Crafting a Nation

[smitty8202]

Just watched this on Netflix. Very cool movie and very inspirational to those that want to open their own brewery, tap house or pub. Although I am not actively brewing at the moment due to living in Okinawa and not having the space for how I brewed in the states plus getting ingredients especially yeast is fairly hard. I have always had an interest in opening my own business of some sort and watching this film fuels that fire even more. Maybe one day I will have a brewery/taproom of my own.

 

[KRASHED]

It's on netflix in Canada and the US for anyone interested. Gonna be watching this for sure.

 

[worlddivides]

I saw it. While it was interesting, I found it amusing all the inaccurate information in the text written on the screen.

The one that sticks out the most is when it wrote "American craft brewers are XXX, XXX, and traditional." (I forget what the first two adjectives were), but I was like "Traditional?!" and it was even more ridiculous since they have interviews with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River, Shaun O'Sullivan of 21st Amendment Brewery, and a bunch of other breweries that are pretty much the exact opposite of "traditional."

I also remember that it said that craft brewers do not use adjuncts such as corn or rice, which is patently untrue. In fact, a ton of the Double IPAs and Triple IPAs use corn sugar to lighten up the body (I'm pretty sure Pliny the Elder, for example, uses adjuncts to lighten up the body -- probably corn sugar). And those aren't the only styles craft brewers add such adjuncts too.

I just found it ironic that the makers of the film got so much wrong in their text descriptions in the intro after interviewing so many craft brewers.

But, yeah, it's an interesting documentary.

 

[KRASHED]

Easy watch. Thoroughly enjoyed it although I don't understand much of the American laws surrounded craft brewers. Sounds like a lot of the laws are either archaic or meant to protect the larger brewers?

Well worth the watch though for those who have dreams of opening their own operation some day.

 

[TravelingLight]

I found it weird that the brewery they featured (Black Shirt or something?) strictly does reds. That's a helluva pigeon hole IYAM. Best of luck to em.

 

[Schemy]

I saw it. While it was interesting, I found it amusing all the inaccurate information in the text written on the screen.

The one that sticks out the most is when it wrote "American craft brewers are XXX, XXX, and traditional." (I forget what the first two adjectives were), but I was like "Traditional?!" and it was even more ridiculous since they have interviews with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River, Shaun O'Sullivan of 21st Amendment Brewery, and a bunch of other breweries that are pretty much the exact opposite of "traditional."

I also remember that it said that craft brewers do not use adjuncts such as corn or rice, which is patently untrue. In fact, a ton of the Double IPAs and Triple IPAs use corn sugar to lighten up the body (I'm pretty sure Pliny the Elder, for example, uses adjuncts to lighten up the body -- probably corn sugar). And those aren't the only styles craft brewers add such adjuncts too.

I just found it ironic that the makers of the film got so much wrong in their text descriptions in the intro after interviewing so many craft brewers.

But, yeah, it's an interesting documentary.

I think they dumbed it down for people beyond us.

But hey I loved it and as a guy aspiring to someday start my own deal, find it very inspirational.

Another thing that made it great was visiting Black Shirt Brewing and finding that they brew really good beer. If they had sucked, it would have been such a let down.

 

[Schemy]

I found it weird that the brewery they featured (Black Shirt or something?) strictly does reds. That's a helluva pigeon hole IYAM. Best of luck to em.

It's a little weird, but what they do is take various style and put a red ale spin to it. None of their beers look and/or taste the same. They make really solid beers.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I watched it when it came out. Kinda forgot about it actually. Glad it's on netflix! I agree some of things may have been dumbed down a bit, but a good watch.

Blood, Sweat and Beer is another great one that came out a year or so ago and I enjoyed that one so much more. I backed it on kickstarter. It features The Brew Gentlemen in Braddock PA while they built their brewery, and then another brewery from Ocean City going through their struggles as well. Definitely check it out if you liked Crafting A Nation. More "real life"/accurate scenarios I guess..

 

[worlddivides]

I think they dumbed it down for people beyond us.

But hey I loved it and as a guy aspiring to someday start my own deal, find it very inspirational.

Another thing that made it great was visiting Black Shirt Brewing and finding that they brew really good beer. If they had sucked, it would have been such a let down.

You're probably right. It's more likely that they knew what they were writing wasn't true, but they didn't want to go into details and explain the minutia.

I do remember the bearded (more heavily bearded?) bro for BSB said "I want to make the best red ale in the world," but other than that they didn't really address that all their beers were red ales. It totally would have been a let-down if their beer sucked, but I had a feeling it probably didn't, just judging from the end of the documentary with the crowded brewery 'n' nice-lookin' brews.

 

[Schemy]

I watched it when it came out. Kinda forgot about it actually. Glad it's on netflix! I agree some of things may have been dumbed down a bit, but a good watch.

Blood, Sweat and Beer is another great one that came out a year or so ago and I enjoyed that one so much more. I backed it on kickstarter. It features The Brew Gentlemen in Braddock PA while they built their brewery, and then another brewery from Ocean City going through their struggles as well. Definitely check it out if you liked Crafting A Nation. More "real life"/accurate scenarios I guess..

I enjoyed Blood, Sweat and Beer as well, but I don't get this comment. What do you mean by more "real life"?

 

[ryanryates]

Just started watching this evening. Great documentery so far.