You may never look at a cold, sweaty Bud Light the same way again after seeing “Beer Wars.”
The indie documentary, out on DVD this week, details the David vs. Goliath battles between Mom ‘n’ Pop breweries and the corporate beer giants (Coors, Miller and Anheuser Busch).
It’s the kind of film Michael Moore might make had he turned his sights on the country’s favorite adult beverage.
Writer/director Anat Baron freely cribs from the Moore playbook, slamming corporations and weaving herself into her narrative. But even Moore haters will wish Baron had aped Moore’s comic instincts rather than just his one-sided diatribes.
“Beer Wars” follows several fledgling beer entrepreneurs, all of whom run into the corporate beer buzzsaw en route to national exposure.
One young brewmeister, the head of Dogfish Head Brewery, is trying to grow his young company but keeps running into opposition from the beer giants.
Another scrappy beer maker is trying to cement her brand among the public but must survive the advertising blitzes of the Coors/Miller/Busch machine.
Baron, who previously worked for Mike’s Hard Lemonade and is allergic to the titular beverage, injects herself into her documentary with mixed results.
She’s quiet but forceful, and far more grounded than Moore, but her comic vignettes lack the Oscar winner’s sense of surprise.
The film lets its interview subjects bemoan how the public eagerly embraces bland, lowest common denominator brews. But a similar argument can be made about Hollywood, an industry which cranks out generic blockbusters it knows the public will gobble up.
Baron is on more solid ground when she depicts the uphill fight small breweries face in competing with the established brands. And the film’s depiction of just how the beer industry operates is fascinating, even to those with little to no taste for alcohol.
The film takes a political detour near the end, focusing on the beer industry’s lobbying efforts. By this point, Baron has stuffed her film with too many agendas, and she doesn’t treat them with enough insight to solidify her case.
“Beer Wars” critiques the multi-tiered delivery system set up after prohibition, but it doesn’t suggest a superior way to bring beer to our local pubs.
The film falls back on a familiar, albeit tired, refrain about our culture. The public quaffs Coors Light, Bud Light and other pedestrian beers because we can’t resist the advertising lure the big breweries have.
Nonsense. We live in a capitalistic system and we’re exposed to a ton of marketing efforts. Some click – because the public embraces the product being pitched – and some fizzle.
Anyone remember the McRib sandwich? Yuk.
“Beer Wars” will intrigue beer lovers and anyone who wanted to chase their dreams no matter the obstacles. And any documentary featuring a clip from “Strange Brew” can’t be all bad.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Just saw this. As a long time beer connoisseur and fellow of the retail workforce, I think she does pretty good at picking on the “big three”. But you’re right about neglecting alternative outlets for distribution purposes. I guess if you’re unaware of the process of how your beer gets to the store this movie tells you. But briefly.
I wish Baron had shown the other sour side of retail and that’s the giveaways or contests. This was part of promotion from all distributors and the days of skis, kayaks, fridges and sports jerseys are going bye-bye. If your store doesn’t play along with buying certain case amounts or the crappy beer/malt beverages that need display then your store will be offered less and less by way of free goods. One of the best perks in working retail were the free concert tickets and snowboards. However, a beer company like Dogfish head, doesn’t have to giveaway mugs or stickers to promote. The beer is just that good. I wonder if Fat Tire remembers they left a bicycle hanging from our ceiling?
It would seem that you neglect the reams and reams of information that tell us that we buy what marketers tell us, in favor for your personal belief that you don’t.
For the most part, unlike with Michael Moore, everything Anat Baron tells us is true. Might not be unvarnished, but it is certainly true. I guess you don’t particularly like that message…
I don’t buy what marketers tell me to buy. I buy what I want … and I trust my fellow Americans to do the same. Some do … some don’t. But I want the freedom to choose.
“Beer Wars” leaves out plenty even if it does offer plenty of fodder for debate.
Looks like a cool movie – will have to see if I can get it off Netflix ..