In 2018, Matt Del Pizzo, a Delaware entrepreneur and noted environmentalist, approached Wilmington-based film director Gordon DelGiorno of Film Brothers, with an idea for a documentary – the history of the beer can and the resurgence of its popularity in modern brewing. Matt has long been an advocate of canned beer, not just because he is a devoted collector of classic beer cans, but because of the environmental advantages to canning vs. bottling.
Matt and Gordon have been friends since high school, and it occurred to Matt that they embodied the respective characteristics of the can and bottle themselves. Matt is thoughtful, quiet, short, and often misunderstood. Gordon is brash, loud, tall, and maybe a little abrasive. Who better to portray the can and bottle in the film that would become Beer Can – A Love Story?
Beer Can – A Love Story (30 min) traces the history of can and bottle usage in the brewing of beer since ancient times. Featuring interviews with beer historians (John Medkeff, Jeff Lebo, Woody “The Beer Monk” Chandler) and brewers (Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Carol Stoudt of Stoudt’s, Tom Arnold of Locust Lane, not Roseanne’s EX), the documentary takes a lighthearted look at the can’s rise to prominence in the mid-20th century, rapid fall with the birth of the craft beer movement, and newfound modern resurrection.
Echoing the 2020 presidential campaign, Matt Del Pizzo (“Son of Can”) and Gordon DelGiorno (“The Bottle”) are on a US CANpaign tour that began with the world premiere of Beer Can – A Love Story in Wilmington, Delaware in November 2019. As the CANpaign continues on, it is asking the people of America: Are you a Bottle or a Can? You’ll have the opportunity to CASK your vote at each of the CANpaign tour stops.
The Bottle is the entrenched incumbent, steadfast in his feeling of predominance, and supreme in his ability to connect with people. The Bottle looks down on the lowly Can and fears no threat. Or does he? Does his haughtiness, in fact, mask deep insecurities? He seems like he’s always trying to gain an advantage and find an angle, but is he just doing what needs to be done in a world that salutes only winners?
The Can is the underdog challenger, looking to reestablish his long-lost popularity. Yearning for a connection with people, the Can embodies the naïveté of one who is not of this world. He seeks love and belonging; he fights for fairness and the working class. Will the Can be able to make it back on top? Can he demonstrate to the voters that he has the mettle to take the fight to the Bottle?
‘Beer Can: A Love Story’ premiered in November, 2019, as our delightful characters, ‘Bottle’ and ‘Can’ challenged each other for supremacy. That same year, during Wilmington Beer Week, people were asked to cast their votes in preference for the bottle or the can. ‘Out & About’ of Wilmington announced, ‘Bottles Win…by a Nose’. As they reported…’In a tight race, bottled beer was preferred by 52% of people who voted in the Can v. Bottle ‘Vote Your Conscience’ campaign during Wilmington Beer Week 2019.’
However, in an online election conducted on this website the following year, people were asked to cast their votes in favor of; The Bottle, or, The Can. When the votes were tallied, 38.2% of the vote was for of The Bottle, with 67.2% for The Can. Bottle and Can haven’t given up their contention, though, for they would come back for another match in the film sequel… The Canfather!
The world premiere of Beer Can A Love Story was on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware at the conclusion of Wilmington Beer Week. Tickets included entry to a VIP after-party featuring a limited-edition beer brewed by Wilmington Brew Works just for the premiere. The Bottle and Son of Can were on hand for photos, and many of the noted personalities from the film were in attendance. BOTTLE & CAN themed LIVE music by Shelley Kelley and Bar Flies, and lots of fun surprises!
