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Bottle Conditioned is a 2023 American feature-length documentary film taking an intimate look at lambic beer and three of its most revered brewers and blenders as they each navigate the growing demands of consumers today. It is directed by Jerry Franck and produced by Franck and Courtney Marsh.

Background
Bottle Conditioned explores the small Belgian community where lambic beer—one of the oldest, rarest styles of beer—is made. A cultural heritage almost lost after WWII, lambic is on the rise again today. The film follows three of the most revered lambic producers at a pivotal point in time, where each grapple with the growing demand for their beers. In Brussels, the Cantillon brewery is a multigenerational family business where father and son have different ideas on what’s important in today’s market. The patriarch, Jean-Pierre Van Roy, is planning to build a lambic museum at the brewery, which would take away significant production space from his son and now brewmaster, Jean. Meanwhile, just south of Brussels, 3 Fonteinen’s legendary blender Armand Debelder is passing the torch to his two young protégés, Werner and Michaël, as they are looking to expand their operation after a substantial investment. But the beer community has concerns about the authenticity of their ambitious plans. Then, there’s Raf Souvereyns (Bokke), a beer geek turned professional home blender. Together with his girlfriend Carolina, he is on an endless quest to push the boundaries of lambic tradition with his unconventional fruit beers. But going from home blender to professional blender poses larger challenges than anticipated. Bottle Conditioned goes beyond the beer and dives deep into the lives of the people that are shaping it today. It explores various themes and conflicts – from the challenges of running a multigenerational family business to complications in expanding upon tradition to difficulties in meeting expectations from consumers worldwide.

Awards & Honors

 * 2023: Sonoma International Film Festival – Nominated – Best Documentary Feature
 * 2023: Florida Film Festival – Nominated – Best Documentary Feature