Brewmasters

I saw the first episode of Brewmasters with Sam Calagione on the Discovery channel last week and was very impressed with the show.  I wasn't sure what to expect since I intentionally didn't read any reviews or watch any previews.  I have always been a big fan of Dogfish Head beer, and am about halfway through Sam's book: Brewing Up a Business. If you have some spare time, read this book. Even if you're not into beer,(Then why are you at this site?) it's a great book on entrepreneurship written by someone who doesn't come from the business school norm.

So back to the show. I thought it was fantastic. Not only does Sam do a nice job at explaining basic brewing processes throughout the show, it's funny and you do get a good chance to see the thought processes that go into making great beers. And so far it doesn't seem like they take themselves too seriously. Definitely not beer-snobs by any means.

You really couldn't find a better marketing tool for Dogfish Head than this show. Though it's a pseudo-reality show, I suppose you could also think of it as in infomercial. But not in a bad way. Throughout the entire show the viewer is educated about what it takes to create incredible craft beer. Quality ingredients for sure, but also equal amounts of enthusiasm, creativity, and fun. I think the show will really help build the brand and brand loyalty.

Lastly, considering the show was one big Dogfish Head commercial, I found it a bit ironic and sacrilegious that Blue Moon and Dos Equis ads were very prominent during commercial breaks. Sad that many consumers are going to see those ads and think that Blue Moon is a craft beer.