This Sunday, craft beer returns to television. Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Brewery, will star in what is possibly the biggest splash on television for craft beer since Michael Jackson’s Beer Hunter series aired. Brew Masters will focus on Calagione’s creation of adventurous beers using unique ingredients, and it will follow his travels to source ingredients from around the world. While this seems to have the potential to be one big advertisement for Dogfish Head (and if it is, great for them), Calagione really is the perfect guy to have in the TV spotlight. He is passionate about the industry, knowledgable, charismatic, and he has plenty of experience being the face of the growing craft beer industry. I’ll definitely be tuned in, with a beer in hand, of course, this Sunday at 10pm when it debuts. Following is a preview from the Discovery Channel.
Following is more commentary from the Discovery Channel blog:
Do you like beer? For Sam Calagione, founder of one of America’s leading craft brewers, Dogfish Head Brewery, beer is a passion, a business, and a personal quest for the best, most imaginative brews. Premiering Sunday, November 21 at 10 PM E/P, BREW MASTERS follows Sam and his partners in suds as they travel the country and the world sourcing exotic ingredients and discovering ancient techniques to produce beers of astounding originality.
Sam is constantly pushing his team and himself to innovate and celebrate the amazing world of beer. The imagination of the Dogfish Head team is matched only by the fun they inject into every facet of their jobs. Beer-tasting meetings in the conference room with co-workers, a bocce ball league in the parking lot, filming original rap videos in the brewery plant — it’s all in a days work for BREW MASTERS.
Running a successful business also requires inspiration, so BREW MASTERS hits the road for the ultimate beer-tasting road trip. Sam sets out to recreate ancient ales that have been discovered at sites around the world, from Egypt to Peru. He travels to Rome to research old-world Italian beers as inspiration for a new site in New York with Mario Batali. A visit to New Zealand introduces the idea of making the first tomato-based beer. And back home, Sam is tasked to come up with a commemorative beer called “Bitches Brew” to celebrate the 40th anniversary release of Miles Davis’ famous recording.
I can’t wait. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m glad that there is finally a show that will put the spotlight on craft beer!
It seemed to put the spotlight on Dogfish Head. Also, Sony music – a company which doesn’t need much more time in the spotlight. I probably won’t tune back in…it was just too much like “Cake Boss” for beer.
Was hoping for something more like an Anthony Bourdin travelogue of exciting beer. Instead we get Ace of Cakes of Dogfish Head.
Meh. I’ll pass.
I had hoped for much more, but it was a snoozefest. Discovery does so well with their other reality shows (Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, etc.) but this one probably won’t last long.