California is often on the cutting edge of entertainment, business, and culture and it’s no surprise that the Golden State leads the nation in craft beer. From the early days of Anchor Brewing in San Francisco to the present day abundance of small batch breweries, California is seen as a hotbed for craft beer innovation with a large and growing industry that continues to influence breweries in other parts of the United States.
With such a strong craft beer culture and so many unique and inspiring breweries, California is the place to be for craft beer and one man has just recently produced a documentary about the state and its diverse and amazing beer products. The man is Jeff Smith and the film is called simply CRAFT: THE CALIFORNIA BEER DOCUMENTARY, a movie that follows Smith from town to town as he visits 80 of the top breweries in the state during a span of one month.
Just how big is craft beer to California? Consider these facts:
- Craft Beer contributes $6.5 Billion annually to California’s economy
- The number of operating breweries is growing by about 24% per year in California
- The number of operating breweries is presently over 4,000 in the United States and among them approximately 520 are located in California. This is the most of any U.S. state.
- Craft beer has created over 48,000 California jobs
Anyone who has visited California is fully aware of the influence craft beer has on the economy and culture. San Diego County alone has more than 100 active breweries and many tourists who visit San Diego and other parts of California mention craft beer as one of the reasons. Stone Brewing, Ballast Point, Anchor, Russian River, Anderson Valley, Sierra Nevada, and other highly acclaimed breweries all operate in California and their influence on the American craft beer industry is widespread. Writer/director Jeff Smith had to limit his craft beer adventures to only 80 breweries, but it was enough to provide a flavor of what the industry is all about and to present the viewing audience with information on this important industry and how it operates.
Craft: The California Beer Documentary is set to launch on DVD and VOD, including release to iTunes, Dish Network, Microsoft Xbox, etc., on May 31. The California Craft Brewer’ Association has whole- heartedly endorsed the film and plans a screening at the Hollywood Beer and Music Festival on May 28, 2016.
This ground- breaking documentary will release over the next week or so and it’s something every craft beer fan should take time out to see. To learn more about the movie, release parties, and other information, visit craftbeerdoc.com on the world wide web or follow the California Beer Documentary via social media on Facebook, Instagram @cacraftbeerdoc and Twitter.
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