As a beer lover, I often find myself selecting out a brew to fit my mood. And as a movie lover, most of the time the two go hand in hand. So I decided to share some pairings of film and beer that I think go great together. Take a look at my pick of the month and hopefully you will enjoy it.
Victory Festbier
Victory Brewing Company, based out of Downingtown Pennsylvania, is known for their German style beers. For the fall season, they brew Festbier. Festbier is their traditional amber lager brewed in the style of Oktoberfest beers from Germany. While there are a bunch of German-brewed Oktoberfest beers available in the US, Victory’s beer will potentially be fresher because it doesn’t have to make the voyage over the Atlantic.
The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama period piece with a touch of mystery. The plot follows a Stasi officer (think secret service agent) who is given an assignment to spy on a playwright that is thought to be a communist. As the officer continues to spy on the playwright and his girlfriend, he starts to feel compassion and doesn’t want any harm to come to them. He soon realizes that there is more shady to his assignment than just surveillance, and his actions start to blur the line of his duties.
Since I went with a German style beer for this pairing, I choose to go with a German movie. Victory Festbier is easy-drinking, so you should be able to enjoy a few while watching The Lives of Others. The movie deals with a heavy subject and Festbier will hold up its end of the deal with its strong malt presence. The beer would go well with some pretzels or sausages, too, to help round out the Oktoberfest experience.