2 Monstrous Brews with ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’
The Movie: Action Sci-Fi with big monsters! / 2021 / Legendary Pictures – Warner Bros.
The Beers: Big flavors! Big ABVs! Big breweries! Which beer will win your tastebuds?
*Spoilers*
One of the most incredible car chase scenes of all time is in 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy. It’s an adrenaline ride throughout, with an equally-energetic musical score titled “Bim Bam Smash.”
And if it weren’t already licensed to John Powell’s Bourne soundtrack, “Bim Bam Smash” would make an excellent alternative title to this year’s Godzilla vs. Kong. When these two monsters get together to brawl it out in the big city, it’s bim bam smash on repeat!
There are some super annoying human characters along the way who bog down the movie at times, but the action more than makes up for it. The last third of the movie is basically all city smashing, which is exactly why we watch these movies in the first place. Plot? Sure, there is one. But if you’re watching a movie called Godzilla vs. Kong for the intricate storyline instead of the bim bam smashing, you probably aren’t too familiar with the franchise in the first place.
This new release is the exact kind of movie you’d want to watch in a theater full of people, cheering on each “titan” as they swap punches and scream-growls. Of course, the pandemic still makes that challenging in most places, so most of us are watching at home via HBO, beer in hand.
Now, time to choose your titan!
For Kong – Bell’s Hopslam Ale Double IPA
The movie stays on King Kong’s side for the most part, first showing him as peaceful titan (though wistfully yearning for his freedom) in the care of a science team. He’s even learned sign language from his young human friend, a deaf orphan girl named Jia. Called on to defend humanity from Godzilla while seeking his own past, this Kong is one of the most complex and least animalistic renditions yet.
But on to the beer. Michigan’s Bell’s Brewery is a giant of its own, shaping the scene since the 1980s and expanding multiple times to meet demand. Bell’s is now so well ingrained in modern beer culture that you can find their creations all over the country. Hopslam Ale first hit the market in 2004 (which, to force another King Kong connection, is the same year Peter Jackson’s King Kong was filmed and started renewing public interest in the character).
Today, Hopslam is a titan among IPAs. The brewers use six different hop varieties in the initial boil, then add “a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops” and “a solid dollop of honey.” The finished result is a highly aromatic blend of grapefruit, peach and floral notes, replete with a kick of pine resin. It’s remarkably drinkable with a surprisingly smooth body, kind of like how Kong displays his softer side in the movie.
Though while it may appear friendly upfront, the brew packs a real punch in the form of a 10% ABV.
For Godzilla – Mikkeller Træblod Imperial Stout
Like the king of monsters, Mikkeller has a global reputation. The brewery launched in Copenhagen, Denmark back in 2006, and they now have multiple location worldwide. They also make some fairly fantastic beers with huge flavors and ABVs.
The good news is that if you’re in the U.S., you can now find various Mikkeller beers around the country. For something truly worthy of Godzilla, look for Traeblod, an Imperial Stout brewed with maple syrup and coffee.
Just as Godzilla manages to fight more elegantly with his atomic lightning breath (rather than just all out punches and grabs), this brew dances expertly between its strength and silky smooth character. It’s strikingly delicious with plenty of sweet maple flavor that manages to never be cloying. The coffee tastes more silky and fresh-brewed than roasty, and it’s all wrapped in a very warming 13% ABV. Yowza.
Now, if you really don’t want to know about one of the biggest surprises the movie has in store, please exit this article NOW.
*Bonus* Adroit Theory Black Science 4.0 For MECHAGODZILLA!
One of the biggest surprises of the whole movie is an additional man-made titan to the onscreen thrashing. It’s the one, the only, Mechagodzilla! Sure, there was a glimpse of what could have been Mechagodzilla in the trailers released earlier this year, but it was not confirmed, and many of us hoping for this major action upgrade dared not to get our hopes up.
But they did it! A three-way battle happened! Two of nature’s biggest creations teamed up to fight mankind’s biggest mistake!
Few beers are worthy of comparison to the mechanical beast, but there is one that stands out – Black Science 4.0 from Virginia’s Adroit Theory. Like Mechagodzilla, whose renown isn’t as strong as, say Mothra, Rodan or King Ghidorah, Adroit Theory is a smaller brewery whose beers often don’t leave the state. But, the strength and skill are there, culminating in some massively impressive beers.
Black Science 4.0 is a rarer-seen Belgian Strong Dark Ale style, and it’s the result of some seriously advanced brewing science. To make it, the brewers blended together a Barrel Aged Barleywine, a Stout and a Quad Ale, then conditioned the whole thing on Cubano roast coffee, hazelnuts, toasted coconut and bourbon aged honey. The behemoth clocks in at 15% ABV too. All that’s missing are lasers shooting out of its eyes.
No matter which of these beers you have in hand, Godzilla vs. Kong is thoroughly satisfying if you’re looking for good ol’ fashioned giant monster destruction, with plenty of “bim bam smash.”
That said, if you’re looking for an encore, there’s always the 1962 gem, King Kong vs. Godzilla.
