Those New Belgium brewers do love The Lou. The popular Fort Collins, Colorado brewery, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale, has provided sponsorship for a variety of charitable events here over the years, and this spring marks the second year they’ve included us on the Clips of Faith tour, a celebration of beer and film.
On May 19, New Belgium presents Clips of Faith at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park. They’ll unspool short films on the topics of “craft beer, environmental sustainability, and whimsy” that have won a juried contest, on a giant screen outdoors.
Last year’s winners included a parody of a tres serieux French film; a slow-motion paean to skiing and snowboarding a la Warren Miller; and a doc on kayaking from Alaska to Seattle, with amazing footage of humpback whales breaching. The films last from under a minute to ten minutes apiece, there are about 19 winners, and the whole evening lasts about 90 minutes.
Christie Catania, New Belgium’s “Clips of Faith Manager at Large,” said that the event “has a really good vibe. You’re under the stars sampling new, really good beers and watching a bunch of good movies.”
About those beers: Catania says the brews will include New Belgium’s “old favorites,” plus some beers from their “Lips of Faith” small-batch series. In the past, these have included tasty concoctions like La Folie, Ooh La La Valentine’s Day brew, Le Terroir, and Dunkelweiss. (Visit here for descriptions of their flavors.)
She added that this year’s offerings will certainly include “PIPA,” which stands for Pamela’s India Pale Ale, a concoction brewed under the direction of St. Louisan Pamela Harris, who won the right to create her own craft beer in a contest. PIPA is reportedly a citrus-ey brew, for which Harris selected the hops.
Clips of Faith guests may purchase three-ounce and twelve-ounce pours of all the beers for $1.25 and $5, respectively. The moneys collected benefit a local nonprofit that hasn’t yet been designated.
Bring blankets and folding chairs.
Catania promises “other beer-related antics” that she won’t divulge just yet, too.
We’re plenty excited already, about the beer, the hometown connection, and the evening’s food vendors, Bridge and Pi.
Maybe some of New Belgium’s yen for pro-environment practices, sharp beers, and goofy fun will even rub off on that other Belgian concern -- AB InBev.
