Perdue Made its Own Beer, In Case You Haven’t Heard
Ever tried beer can chicken? Well, Perdue’s made a beer just for it.
The craft beer world has an ever-evolving history of collaborations, often involving organizations that normally don’t even make beer. Speaking of which, did you hear about the time Perdue — yes, the chicken company folks — made their own beer by teaming up with New York’s Torch & Crown?
Here’s the official description: “Crafted in partnership with Torch & Crown Brewing Company, Perdue Beer Can Chicken Beer is tangy, juicy, and has just a hint of sweetness to help backyard grillers make the perfect beer can chicken each and every time.”
Just in time for 2023’s Memorial Day grill outs and gatherings, Perdue’s beer is, yes, intended for chicken. You can totally still drink it alongside chicken, but let’s just emphasize that this beer is “Beer Can Chicken Beer.” It’s beer meant to be sit inside a chicken — can and all — as it cooks.
Perdue is providing its own beer can chicken recipes online, of course. They’re also limiting this release to two cans of beer per customer, available through online-order only on Perdue’s website. By the way, the beer and chicken are sold separately.
Wait, why did Perdue make a beer?
Perdue is in the poultry business, and last we checked, poultry is not a common beer ingredient. We’re not going to say it can’t be a beer ingredient though, since we’re living in an age where anything can happen (remember that beer from space? Or that beer that tastes like Peeps?). Still, this might just be the first time a brewery has collaborated with a mass-produced packaged meats company.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen breweries join forces with any meat companies though. Perdue’s new on the scene, but San Diego’s Homegrown Meats collaborated with Stone Brewing in 2019 to craft a couple of beers meant for pairing with different types of jerky. Regardless, Perdue’s beer joins a long lineup of beer brewed with food in mind.
Are meat company collabs a rising trend in beer world? Probably not. It’s not likely that Perdue is going to launch a whole line of beers, much less keep this one around permanently. But we do know that they’re making an honest effort to stay current and keep selling chicken in different ways.
What movies should I pair this chicken beer with?
Why yes, you sure can. Since this is Beer-Flicks, an entire website dedicated to beer and movie pairings (first time here? Welcome!), we figured we should at least try to pair this chicken beer with some movies. Sip this beer cold alongside the TV or make your own beer can chicken before watching; there’s no judgement here.
Here are three attempts for this odd-ball of a brew:
Chicken Run (2000)
It’s a chicken movie with a chicken beer, because why not? It’s The Great Escape meets Wallace and Gromit, and it’s tons of fun. And while we doubt Perdue or Torch & Crown will be revisiting their beer collab anytime soon, the movie holds up tremendously well after 23 years. Also there’s a sequel in the works, so what better time to brush up?
You may even want to line up this movie and beer pairing with a chicken pot pie (made with Perdue chicken, if you’re feeling extra thematic). But be forewarned if you haven’t watched Chicken Run before — you’ll definitely be cheering for the chickens, and they don’t want to be a pie.
Where to stream it
As of May 2023, you can stream Chicken Run on Peacock. You can also rent or purchase the movie on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video, and Vudu.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
This dazzling fantasy-drama and coming-of-age story in the Louisiana bayou is worth a watch by itself. If you’re looking for a beer pairing, Perdue’s chicken brew fits well with the movie’s familiar yet strange world. And if you need another reason to pair the beer and film together, here’s a fun fact: barbecue expert Steven Raichlen — the man who brought beer can chicken to the mainstream — has said the recipe may have originated in Louisiana.
We can’t confirm any actual beer chicken in Beasts of the Southern Wild, but the movie does show a whole chicken being tossed on a grill early on. That’s good enough for us.
Where to stream it
You have a lot of options for watching Beasts of the Southern Wild as of May 2023. Buy or rent it on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, AMC OnDemand, Redbox or DIRECTV.
Mac and Me (1988)
You might know Mac and Me as the E.T. ripoff movie that Paul Rudd always plays a clip from whenever he’s on Conan. And while it truly is as terrible as it looks, it is a hilarious example of corporations stepping out of their usual lane and trying to make something they normally have no business making. This is a film where Coca Cola has life-saving powers and McDonalds throws cool dance parties, after all.
Perdue’s beer is not exactly the in-your-face commercialism that Mac and Me is, but it is a fitting pairing — at least until Ronald MacDonald gets into the brewing business.
Where to stream it
As of May 2023, Mac and Me is available for free on Tubi and Pluto. You can also find it on Netflix, Amazon, and The Roku Channel. Let’s be honest; there’s probably not a ton of exclusive rights demand for this one, so it’ll probably be available on a variety of services for a while.
Cheers!
