Chilling with ‘Brewmance’
The subjects of the Long Beach craft beer documentary have some pairing suggestions for while you watch
Pour yourself a cold one and prepare to fall even more in love with beer, because the 90-minute documentary “Brewmance,” which tells the story of craft beer through the eyes of two Long Beach breweries, will be released this week.
“I think it’s going to make people thirsty and run out and buy a beer,” said Christo Brock, a Long Beach-based independent filmmaker who will release his latest documentary Tuesday.
The film follows Long Beach’s vibrant DIY craft beer scene through the stories of local brewers who go from amateurs to pros.
Featured in “Brewmance” are Michael Clements, Eric McLaughlin and former Reel Big Fish trombonist Dan Regan of Liberation Brewing Co., which opened in May 2018, as well as Jesse Sundstrom and his father, Dan, owners of Ten Mile Brewing, which opened in April 2017.
The documentary, which Brock began filming in 2016, shows the challenges they face and eventually overcome as they go from homebrewers to opening their own breweries in Long Beach.
It also includes interviews with craft beer pioneers such as Fritz Maytag of Anchor Steam, Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada and Jim Koch of Sam Adams.
And since Brock predicts it’s going to make people crave a beer, why not grab one from the breweries featured in the film?
With that in mind, Regan and Sundstrom each recommended five beers from their breweries to sip while watching “Brewmance.” (Jesse Sundstrom sent his recommendations via email.) Here they are in the order they were recommended.
Ten Mile Brewing
THE BEER » Sunnyside Pilsner
Jesse Sundstrom recommends this as a good “pregamer” while settling into your easy chair to watch “Brewmance.” It’s a classic pilsner, made with the background of the story in mind. “Sunnyside speaks to the history and tradition of brewing and specifically homebrewing, established early in the film,” he noted.
THE BEER » Hidden Hollow Kentucky Common
Sticking with the history angle of the film, this brew is in a lesserknown style, Kentucky common, that was developed in the mid1800s in Louisville. So sip on a historical brew while learning the story of craft beer.
THE BEER » Lost Monarch Double IPA
While Sunnyside is meant as a warm-up beer, this one is for the meaty part of the movie, when it’s time for something that packs a wallop. And at 9.2% alcohol by volume, Lost Monarch will do the trick.
THE BEER » Swarthy Czechman Dark Czech Lager
Just as the film shows the roots of Ten Mile Brewing, Jesse Sundstrom notes that this lager shows how Ten Mile has stayed true to traditional European styles.
THE BEER » Maggie Mae Blonde Ale
For Jesse Sundstrom, one of the most important things the film reveals is that family, faith, food and friendship are at the core of Ten Mile, so this beer is dedicated to their old dog Maggie, who will forever be a member of the family. “Maggie was our family yellow lab who still has a place in our hearts,” he wrote.
Liberation Brewing Co.
THE BEER » The Corrupt Blonde Ale
Regan is pairing this blond with the film after seeing the final edited version. “We were there living it and one of the surprises about seeing an edited, completed movie is all the production stuff, cool visuals and the sound of the bubbles,” he said. So since this beer is “bubbly and full of sunshine,” it will go well with the movie, he said.
THE BEER » Figure 8 Citra Pale Ale
Since the movie brings back a lot of nostalgia for Regan, this beer made the list because it was named after the Figure 8 roller coaster that was once at The Pike amusement park in Long Beach. “It was fun watching ourselves and the Ten Mile guys from a few years ago when we had a lot of hope and excitement,” he said. “This beer goes way back and is full of hope.”
THE BEER » Sick Beat Wheat Ale This is a brand-new beer that was released a week before the movie, so since it’s also a new release, it’s an obvious match.
THE BEER » Black Lodge Schwarzbier
The movie looks at the challenges of opening a brewery — obviously, it isn’t always smooth sailing. For Regan, one of those was when they had trouble getting their brewing kettle to work. “Like all good movies there’s some dark parts in the movie for everyone whose story is being told, so we picked this beer because it’s dark and roasty,” he said.
THE BEER » Jackrabbit American IPA
The Jackrabbit is the house beer at Liberation Brewing and the perfect choice if you get emotional while watching “Brewmance.” “We feel one of the main characters in the movie is Long Beach — and Jackrabbit, like the movie, is a love letter to Long Beach,” Regan said.