Today I saw that Entrepreneur magazine listed Beer Wars as one of 10 Must-See Documentaries for Entrepreneurs.

Here’s their take:

A genuine David vs. Goliath story, America’s small artisanal brewers try to grab a piece of the market share from fizzy yellow giants like Anheuser-Busch.

Why it’s a must-see: Any entrepreneur attempting to break into an established market can relate to the challenges faced by these craft breweries. The point to be taken from this film is to always educate your potential customers on the superiority of your product. Sam Adams’s founder Jim Koch puts it best, “Almost all our beer knowledge comes from Budweiser, Miller and Coors. It’s as if all we knew about food we learned from McDonald’s.”

Lesson: It’s your job to find a way to reach your customers in such a way that makes them realize they deserve better — and better you can provide.

I still get asked about a follow up film or a sequel. I don’t think that folks understand what it takes to produce and distribute a feature film. Just because everyone has a digital camera these days doesn’t mean that they’re making a feature-length movie. That millions of people will see. And so, if you haven’t realized from my tone, there will not be another film. It takes too long. Costs too much. And in the end, viewers want content for free. So, for me the economics just don’t add up.

I had a story to tell. I told it in the best way I knew how. It’s a documentary so you can’t just make shit up and manipulate the facts. I got criticized for my choice of protagonists – Sam and Rhonda. Sam was too likeable; Rhonda wasn’t a real brewer… But I continue to stand by my choices.

Like him or not, Sam is a star. Not because of his looks but because his passion and skill helped him not only grow his business, get a TV show but also give back to his community by becoming Chair of the Brewers Association board of directors.

And Rhonda? Well, in hindsight Moonshot may have been an ill-conceived idea but she is a classic entrepreneur. She took her big success at Boston Beer and did the one thing most people are afraid to do – she tried something new. And she failed. And I bet you that we haven’t heard the last from Rhonda.

Feature films tell big stories. About big personalities. In the 3 years since the film was released, hundreds of web shows about beer and brewing have appeared. Something for everyone. But they mostly talk about the beer (which I’m allergic to). I wanted to focus on the business and show how it impacts 2 different entrepreneurial dreams.

But what about the business? I mean, there are over 2,000 breweries in the US. Craft beer is “hot.” It’s in the mainstream media. Celebrities drink it. There are beer blogs and apps galore.

But has the business really changed? Well, the big 2 are still the big 2 with close to 80% share of the market. The imports are hanging in there and yes, there is more craft beer being sold. But it’s off a small base.

Have things improved for craft brewers? Yes, especially for the national and regional brewers who are on an expansion frenzy. Is there still a long way to go in changing the “system?” You betcha!
I think that’s the sequel and another filmmaker should pick up the baton from here.

Kallman is shutting down New Century Brewing for good this month, and preparing for the next challenge. The decision follows a move last fall by the FDA that essentially banned New Century’s Moonshot beer because it contained caffeine.

Kallman, who ran New Century out of her Cohasset home, puts most of the blame for New Century’s demise on the FDA. The decision to label the caffeine in the beer as a dangerous substance took the fizz out of her expansion plans. She says it didn’t make sense to reformulate Moonshot one more time, especially without its signature ingredient. Her other product – Edison Light – had a following, but it wasn’t doing well enough to sustain New Century on its own.

You can read the whole story here:

FDA’s move is last call for local beer company.

We wish Rhonda the best of luck as she pursues new adventures.

Unfortunately, Moonshot’s future has been cut short by the FDA who lumped it together with Four Loko and others and forced it off the market.

Rhonda has put out an appeal to get Americans to “lobby” for her right to sell Moonshot. Whether Moonshot appeals to you or not, the bigger question is whether Moonshot was caught up in the wrong net.

Here is the appeal in Rhonda’s own words:

If you want to read more, here are recent articles from the Boston Globe and the Washington Examiner.

It’s about fucking time. BREW MASTERS starring Sam Calagione starts tonight on Discovery Channel.

I first met Sam at the Great American Beer Festival in September of 2005. I told him then that he was going to be a star. He seemed embarrassed. But it was easy to see from our very first interview that here was a guy who was the real deal and a natural in front of the camera.

I got to know Sam over the 3 years it took to make the film. He allowed my crew into his home, his business, and into his head. I shot over 35 hours of footage with him in multiple locations across the country. And the rule of thumb worked – about one minute per hour made it into the film. There are so many gems that didn’t fit into the bigger story. Someday I hope to open the “vault” and share.

And Sam has been very gracious since the film came out. He showed up on premiere night in Los Angeles to be with a panel of his peers and at film festivals since then to help promote the film.

And yet he gets flak from “beer geeks” for being overexposed. Seriously, it’s time to stop. Yes, he’s a rock star. Celebrate it. He’s the guy Discovery picked to be the face of BREW MASTERS. And since it’s a positive message he’s espousing, he’s having no problem getting media attention. And that can only help craft beer.

I hope the show does well. I hope Discovery gives the wider TV audience a chance to well, discover it. I haven’t seen any episodes yet but since the show’s producers are also behind Anthony Bourdain’s NO RESERVATIONS, I think it’s safe to go in with high expectations.

So break a leg Sam. I hope you remember me when…

Luckily my sister was present at the NYC Food Film Festival and captured these pictures that will hopefully help me remember what I actually said to Mayor Bloomberg…

Anat and Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Anat with Sam and Rhonda

Anat with George Motz

Anat with Sam

Sam offering Mayor Bloomberg a Dogfish Head beer

Under the tent on a scorching summer night

On stage after the screening

Of course the film will live on and new people will discover it in years to come. But for me, it’s time to move on. And so Sunday night is my last hurrah. My chance to reflect. I do hope that the film has made a difference. One that lasts and grows.

I’m looking forward to seeing Sam and Rhonda who have been on this journey with me. I will bring them up on stage after the screening to take their bow. After all, without them, there wouldn’t be a movie as their stories provide its heart and soul.

So what will I say? Thank you. Because despite the challenges, I’m still grateful after all these years.

On Tuesday, an article in The Atlantic entitled “When Is A Craft Brewery Just a Brewery?” asked some interesting questions. The one that piqued my interest was about big brewers cashing in on the craft beer “movement” and its continued growth.

In today’s Beer Business Daily, Harry Schumacher asks: “will retailers get into private label craft?”

In case you’re thinking – so what? He goes on to say:

Since my film was released last year, there’s been some criticism that the points I made are “dated.” After all, craft beer is more available than it was 5 or 10 years ago. Indeed it is in states where liquor stores dominate but the reality is that craft beers from small, independent brewers are still hard to find in chain supermarkets where the big brewers continue to dominate. The entry of giant retailers into the private label craft business is another indication that this war is only going to heat up. Corporate America is not going to sit by and allow its market share to erode.

But in the end, it’s all up to the consumer. The sad reality is that most Americans don’t care who makes what they buy. They shop based on price and advertising. In order for this craft beer movement to continue to flourish, independent craft brewers will have to find new ways to ensure that those consumers who seek them out can find their beers where they shop.

Your thoughts?

It was a magical experience that we will never forget. It was a full-scale theatrical production (on the same stage as Yo-Yo Ma, Los Lobos an Arlo Guthrie perform) with tons of high tech electronics including 5 HD cameras and satellite trucks. For me, it was the culmination of a 3-year journey to make a feature film depicting not only the U.S. beer industry but also the American entrepreneurial spirit.

The journey to get the film seen has been fraught with challenges. They say that “it’s all in the timing” and for independent films, these are the worst of times. Not only is there a glut of finished films (including some with big name stars) sitting on the shelf but also the traditional distribution model has all but disappeared. And the media world has been transformed due to the influence of bloggers and social media. What this means is that the fight to get noticed for an indie film goes beyond distribution (and Beer Wars is a success story in that realm) to finding new ways to reach an audience. Fewer film critics, fewer newspapers and magazines mean less opportunity for mainstream reviews. Shrinking ad sales mean there’s no chance that a network would risk offending a major advertiser. You get the point.

So yes, it’s been a rough ride. But for all the downs, there have been many ups. I’ve met some amazing people on this roller coaster ride. And I’m grateful for the kindness of complete strangers I’ve met at screenings, bars, and festivals and through Twitter and Facebook. I wanted to start a conversation. I wanted to get people to think about the choices they make. And I love hearing that indeed the film appears to have made a difference. Small perhaps (because most Americans have no awareness of the film) but it’s a start.

I’m hoping that the conversation will continue and that it will involve brewers, distributors, retailers and regulators who will strive to create a more level playing field for beer consumers.

So I raise a (virtual) beer to everyone who has joined me on this amazing journey.

Thank you!

Thought I’d share a few of the thousands of comments I’ve received:

“You know you’re in a good bar when someone mentions Beer Wars as the reason they’ve decided to reform their beerin’ ways.”
Chris D. on Twitter

“I just saw it tonight and loved it. I work for a wine distributor that handles some beer, the ones Bud doesn’t want. Spaten/Franziskaner (INBEV now) is one of our big players and a Bud rep tried to yank my Franziskaner facing today. They eat their own! The beer/ wine mgr. at the store pretty much told him Bud doesn’t own the shelf space just because they write the sets. I used to work for a Gallo distributor and it’s the same with them.”
Brian S. on Facebook

“Beer Wars taught me the difference between good beer taste & ‘good’ beer companies. All about anti big 3 now.”
Noelle S. on Twitter

“Just saw this last night. Being a home brewer and a fan of the micro breweries I have got to say I really loved this film… I was just at a beer shop in my city (Philadelphia) picking up some beers, and happily noticed Coors/Bud and the like on the bottom shelf below handle level.”
Sean T. on Facebook

“Thanks so much for making your film – I am a conscientious objector to big food in general, but I never really thought of the beer angle…

The moment for me was the amount of money that ‘Big Beer’ spends on the lobby – It’s mind boggling that they need that kind of firepower to keep the status quo.

I have immediately and completely stopped buying anything but stuff from the little guys, and am currently trying to see if I can get a distributor to pick up an east coast brewery (Harpoon) that has no exposure here (Colorado).”
Jim T. in an email

“You opened my eyes there! I needed a good reason to start looking at smaller beer makers. Really made me mad on how big companies trample on the little guy.”
Ron B. on Facebook

Please keep the conversation going by adding your comments.