Saw “Beer Wars Live” in San Antonio last with plans to provide at least a few comments when I got home.

But it was an evening that resulted in a variety of discussions about beer, and not a whole lot about the movie, and went rather late. I counted about 80 people in the theater, and this clearly was the location members of the local beer community chose to meet. Many were at Flying Saucer before the movie and/or Freetail Brewing (nice beers) after the movie. The movie clearly spoke to them. My sense is that if it is going to start new conversations that will happen when those not so connected with beer see the DVD.

Otherwise, before we aim our RV for and slip happily off the grid at Big Bend National Park a few quick thoughts.

My one-world review: Underachieving.

What you should read: Alan has done a brilliant job of capturing (ongoing) online coverage, including from Twitter. Surely the images will be clearer when this comes out on DVD.

Why, why, why? I liked having Ben Stein there. In part because he was generous enough to let Greg Koch, Charlie Papazian and Maureen Ogle be the smart ones. Maybe more so because he doesn’t get it.

If you embrace the notion that it’s the “American Way” to create a product that sells to the most people and makes you the most money then somebody like Bob Sylvester makes no sense to you. So Stein didn’t seem to understand Koch or Sam Calagione when they said that what makes their beer different is “intent” (Koch’s word). Or perhaps to believe their No. 1 goal is not to have their individual breweries grow as big as possible. (Is that a double negative?)

Maureen certainly seemed to echo Stein’s skepticism when she told them, “Get back to me in 10 years” (best I can read my notes scribbled in the dark).

But I’d suggest you go back and read her thoughts on the “Age of E-Quarious,” particularly parts three and four.

The reason the movie resonated with the crowd I watched it with is that they understand what Koch, Calagione, the guys at Freetail, etc. are about. I wish “Beer Wars” did a better job explaining that to the non-beer-obsessed who end up seeing it.

– Will I be able to see the movie? It’s sold out in Boston. (Showing in one theater in Boston, but three in San Antonio. Who’s in charge of booking?)

– Alan doesn’t “give a rats ass.”

– Will it crack Jay’s Top 10 Beer Movies?

– Can Charlie Papazian make it to Los Angeles on time?

– Will the movie cause us to rethink the three tier system?

– And won’t we all be glad to move on to other subject of discussion (after, of course, 387 more blogs posts and who knows how many posts at Real Beer, Beer Advocate, Rate Beer, etc.)?

Back to Ron Pattinson’s suggestion that we shouldn’t expect pale lagers to dominate the world for another 100 years.

That Anheuser-Busch InBev may be shopping the Rolling Rock brand brings to light this fascinating fact: Between 2003 and last year, Rolling Rock production fell by 45.7 percent to 475,000 barrels.

Dang, that’s taking a lesson from the buffalo.

(Thanks to Jack Curtin for pointing to this story.)

The St. Louis Business Journal has the scoop on what a bunch of men until recently employed by Anheuser-Busch are up to.

Five months after Belgium-based InBev completed its acquisition of Anheuser-Busch Cos., former senior and mid-evel brewery executives are launching new companies, teaching at universities around the world and taking their skills to other organizations eager to tap their expertise.

For instance, Doug Muhleman, the brewery’s former group vice president of brewing operations and technology, and his wife are growing grapes in Sonoma County.

The Business Journal reports other former brewery employees are taking more time before making their next move. Nearly all of A-B’s 17 former strategy committee members have left the company. Roughly 2,400 salaried employees, or about 40 percent of its St. Louis workforce, took early retirement buyouts or pink slips in December and January.