Beers Of Joy

February 20, 2019 By Jay Brooks

So this looks like it should be fun. There’s a new beer film being released on March 1, which is called Beers of Joy. It apparently follows the journey of four individuals in beer, but two of them are good friends of mine, Tonya Cornett and Sean Paxton.

Below is the press release from yesterday, announcing the film’s release:

Beer. It’s what you reach for after a long day and how you celebrate with friends – and now, it’s the focus of a new feature-length documentary – “Beers of Joy” – debuting worldwide on March 1, 2019. Written and Directed by David Swift and Scott Owen of One-Eleven Entertainment, the film examines the rich history, detailed science and unique personalities of the beer world, and encourages viewers to consider the stories behind their favorite pints. Beer lovers everywhere are invited to celebrate the film when it makes its theatrical debut at select theater locations across the country, as well as on-demand on iTunes, Comcast, Spectrum and more.

From medieval monasteries to historic German villages and all the breweries in between, “Beers of Joy” follows the fascinating journey of four distinctly different characters and how they ultimately converge over a shared enjoyment of the beloved brew, including:

Tonya Cornett, Gold-medal-winning Innovation Brewmaster at 10 Barrel Brewing Co., embarks on a quest across Germany and Italy to discover the ancient, cutting edge traditions and secrets to brewing a true Berliner Weisse, while finding masters of their craft along the way.
Beer educator Ryan Daley and Joe Vogelbacher, CEO and Co-founder of Sugar Creek Brewing Co., attempt to pass the prestigious Master Cicerone® exam, beer’s equivalent to wine’s Master Sommelier, known as one of the most difficult tests ever created.
Sean Z. Paxton, a self-taught chef and accomplished home brewer goes back centuries in time to discover the roots of culinary and brewing techniques and how they inspire modern day appreciation and pairings, culminating in his undertaking of an actual, 16th-century feast that may prove to be the most difficult thing he’s ever attempted.

“It’s incredible just how vast the world of beer is. Through all of my studying and experiences, I still feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface,” said Ryan Daley. “To me, the magic of beer is how it brings people together regardless of how much you know. If you’re sitting with a pint of beer in front of you and enjoying the flavor and the company, then you’re usually in a good spot.”

The concept of what became “Beers of Joy” was first born out of Anheuser-Busch’s desire to create an entertaining film that not only celebrated the beer industry, but told the inspiring stories of the people behind it in a way that would resonate far beyond the world of beer. Producer Jonathan Hack partnered with Popular Mechanics and the award-winning filmmakers at One-Eleven Entertainment, who both shared a passion to create a true love letter to the world’s most popular and oldest fermented beverage. “Beers of Joy” is being distributed worldwide by Gravitas Ventures.

“As Directors and beer enthusiasts, it was an incredible experience for us to discover and document the amazing and compelling stories of the characters in ‘Beers of Joy,'” said David Swift, Writer-Director with Scott Owen, and CEO of One-Eleven Entertainment. “In the film, we are fortunate to have some of the biggest luminaries in the world of beer and brewing from across the globe share their passion, their knowledge and their perspective on this special beverage. We hope ‘Beers of Joy’ and its characters make you love more, laugh more, and learn more than you ever thought you might about humanity’s connection to beer… which you should always ‘Pour with Vigor!‘”

If you read through the press release, you’ll no doubt notice that Anheuser-Busch InBev provided some of the financing for the film, as did Popular Mechanics, too. But even in their own press release, their involvement seems to be downplayed, and they’re the last of the five company’s listed that were part of the making of the documentary. I’m sure there will be some hand-wringing over that, but I’m still keen to see Tonya and Sean and want to give is a fair shake. Neither of them is going to be involved in anything if they’re not comfortable with how it’s being done.

The film will make its theatrical debut during an exclusive showing at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Brooklyn, N.Y. on March 1^st featuring a Q&A with the cast and filmmakers.

So at least Sean has a good excuse for missing my birthday party the next day, since he’ll be in New York for the premiere. Here is the trailer for the film, which gives a good flavor as to what we can expect from it:

Beers of Joy – Trailer from One-Eleven Entertainment on Vimeo.

The Lady Eve: What’s The Difference Between Beer & Ale?

December 9, 2013 By Jay Brooks

film
My good friend Pete Slosberg sent me this gem, from the classic film The Lady Eve, written and directed by Preston Sturges. The 1941 screwball comedy starred Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck. I remember seeing it when I was a kid (I watched a lot of old movies late at night when I was young) but I certainly don’t remember this beery exchange. One of the main characters is Charles Pike, played by Henry Fonda, and in the story he’s the heir to the Pike Brewing Co. fortune, maker’s of Pike’s Pale, “The Ale That Won For Yale.”

Pikes-Pale

The clip below is about four minutes long, but the conversation doesn’t steer to beer until around the 2:00 minute mark, and lasts for just over a minute.

I’ve also transcribed their beery dialogue from The Lady Eve below. Enjoy.

Stanwyck: “I thought you were in the beer business.”
Fonda: “Beer? … Ale!”
Stanwyck: “What’s the difference?”
Fonda: “Between beer and ale?”
Stanwyck: “Yes.”
Fonda: “My father’d burst a blood vessel if he heard you say that. There’s a big difference. Ale’s sort of fermented on the top or something, and beer’s fermented on the bottom; or maybe it’s the other way around. There’s no similarity at all. [pauses] See the trouble with being descended from a brewer, no matter how long ago he brewed it, or whatever you call it, you’re supposed to know all about something you don’t give a hoot about. [pauses again] It’s funny to be here kneeling at your feet, talking about beer. You see, I don’t like beer. Bock beer, lager beer or steam beer.”
Stanwyck: “Don’t you?”
Fonda: “I do not, and I don’t like pale ale, brown ale, nut brown ale, porter or stout, which makes me ill just to think about it. [hiccups] Excuse me. [pauses again] It was enough so that everybody called me ‘Hopsy’ ever since I was six-years old … Hopsy Pike.”
Stanwyck: “Hello, Hopsy.”
Fonda: “Make it Charlie, will you?”
Stanwyck: [laughs] “Alright, but there’s something kinda cute about Hopsy. And when you got older I could call you Popsy. Hopsy Popsy.”
Fonda: “That’s all I’d need.”

LadyEveLobby2

Yule Shoot Your Eye Out

December 19, 2012 By Jay Brooks

This is just priceless. Eric Warner’s new brewery in Texas, Karbach Brewing, has named their new seasonal beer for one of the greatest holiday movies ever made, A Christmas Story. The 8% a.b.v. seasonal was made with ginger, cocoa nibs, orange peel, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon, and has one of the best beer names I’ve heard in quite some time: Yule Shoot Your Eye Out.

yule-shoot-eye

There’s also a promotional video for the beer.

But wait, there’s more. There’s also a second Christmas beer that was inspired by A Christmas Story, this one slightly more subtle. It’s calle Fra Gee Lay — must be Italian! — an ale brewed with spices and aged in Bourbon barrels. It’s essentially the Yule Shoot Your Eye Out barrel-aged, and there’s another video.

Hilarious. Now if I can only figure out how to get the beer. Maybe if I hold up the brewery with my Red Ryder BB Gun.

Short Pour Film Festival

August 16, 2009 By Jay Brooks

According to the press release, “The “First Ever” short-film festival on the subject of BEER will debut at the Monterey Beer Festival on June 5th, 2010, from 12:30pm to 5pm.” Do you love beer? Have you ever thought about being a filmmaker? Or perhaps you’re already a professional or even amateur filmmaker. If so, here’s your chance to showcase your talent with a short (3 minutes or less) film about beer. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2010 and the form and rules can be found on the Night That Never Ends website. It’s free to enter your film.

There are four separate categories for you to submit a film under:

Live Action Short Films
Animated Short Films
Music Videos
Commercials

Organizer Jeff Moses expects lots of lighthearted looks at brew, including personal stories about drinking beer with friends or visiting breweries. He also anticipates a few entries by “serious brewers” who’ll reveal the exact steps to making beer. I’m anticipating that Greg Koch will have an entry. Moses says being a bona fide beer connoisseur isn’t necessary for the creative process — just having a “connection” to brew should suffice. He also suggests “filmmakers throw back brewskis after shooting and avoid keg stands so they’re actually able to finish their projects.”
ShortPour-logo

The Short Pour Film Fest will take place on June 5th, 2010, during the Monterey Beer Festival (and is free to festival attendees) at the Monterey Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey, California, 93940 and will be free of charge to Monterey Beer Festival attendees.

Short Pour Film Fest honors both individuals who have achieved excellence in short filmmaking and amateur filmmakers. This unique short-film festival showcases film making talent on the subject of BEER.

Films will be shown in the historic ”King City Room”, a 10,000 square foot building at the Monterey Fairgrounds (home to The Monterey Jazz Festival & The Monterey Blues Festival).