Birdemic. 8:30pm. This Wednesday.

You need to see this movie.

Join us for what we believe is the Triangle area’s premiere of Birdemic, the second in our series “Alan Smithee Presents…” (The first being The Room, of course, but I digress more than Claudette).

Director James Nguyen issued a challenge: to watch Birdemic with beer. (He ventures into a Budweiser at 0:48 with awesome results.)

We shall respond to his call with our own Birdemic Fest this Wednesday. A few more details forthcoming, but here’s all you need to know right now: you have plans this Wednesday. You’re coming to Fullsteam to view a life-changing movie.

A review in IMDB sums it up well:

“This movies outshines Troll 2 in every respect. It puts Plan 9 From Outer Space and The Room to shame. Imagine a movie that would be created solely to give film students a paper topic on how NOT to make movies…”

“…BUT…it’s strangely watchable. In contrast to many bad movies, it’s not boring. Consider it a train wreck that you simply can’t tear your eyes from. Even the boring scenes (and there really aren’t that many) have some aspect (poor sound, hilariously unrealistic dialogue, odd things going on in the background) that fascinate. You’ll be giggling and poking your elbow into the side of the person beside you.”

In this video, Rob explains the goals and expected outcomes of the hop experiment. I apologize for the wind – bear with it; Rob has some great insights about building a local beer economy.

Have a great Thanksgiving!
Sean

Fullsteam Brewery is located in Durham’s Central Park District — a block away from the historic Durham Athletic Park, the backdrop for the movie “Bull Durham.” The 15-hectoliter brewery specializes in seasonal “plow-to-pint” beers that incorporate Southern farmed ingredients, heirloom grains, and local botanicals. Think sweet potato, scuppernong, Carolina grits, rhubarb, even kudzu. Fullsteam will brew a smoky beer called Hogwash designed to go with North Carolina barbecue. And in addition to these unusual “Southern Ag” offerings, Fullsteam will brew a number of classic beer styles: India Pale Ale, stout, and the brewery’s flagship “Carolina Common.”

You’ll find special “one-off” beers and experimental test batches at the brewery’s on-premises tavern, Fullsteam R&D. In total, Fullsteam will serve around eight to 12 beers on-tap at R&D. And while not a full-service brewpub restaurant, R&D will serve “bullies,” small savory pies with seasonal ingredients. Bullies and beer make for an affordable and fun outing.

R&D also has a sizable event space which will feature a constantly-rotating schedule: local music, notoriously bad movies (think “The Room” and “Battlefield Earth”), and community-focused entertainment. The event space will be available for rent for private functions, non-profit gatherings, and community events.

Fullsteam’s guiding philosophy centers on optimism, creativity, and fun. The visionaries of a century past dreamed of a future of flying machines. Utopian societies. Unparalleled peace and prosperity. Frankly, society’s vision of the future has little in common with the hope of a hundred years ago.

What’s that have to do with beer?

Beer is the beverage of the common man and woman, and when they gather at the tavern — the social hub for the community — it oft is the impetus of social change; the birthplace of bright ideas.

Durham is one of the most socially-minded, civically-engaged cities in the United States. Great things are happening in Durham, and Fullsteam is excited to be a small part of it all.

All are welcome at Fullsteam. Hipsters: $5 cover.

Fullsteam Brewery
726 Rigsbee Avenue
Google voice is what we’ve got for now: (620) HOGWASH

visitnc.com radio spot from Fullsteam Brewery on Vimeo.

The good folks at LKM (the marketing agency for the North Carolina Department of Tourism) asked lil’ ol’ me to help with an upcoming radio spot. Stitched from an extemporaneous, hour-long conversation, this one-minute piece will air across the South in the coming months. I’m honored and thrilled that they asked me to participate in this excellent opportunity.

A bit more detail on the “five breweries” reference: Steve of LKM asked me to describe some of the best beer dinners I’ve been a part of. I spoke at some length of a remarkable evening at Jujube in Chapel Hill, where amazing pan-Asian food met five award-winning, very distinctively different North Carolina beers (the five 2006 GABF-winning beers). They were:

• Carolina Brewery’s Flagship English-Style India Pale Ale (Gold medal)
• Foothills Brewing: Baltic Porter Pro-Am Beer (Gold)
• Ham’s Restaurant & Brewhouse: Sunfest Munich-style Helles (Gold)
• Natty Greene’s Brewing: Old Town Brown English-Style Brown Ale (Silver)
• The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery’s Milk Stout (Bronze)

To me, it seemed like a distinctly North Carolinian experience: great local beer paired with pan-Asian cuisine prepared by a chef who had recently relocated from California to Chapel Hill (and, to futher the story, has since opened a new Mexican-themed venture in Durham).

I’m not sure this point of local-pride-meets-world-cuisine comes across as strong as I’d like, hence, this post (a bit of a qualifier). But what’s more important is that the Tourism Department (and its skilled agency) understands the importance, relevance, and opportunity of highlighting North Carolina craft beer. How very exciting!