution in the world so DFH 90 min. is on every shelf in every gas station in America, 90% of the "beer" drinkers in this country are not going to like it. They should concentrate on their current market and let it grow slowly, because I don't care how many Budweiser frogs and Clydesdale horses I see on TV, I'm not going to start drinking crappy, flavorless lagers.

And yeah, caffeinated beer? I appreciate her hard work and entrepreneurial spirt, but the product sucks, that is why it is failing.

 

[AirBronto]

Very good points smizak. It is true that when the total penetration of a market is achieved, then the consumer begins to not really choose what they consume. But it is a main stay from this nonetheless and the change will happen gradually. Remember how long it took all of us to begin to notice the wonderful qualities of good beer. The bureaucracy in place is just holding that gradual change back even more.

 

[Bobby_M]

The only thing bad about Beer Wars is that it wasn't just a direct to A&E release. It had to be overhyped for a one-night only thing so that word of mouth wouldn't have destroyed it.

 

[PatientZero]

OK, I didn't really have the time to wade through 25 pages on this forum, but I've read 7 or 8 pages. I can't really say I thoroughly agree or disagree with any of you, but I can give you all a rundown of how this film has impacted me.

Many of you say that Anat Baron was a little grating, to which I agree. Perhaps someone who knew a little bit more about beer culture in America may have made the film slightly more tolerable. However, seeing things from her point of view should have a great impact on everyone because she ISN'T on the in like the rest of us are. She didn't make this documentary for me or anyone on this forum. She is speaking as the "every-man". We weren't who this filmed was poised to attract (although it did), it was meant to expose the BIG THREE to normal people who buy their Bud Light to watch the game on Sunday. It was meant for college kids who barely know what beer is. But it wasn't made for us. And since it wasn't made for us, it wasn't really shocking for us. This is all stuff we know already...down with the BIG THREE and up with local breweries. Whatever. We already understand that.

I absolutely abhorred the woman who was trying to pitch Moonshot. She was incredibly irritating and didn't really seem to have the knowledge to impress most of us. From what I saw, she doesn't even understand what goes into making her "craft" beer. You can't make a craft beer without being a craft brewer. PERIOD. Get the hell off my screen and go back to do whatever you did at Boston Beer Company. You're not 20 years old anymore, and you aren't aging terribly well, and it's obvious that you probably got implants to perpetuate some "this beer makes you hot" stereotype. And the thing that irritated me most about her is that she isn't even trying to be a craft brewer. She doesn't do this because she loves good beer. She's chasing the dollar, and that's all well and good, but don't ruin good beer's reputation by claiming that what you're making is special. You aren't trying to be a compatriot like New Belgium, DFH, Stone, O'Dells, you're trying to be a new competitor like the likes of the BIG THREE. She needs to go die quietly somewhere.

Sam was charismatic, and pretty entertaining to watch. As much as I don't care much for his beers, I appreciate the care he seems to take with his passion. And it's obvious that he loves what he does regardless of his profit margin (unlike the stupid Moonshot lady). I can't say much else about him other than that he was entertaining, but did anyone else notice the carboy in the WELL LIT WINDOW?

I won't continue much more with this, but I did enjoy the film. Seeing the guys at Stone was worth it. And the statistics are well worth remembering, as are distribution practices.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I want a "Randall the Enamel Eraser". I don't care how gimmicky it is, that thing is goddamned awesome.

 

[menschmaschine]

That was a good summation Patient Zero. I can pretty much agree with all of that.

As for Sam's carboy in the window... several have mentioned this. I think it went something more like this... Sam had the fermenter in some dank closet and the director wanted to emphasize his homebrewing background. So he said, "hey, can we put that in the light by the window?" And Sam agreed knowing it would only be exposed to light for a few minutes while filming

...Unless of course Sam is working on a beer with a name that has a pun related to Pepe Le Peu.:cross:

 

[derekbooth]

OK, I didn't really have the time to wade through 25 pages on this forum, but I've read 7 or 8 pages. I can't really say I thoroughly agree or disagree with any of you, but I can give you all a rundown of how this film has impacted me.

Many of you say that Anat Baron was a little grating, to which I agree. Perhaps someone who knew a little bit more about beer culture in America may have made the film slightly more tolerable. However, seeing things from her point of view should have a great impact on everyone because she ISN'T on the in like the rest of us are. She didn't make this documentary for me or anyone on this forum. She is speaking as the "every-man". We weren't who this filmed was poised to attract (although it did), it was meant to expose the BIG THREE to normal people who buy their Bud Light to watch the game on Sunday. It was meant for college kids who barely know what beer is. But it wasn't made for us. And since it wasn't made for us, it wasn't really shocking for us. This is all stuff we know already...down with the BIG THREE and up with local breweries. Whatever. We already understand that.

I absolutely abhorred the woman who was trying to pitch Moonshot. She was incredibly irritating and didn't really seem to have the knowledge to impress most of us. From what I saw, she doesn't even understand what goes into making her "craft" beer. You can't make a craft beer without being a craft brewer. PERIOD. Get the hell off my screen and go back to do whatever you did at Boston Beer Company. You're not 20 years old anymore, and you aren't aging terribly well, and it's obvious that you probably got implants to perpetuate some "this beer makes you hot" stereotype. And the thing that irritated me most about her is that she isn't even trying to be a craft brewer. She doesn't do this because she loves good beer. She's chasing the dollar, and that's all well and good, but don't ruin good beer's reputation by claiming that what you're making is special. You aren't trying to be a compatriot like New Belgium, DFH, Stone, O'Dells, you're trying to be a new competitor like the likes of the BIG THREE. She needs to go die quietly somewhere.

Sam was charismatic, and pretty entertaining to watch. As much as I don't care much for his beers, I appreciate the care he seems to take with his passion. And it's obvious that he loves what he does regardless of his profit margin (unlike the stupid Moonshot lady). I can't say much else about him other than that he was entertaining, but did anyone else notice the carboy in the WELL LIT WINDOW?

I won't continue much more with this, but I did enjoy the film. Seeing the guys at Stone was worth it. And the statistics are well worth remembering, as are distribution practices.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I want a "Randall the Enamel Eraser". I don't care how gimmicky it is, that thing is goddamned awesome.

Well said!

Saw this last night on Netflix. I think what I was hoping for was a documentary about craft brews, not 2 ladies with an obvious grudge against A/B. I feel like the documentary focused on why NOT to drink/support the big 3 (though at the end of the movie, it almost felt like she was trying to send the message that Coors/Miller was "OK" because their employees are happier? whatever, i digress..) than why you SHOULD support the local breweries. Like PaitientZero stated above, I know I am not the audience that was supposed to be "reached" by this documentary, but as a consumer/viewer, regardless of the subject...I am not one to be won over by making one option appear negative in comparison to another. I would prefer to hear the positive information about supporting the craft brew industry. Let me make my own decision. The documentary style reminded me of a Michael Moore documentary in that respect. Sensationalism for beer?

I think she attempted to glorify the craft brew industry, but instead shined a light on the struggles of owning a small brewery. I found myself distracted by Moonshot's and Dogfishhead's fear of going out of business because of the invasion into the craft brew market by A/B.