The Friday Fermentable: Beer Y'all: "Craft brewing, original music, and entrepreneurial righteousness"

In this special Saturday edition of The Friday Fermentable, here's just a quick plug for a great North Carolina documentary that is screening here this evening in the City-That-Tobacco-Built:

Beer. Rock & Roll. North Carolina.

In July 2008, seven friends assembled from across North Carolina to tour 27 microbreweries and brewpubs from the mountains to the coast in a seatless cargo van. Beer Y'all follows their nine days of hanging out with brewers, partying at rock shows, and drinking many, many beers as they celebrate friendship, music, and a Southern microbrewing explosion.

Beer Y'all shows in screenings across North Carolina, Summer 2009. Available on DVD.

Readers of these pages will know of my great respect for the craft brewing industry explosion in the state of North Carolina. For example, I've written several times about Sean Lilly Wilson, mastermind of NC's legislative change to allow sales of beer greater than 6% ABV and current principal of Durham's southern ag-based, Fullsteam Brewery.

After leaving Colorado, the #3 microbrewing state in the US, I thought I was moving to a biochemical brewing backwater. Imagine my delight when I found a movement here similar to that launched by the Wynkoop Brewing Company when I was a Denver-based postdoc.

Beer Y'all celebrates this cultural renaissance while also featuring the better-known NC music scene which spawned James Taylor, Ben Folds Five, Tift Merritt, the dBs, and Ryan Adams, among others. I was happily surprised to find that among the music featured in Beer Y'all are tunes by three bands with members who are Phriends of Pharmboy: Bull City, Red Collar, and The Future Kings of Nowhere.

Finally, in completing his article on Beer Y'all, Independent Weekly music writer Rick Cornell closes with his list of 12 beer songs. This is where I must thank Mr Cornell for turning me on to L.A.-based alt-country Alabama boy Grant Langston and his song, "Shiner Bock and Vicodin (Don't Mix Too Well)."

Yes, yes, I am usually very serious about drug abuse and would certainly never promote or joke about the combination of strong CNS depressants.

However.

Langston's song is terrific. The complete studio version of the song is on his MySpace site but this live version (missing the first few lines) really shows off the fullness of his voice and his absolutely fabulous slide guitar player.

So while you are enjoying your favorite beverage this evening, feel free to add to Cornell's 12-pack of beer songs (bottom of this link) in the comments.

And if you are in the L.A. area, go catch Grant Langston before he goes out on tour.