It is the one of the “buzz” topics of the beer blogging world as of late and boy was I excited to see it. Then I found out…

Beer Wars was to be scheduled live for 8pm EASTERN time with a TAPE DELAY on the west coast. “Damn” I thought, after all we have done as a state to support and consume some of the best beer in the nation (not being elitist here, but seriously check out some of California’s breweries) , I must admit, I was slightly bummed but not enough from stopping me from seeing the movie. But then, and let me repeat, BUT THEN…

…being blessed/cursed with living in L.A., I was fortunate enough to be turned on by the Meetup.com group for BeerGeek.la to the real live broadcast screening of Beer Wars. Not tape delayed, not at 8pm, but at 5:00pm at UCLA. And, the icing on the cake, was the fact it was 20 minutes from my work 30 minutes after I got off. WOOHOO! I was walking to see Beer Wars for free!

I arrived, got my ticket, waited to sit down, and watched the movie.

Overall, I would say it was definitely worth watching. Granted, documentaries can be slow, but when the topic involves something of interest to you, the mundane can suddenly be transported to the front of you brain and become more important than the rabid squirrel trying to make friends with your shoe while your standing in line.

Trust me, it happens. Just don’t ask me about it.

Beer Wars did a great job of highlighting the strong hold major corporations have on the beer industry while, at the same time, showing the rising stars that are soon to become the major players and produce what we now know as “real beer”.

As a brewer and drinker of beer, I, as well as many others, am grateful to Beer Wars for painting a picture of the true landscape of brewing in America today.

Thanks to those involved.