Three Cheers for Pop Culture-Inspired Beers!
For those of you who love beer and television, you’ll be happy to know that brand new brews based on some of our favorite programs are becoming more and more popular. After all – haven’t you always wondered what Duff beer tasted like, why it’s always Homer’s go-to at Moe’s?
Here are a few new beers that might be worth checking out, if you can get your hands on them!
1. Walker, inspired by The Walking Dead
If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, you can probably stomach the news I’m about to deliver. If you’re just a beer enthusiast, or enjoy lists with images attached to them, consider yourself warned. And if you’re a big animal enthusiast, please shield your eyes and realize that I’m simply the messenger in this situation. Ready? This beer actually contains goat brains.
Yep – you read that right. The American Pale is made with malted wheat, oats, flaked barley, cranberry and smoked goat brains. I guess you have to expect a weird concoction from a show that’s centered around zombies. The beer, released by Philadelphia’s Dock Street Brewing Company, debuted at the end of March – right in time for the finale.
2. Heisenberg’s Dark, inspired by Breaking Bad
As someone who watched Breaking Bad for the first time last month from beginning to end, and developed a massive crush on Jesse Pinkman, I’m extra excited about possibly trying out this brew someday.
Heisenberg’s Dark is an India Black Ale that originated out of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Marble Brewery. Characters on the show (which was also New Mexico based) were often seeing drinking Marble Brewery beers throughout the run of the show, so the beer was created as a tribute to the final season, which aired last year. Sadly, Schraderbruu has yet to be created.
For the record, just be happy that I didn’t use this news as an excuse to post a numerous amount of Jesse Pinkman gifs. I think my friends are getting tired of getting them through iMessage on a daily basis.
3. Klingon Warnog, inspired by Star Trek
This brand new beer was just announced by CBS Consumer Products and the Federation of Beer, and it’s set to be bewed by Evansville, Indiana-based Tin Man Brewing Company. It’s rumored to have a mild banana and clove aroma, and includes wheat and caramel malts. The can makes it look like an energy drink, but I can see Klingons digging the design.
If you’re keeping track, Klingon Warnog was used in two different Star Trek series – Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
4. Dayman Coffee IPA, inspired by It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Since this was a collaborative beer that Stone Brewing Co. created with Two Brothers Brewing Co. and the Chicago brewing collective Aleman, chances of finding the Dayman Coffee IPA are a bit slim – but who knows when they might run it again? Not only was it pretty popular, but it claimed a prize by being the winning brew at a home brew competition.
Of course, the beer was inspired by the infamous Dayman episode of It’s Always Sunny – an episode so popular, that the cast later did a brief tour recreating the entire episode live. I’m guessing the coffee infusion was added based on Sweet Dee’s portrayal of a coffee shop princess, which is a nice subtle touch. This beer wasn’t out to get laughs – it was out to get gasps.
It’s a shame this beer isn’t constantly available over at Mac’s Tavern, the actual bar bought by Rob and Kaitlin McElhenney that’s located in Philadelphia.
5. Ommegang’s Fire and Blood, inspired by Game of Thrones
The best part about Fire and Blood is the fact that it’s the latest creation within a series of beers. This new addition was inspired by Daenerys Targaryen and her three dragons, Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion. Three dragons obviously means three different labels. So if you’re losing sleep at night because you’re incapable of telling Daenerys’ dragons apart, be thankful that this beer will try and help solve this massive issue.
If you haven’t tried the rest of the collection yet, be on the lookout for Iron Throne, a blonde ale, and the darker Take The Black Stout, which was inspired by the brotherhood of the Night’s Watch.
6. Duff Beer, inspired by The Simpsons
While most Simpsons fans these days are probably over the age of 21, Simpsons creator Matt Groening, on the record, stated that he will never allow an officially licensed Duff beer on the grounds that it will encourage underage drinking. While I do congratulate Matt on being cautious, I hate to tell him that certain loopholes made a product exist that (while not official) look pretty similar to the beer that Homer can’t get enough of. I believe they actually might refer to it as “counterfeit beer”, yet Chief Wiggum hasn’t forced anyone to stop production yet.
Probably the most popular of fake Duff’s comes from Eschweger Klosterbrauerei, who named his creationThe Legendary Duff Beer, which is distributed throughout Germany. This premium lager has done so well, that they’ve expanded to deliver it both in cans and bottles.
7. Whole Foods Beer, inspired by – well, Whole Foods
Sure, it’s not a TV show or movie, but it’s a place we all like to go if we’re lucky enough to have one in our town. Where I live, the closest is roughly an hour and fifteen minutes away. Sure, it might be good for a mini day trip (… grocery store day trip? Man, I’m lame) but it probably means that I’ll be unable to buy frozen food. Oh, the humanity.
Whole Foods just announced that they’re planning on entering the world of beer, by searching for a brewmaster to help jumpstart a brewery in a brand new location. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Nichole Beccera, who oversees the beer programs for all Southwestern Whole Foods and probably has the coolest job ever, stated that “as we developed our beer program and made it better, putting beer bars in our stores and offering growlers in our stores, it just seemed like a natural evolution for us.” If the project is successful, it’s only natural for more stores to take on a similar approach.
Which one are you hoping to try? Have you sampled any of the beers that had a limited release?
Image Credits: , , , , WF
