It’s been all over the series of tubes that is the interwebs all morning, but in case you missed it, Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Delaware, will be starring, along with Patrick McGovern from the University of Pennsylvania, in a new series on the Discovery Channel this fall. The show will be called BREWED.
Below is a portion of the press release.
Beer is the drink of the masses. If you look into a glass of beer you can see the past, present and future of mankind. Cicero lauded it, Genghis Khan fought for it and now Discovery Channel celebrates it with a world premiere series, BREWED, exploring the culture, history and variety of beer.
Meet Sam Calagione: maverick entrepreneur, family man and owner of Dogfish Head Brewery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. As an ambassador to the world of craft beer, Sam travels the world to experience what every culture brings to its own special brew.
In BREWED, Sam shows viewers the other side of the bottle, sharing the stories of beer sub-cultures as well as exploring life inside The Dogfish Head Brewery. BREWED goes behind the scenes at Dogfish Head as Sam’s merry band of creative brewmasters concoct new taste varieties.
“BREWED taps more than just kegs and barrels, it unlocks a fascinating history of beer making, showcasing the ingenuity and passion behind our love affair with those alluring suds and how it played a role in building civilizations,” said Clark Bunting, President and General Manager of Discovery Channel.
Running a successful business also requires inspiration, so BREWED hits the road for the ultimate beer tasting road trip. Along with archeologist and beer expert Pat McGovern, Sam sets out to recreate “ancient ales” that have been discovered at sites around the world from Egypt to Peru. He travels to Rome to research old world Italian beers as inspiration for a new site in New York with Mario Batali. A visit to New Zealand introduces the idea of making the “first tomato based beer.” And back home, Sam is tasked to come up with a commemorative beer called “Bitches Brew” to celebrate the 40th anniversary release of Miles Davis’ famous recording.
“Beer has always been my passion. It is so much more than what you see in the glass. I’m excited to share the diligence, daring and creativity that we pour into our work,” said Calagione.
The show is being produced by Zero Point Zero Production, the company responsible for Anthony Bourdain No Reservations and Diary of a Foodie. I like the fact that Pat McGovern is involved. His book, Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer, and Other Alcoholic Beverages, is fascinating and he has a very interesting take on the history of beer. It’s certainly great to see beer finally getting a high profile television show.
Sam Calagione in the back room of the Toronado when I interviewed him for an Uncorked piece I wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle two years ago, and I also posted some questions that didn’t make the newspaper article.
