HopHeadSaid Food Pairing Blog - HopHeadSaid

Hops&Horrors #31: Nosefratu

10/31/2014

Who woulda thought a 1922 silent movie could be so entertaining? I really appreciated how creepy the movie was considering the technology -or lack thereof- used in its production. Age doesn't didn't date this movie like it does to so many 80's slasher movies, but I found that the subtitle interludes broke the flow. My suggestion for a remake is to keep everything except the title screens.

This may have been the easiest beer pairing of the season. How could I pass up a chance to pair Great Lakes Brewing Co.'s Nosferatu with the beer's namesake? This 8% old ale- full of malt, body and alcohol- is just what you need as your trick or treat tonight.

Hops&Horrors #30: 30 Days of Night

10/30/2014

Can you think of a more appropriate setting for a vampire movie than the Arctic Circle in the winter? 24 hours of darkness and seclusion all factor into the suspense factor of this movie that plays upon our fear of having our blood sucked out before we become people-cicles. The imperial stout Darkness from Surly Brewing Company is the perfect pairing for 30 Days of Night! This beer thumbs its nose at nyctophobia with its thick, black appearance full of roasty malt goodness and an ABV that will warm any cold night. I'm not sure it'll deter any vampires, though, they might enjoy the buzz they're getting as they suck you dry.

Hops&HOrrors #29: Odd Thomas

10/29/2014

I the spirit of "the book was better than the movie" I bring you Odd Thomas. While I'm guessing that statement is true for all novels and children's books, this movie wasn't as bad as any number of Stephen King adaptations, but it did hold my attention all the way through the bittersweet ending. The beer pairing for this movie is Nefarious Ten Pin from Ska brewing located in Durango, Co. and is a gentle reminder to not take the first set of clues and run with them when you're trying to use evil ghost demon things to help you solve a crime before it happens.

Hops&HOrrors #28: 28 Weeks Later

10/28/2014

Could there be a more perfect beer pairing to 28 Weeks Later? I think not. The red rage comes back, but this time as a delicious red ale. This smooth and balanced beer is sure to sooth any urge to tear everyone apart.

Hops&Horrors #27: Stir of Echoes

10/27/2014

There isn't a more perfect pairing for this movie than Hypnotic Tonic from Cody Brewing Company. A strong ale (at 8.8% ABV, I'm not being figurative) that will help take the edge off this suspense-filled horror flick. I'd go easy on this beer, though, as its strength is likely to cause a hallucination and I can't guarantee that it will be a warm and fuzzy, brightly colored psychedelic one, either.

Hops&Horrors #26: Alien Abduction

10/27/2014

Mostly a Blair Witch Project, first-person, viewed type of movie, Alien Abduction has plenty of tension that will keep you engaged to the end or the beginning. You'll soon find out what that cryptic message means. The imperial stout Alien beer from Sierra Blanca Brewery is the perfect pairing for this movie. This beer is black as night (the time when all aliens like to come to Earth) with a potent ABV that'll help take your mind off of the impending anal probe.

Hops&Horrors #25: Creepshow

10/27/2014

I love comic books and graphic novels and I think my appreciation for them may have come from Creepshow. Now that I'm of legal drinking age, I've found an entirely new way to enjoy this movie and I know you'll enjoy this movie much more with these 5 beer pairings.

"Father's Day"

My beer pairing for the first episode plays on the Father's Day motif but as a counterbalance to the evil dead that terrorizes his family. Drinking Patriarch, from Idle Hands Craft Ales, may not totally protect you from the evils lurking in the family cemetery, but it will certainly get you primed for what follows!

"The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill"

Steven King acting at its best! The perfect beer pairing for this movie comes from the Sweden and if that lunkhead Jordy Verrill had been enjoying Mordernist Brewery's Medeorite vs Earth is a Double IPA there wouldn't have been any grass growing on his tongue or anywhere else, for that mattter

"Something to Tide You Over"

So how can this be, Leslie Nielsen and Ted Danson playing evil characters?! Well, that's exactly what happens in the third episode. This beer is an important reminder that you should never let yourself be buried up to your neck in sand, in the tidal zone.

"The Crate"

What would you do without me? Well you probably wouldn't be three sheets to the wind by now, right?! It won't get any lighter in this episode, either. Raging Bitch from Flying Dog Brewery channels its inner Billy and won't let you forget about it until the very end.

"They're Creeping Up on You!"

This last episode my be the creepiest. Sure, there aren't any hideous, people eating monsters, or zombie sea creatures or even any extra terrestrial beings, but there are cockroaches! And really old computer technology. The one thing I can't understand is why he had that old time jukebox when everything else was so "modern". I shouldn't be unkind to the jukebox though, since it is the inspiration for this episode's beer pairing and I've included two just in case you don't want another IPA or 8% beer.

Hops&Horrors #24: Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde

10/24/2014

Dr. Jekyll* and Mr. Hyde is the classic tale of good versus evil that takes place in everyone's head. It has become such a popular story, that it holds a permanent place in our collective consciousness. As one of the original horror movies it holds a special place in my Hops&Horrors feature, as does the beer it's paired with. Any of the Surly Brewing Co. beers would pair perfectly with this movie; its happy/mad face logo is all it would take. However, I think the CynicAle is the best pairing with its old world ingredients and the new world mashup of styles; and its honey-like malt sweetness and its peppery yeast finish makes it the perfect pairing for this movie.

*pronounced Jee-Kall - Is it just me or does anyone else feel like the Dr. Jekyll name seems more sinister.

Wolf Creek Pairing Series: Heaven and Hell Cake

10/24/2014

In addition to the regular #beersuggestioneers, this series features the palate and tasting experience of Chris O'Neal, beer geek a staff writer for the VCReporter, and Bec O'Neal, beer specialist for Whole Foods Market in Oxnard, CA.

Learn more about these guest palates HERE.

Heaven and Hell Cake
The dessert menu is always changing, but Heaven and Hell cake is on a regular rotation so if it isn't on the menu when you visit, you have another reason to come on back. Layers of devil's food cake and angel food cake with thick chocolaty mouse-like layers to hold it together are covered with a thick chocolate frosting.

Bec's favorite pairing for this cake seems a bit counterintuitive. She really liked the Howl'n Hefeweizen, a traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana. On the surface you might think this beer couldn't hold its own but the yeast flavor powers through the chocolate and adds a clove spice note that complements all the different aspects of the cake.

Chris preferred the Punkinweizen - WC's seasonal hefeweizen brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar and pie spices. He appreciated the way the cake helped to neutralize the beer's sweetness and allowed the pumpkin spices to shine through.

Jason's favorite beer pairing may seem a bit counterintuitive, too. He picked Desperado, an American IPA full of citrusy hops, as his favorite pairing for this dessert. He noted there was a slow, balanced transition between the cake (sweet) and the beer (bitter), and he also appreciated how the beer took on a herbal tea characteristic as it cleansed the palate.

My List: Ebenezer's Pub

10/23/2014

Image courtesy www.ebenezerspub.net

I don’t have to say much more than this bar was named the best beer bar in America and the world for 5 years in a row. That should be enough but it isn’t. The owners are as friendly and helpful as can be and the beer selection is simply incredible. If there’s a beer you’ve been dyeing to taste but can’t seem to find it, then you need to take a road trip to the Maine wilderness.