As we close in on the end of another year, America’s craft beer scene keeps on booming. The number of breweries in operation is at an all- time high and there are still more breweries in the planning stages. The U.S. state with more small and independent craft breweries than any other is the state of California and in this film, Craft: The California Beer Documentary, viewers get to hear about the craft beer scene, straight from the entrepreneurs and pioneers who have helped shape California’s craft beer industry over the past several decades.
Golden State Brewed
Craft: The California Beer Documentary offers approximately 88 minutes of facts and candid talk about California and its vibrant craft brewing industry. The documentary presents interviews from about 80 individuals who have helped make California’s craft beer scene what it is today, with each offering his/her take on California beer and what makes it special. The viewer learns some of the reasons why California is so popular as a craft beer business hotbed while also learning about the obstacles that craft breweries face as they try to begin operations and stay afloat in a hyper- competitive market.
This documentary is mostly about the people who have helped California rise to the top, but there are other aspects of the film worth noting. Craft includes scenes from across the state of California, inside breweries large and small, showing the viewer what life is like when you operate a brewery. With each interview, the film includes captions, showing the interviewee’s name and what brewery he/she works for. This makes it easy to place a face with a brewery and a comment with an individual. The documentary moves at a fast clip, all the way to the closing credits.
California Craft Beer Dreamin’
Craft: The California Beer Documentary is an educational tribute to the state of California and the men and women who have labored long and hard to help their state lead the USA in craft beer. Written and directed by Jeff Smith and released in 2015, this documentary provides a good overview of the craft beer industry, the personalities that make it tick, and the successes and challenges craft breweries experience each day as they prepare beer for the craft- loving populace.
California did not achieve its number one craft beer ranking by accident and this documentary lets the viewers know some of the reason for the state’s success. It certainly doesn’t hurt that some of the nation’s oldest craft breweries call California their home. Anchor Brewing, once owned by Fritz Maytag, has been brewing beer for decades and was responsible for kick- starting the craft beer craze. Sierra Nevada Brewing is another pioneering brewery that calls California home. These two breweries are mentioned frequently throughout the documentary as brewers and other craft beer industry personnel weigh in on who they feel is most responsible for paving California’s way to craft beer prosperity.
About 80 individuals receive speaking time on Craft: The California Beer Documentary, but it is clear that certain brewers/owners do get a little more screen time than others. Greg Koch of Stone Brewing fame and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River are two examples of individuals who receive more than their fair share of talk time. But I don’t see a problem with this, really. When you consider the relative size and influence of these two craft breweries and others like them, it makes sense that they receive more minutes in front of the camera. And the fact that director Jeff Smith was able to include such a large number of people in this documentary in the first place shows that he wanted this film to be inclusive of as many breweries as possible, regardless of size.
I like what Craft: The California Beer Documentary has to say and I feel the production and film quality place this documentary among the best beer documentaries in existence. About the only way I can think to improve it would be if it included a little more in- depth coverage of the people who make California’s craft beer scene so vibrant. You don’t really get to know people on a personal level. You only get to know their philosophy on brewing, their take on the business of California beer, their top influences, etc., without delving into the personal realm.
California leads the nation in many areas and its economy is one of the largest in the world. Craft beer in California is a cultural phenomenon of sorts and Craft: The California Beer Documentary successfully gives the industry the respect it deserves. It’s an excellent way to learn more about California brewing and it’s a documentary that every craft beer aficionado should try to watch at least once.
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