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With craft beer steadily gaining popularity, it's only natural that it permeates America's favorite pastime - television.
In 2010, the short-lived Discovery series "Brew Masters" followed Sam Calagione as he and his team created various brews for Dogfish Head. Rumors of big-name-beer threatening to pull advertising from the network led to it's cancellation after only 6 episodes, though low ratings have been referenced as the ultimate reason for it's untimely demise. A likely story...
2013 brought the Esquire network's "Brew Dogs" to the screen. This series, currently still in production, showcases James Watt and Martin Dickie of Scotland's own BrewDog brewery (naturally). Less reality show and more road-trip travelogue, the pair's offbeat antics aim to educate and convert people to the world of craft beer.
But what excites me most is the latest offering, this time from the History channel - "Dark Horse Nation". As the name suggests, this series revolves around Aaron Morse and his boisterous band of bearded brewers at Marshall, Michigan's own Dark Horse Brewing Co. The show's irreverent humor and zany side-plots bring a casual approach to the topic at hand, and offer entertainment value for those new to the craft beer scene while hopefully garnering further interest. Having famously rejected an opportunity to have Dark Horse beer featured in a Nickleback video, I must admit I was a bit surprised to see Aaron embrace such mainstream media attention. But interviews prior to the premiere cite Aaron's motive to be that of preaching the gospel of Michigan beer, and I can respect that. Though I'm proud to have one of my favorite breweries showcased on a national level, I can't help but have reservations about what this means for the future. Dark Horse has always done things their way, and I'm hoping that this no-nonsense approach will help Aaron and his team grow the brand in a positive direction, while avoiding the pitfalls of new found fame. The last thing I want to see is Dark Horse toilet paper for sale at the local big-box store. But hell, I'd probably still buy it.
So what does all this mean for the industry as a whole? Only time will tell. Craft beer continues to grow, slowly eating away at the majority market share of big-name-beer. If networks continue to produce quality programming that both entertains and informs the public about the amazing beers produced locally to them, then perhaps craft beer is poised for an even greater upswing.
I know I'll keep the rabbit ears tuned and a clean mug handy.
In 2010, the short-lived Discovery series "Brew Masters" followed Sam Calagione as he and his team created various brews for Dogfish Head. Rumors of big-name-beer threatening to pull advertising from the network led to it's cancellation after only 6 episodes, though low ratings have been referenced as the ultimate reason for it's untimely demise. A likely story...
2013 brought the Esquire network's "Brew Dogs" to the screen. This series, currently still in production, showcases James Watt and Martin Dickie of Scotland's own BrewDog brewery (naturally). Less reality show and more road-trip travelogue, the pair's offbeat antics aim to educate and convert people to the world of craft beer.
But what excites me most is the latest offering, this time from the History channel - "Dark Horse Nation". As the name suggests, this series revolves around Aaron Morse and his boisterous band of bearded brewers at Marshall, Michigan's own Dark Horse Brewing Co. The show's irreverent humor and zany side-plots bring a casual approach to the topic at hand, and offer entertainment value for those new to the craft beer scene while hopefully garnering further interest. Having famously rejected an opportunity to have Dark Horse beer featured in a Nickleback video, I must admit I was a bit surprised to see Aaron embrace such mainstream media attention. But interviews prior to the premiere cite Aaron's motive to be that of preaching the gospel of Michigan beer, and I can respect that. Though I'm proud to have one of my favorite breweries showcased on a national level, I can't help but have reservations about what this means for the future. Dark Horse has always done things their way, and I'm hoping that this no-nonsense approach will help Aaron and his team grow the brand in a positive direction, while avoiding the pitfalls of new found fame. The last thing I want to see is Dark Horse toilet paper for sale at the local big-box store. But hell, I'd probably still buy it.
So what does all this mean for the industry as a whole? Only time will tell. Craft beer continues to grow, slowly eating away at the majority market share of big-name-beer. If networks continue to produce quality programming that both entertains and informs the public about the amazing beers produced locally to them, then perhaps craft beer is poised for an even greater upswing.
I know I'll keep the rabbit ears tuned and a clean mug handy.
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