Bottle Conditioned

Normally in the brewing process, the brewer leads the beer, but with Lambic, the beer leads the brewer. Director/producer/writer Jerry Franck and co-writer/co-producer Courtney Marsh (Oscar®-nominated documentary short “Chau, Beyond the Lines,” FFF 2015) return to the Florida Film Festival with an intimate and compelling story of the history and future of Lambic beer. Brewed near Brussels, and only in the winter months since the 13th century, it spontaneously ferments from wild yeast strains. While Lambic is enjoying a current resurgence, that was not always the case. This highly entertaining and celebratory film explores the lives of three of the most revered families in Lambic brewing (representing Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, and Bokke), who have devoted themselves to producing beer in a way that doesn’t necessarily follow trends. In a world where it seems the newest thing must be a variation on easy-drinking beer, Lambic is rooted in patient tradition. To these brewers, tradition matters. But is there a personal cost to such devotion?