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 #22: Twilight Zone The Movie

10/22/2014

This is a very special Hops&Horrors edition as it features 4 beer pairings for Twilight Zone The Movie - and really how could anyone pair just one beer with this movie. I feel each segment needed its own pairing ... you know, because drinking 4 beers in one movie is way more fun.

To play off the bitter, intolerant SOB theme I've picked a beer that will help sooth any intolerance. Omission Beer is one of the few beers gluten intolerant folks can drink and the IPA version rounds out the bitter theme. If you don't need any more bitterness in your life, they have two other beers that are perfectly acceptable substitutes.

Dale's Pale Ale is one of the first canned craft beers and one of my favorites. I can't think of any other beer I'd like to play kick the can with! Well, maybe Deviant Dales!

By this time in the movie, you might need a break. The first two beers were well over 6% and Hocus Pocus from Magic Hat Brewery, with its 4.5% is just the break you need. Be careful what you wish for and don't let anyone try to pull a rabbit outta your hat are the takeaways from this segment.

From the brewery name to the series' name to the beer's name, everything about this pairing is perfect! Oh and ending the evening with a giant imperial stout is pretty nice, too!

Hops&Horrors #21: Kill Zombie!

10/21/2014

Kill Zombie is the Netherland's version of Shaun of the Dead. A tale of two brothers with a serious case of sibling rivalry who learn to accept each other and stick together until ... the bitter end. Which is why this beer pairing couldn't get any better! The Bitter End from Two Brothers Brewing Company is the perfect pairing for this beer - not too bitter, refreshing and the 5.2% ABV won't impact your subtitle reading skills, unless of course, you're fluent in Dutch. This beer will definitely improve the movie's IMDB rating of 4.7/10!

Hops&Horrors#20: Juan of the Dead

10/20/2014

I had low expectations for Juan of the Dead -an obvious word play from my favorite zombie movie, Shaun of the Dead, Cuban produced (how good can a Cuban movie be) and it was subtitled. However, it was a funny take on the zombie apocalypse -a virus obviously unleashed on them by the evil Estados Unidos- and they ran with it making it their own.

The perfect beer pairing for this movie is Undead Party Crasher from Clown Shoes. At 11% this beer will only make the movie better, however, it might make it a little harder to read the subtitles.