Educational Media Reviews Online

Craft brewing is a growth industry in the United States, and this documentary takes a look at it by visiting craft brewers in select cities. The main story is that of Black Shirt Brewing Company in Denver. Viewers meet the three partners, husband and wife Chad and Carissa, and Chad’s brother Branden, and watch their story play out from beginnings, through setbacks, and finally triumph, as it is interspersed in between all the other stories.

Craft brewing is described in the film as applying to those breweries producing six billion barrels or less per year. Beautiful shots of ingredients and equipment combine with brewers talking to the camera, with guitar music as an unobtrusive background.

The old timer of the group, Schlafly Brewing of St. Louis, around for 30 years, contributed to the revival of part of the city, and this is a theme that flows throughout the film. In interview after interview, the owners of the craft brewing companies, as well as leaders of brewers associations and even a mayor, explain how these small businesses contribute to the local economy and make cities unique.

The production values are solid and the movie is interesting to watch, whether one is interested in beer or not. The filmmakers take viewers to several cities that have craft brewing companies: St. Louis, Missouri; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Boulder and Denver, Colorado; Milton, Delaware; Asheville, North Carolina; and San Francisco, Chico, and Santa Rosa, California.

The importance of their employees, how craft breweries employee local people with good jobs, and the advantage of small businesses to local growth is brought up in all the areas of the country.

Another issue that earns coverage is how the big beer companies dominate the country and how the craft breweries differ in product and in attitude.

This film would be of interest to public libraries for general adult viewing. It might also be useful for college classes in business, especially entrepreneurship. It also offers a perfect combination of a good story of the ups and downs of starting a craft brewery involving hard business facts and personal experiences.