CALGARY, AB – A documentary series covering the 130-year history of brewing in Alberta will be making its debut next month.
Produced, directed and edited by Alberta-based filmmaker Spencer Estabrooks with a funding grant from TELUS Optik Local, Aleberta: Our Beer History is described as “a three-part documentary that explores an industry shaped by government policy and passionate entrepreneurs.”
Presented as three 15-minute segments, Aleberta has the following episode notes:
Episode One: Beer Pioneers 1884 – 1985
Alberta’s first chapter in it’s beer history began in 1884 in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The province experienced periods of massive growth and succession in beer culture, centred around the prohibition era. From the creation of the “Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth,” to Segregated Drinking in the late 1960s, episode one looks at who survived, who withdrew, and who paved the way for Alberta’s next beer boom.
Episode Two: Rise of Craft 1986 – 2013
Big Rock Brewery established itself as a true craft brewery in 1985. Episode two looks at the point where we begin to see why Alberta’s beer scene became nearly stagnant, and why a push towards updating legislation, the 1988 Winter Olympics, and importing product into California, all played a role in shaping what we have today.
Episode Three: Micro-Explosion 2014 – Onward
The rules were re-written, and the game changed. Episode three looks at the community, the culture, and the recognition of a Province in the midst of a third-wave of brewery expansion.
The world premiere screening of Aleberta: Our Beer History will take place on April 7th at the Globe Theatre in Calgary, followed by screenings on April 11th at Big Rock Urban Brewery in Vancouver, and April 14 at Yellowhead Brewing in Edmonton. Proceeds from all screenings will go to support Two Wheel View.
Following the theatre screenings, the documentary will be able to view for free via TELUS Optik On Demand in Alberta and British Columbia.
For more details, see the Aleberta: Our Beer History website, and stream the trailer below.