Absurdly Fun Fruited Sours for ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar’

Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo’s new comedy is bright, bubbly and refreshingly ridiculous — just like these Fruited Sours!

The Movie: Absurdist Comedy and occasional musical with Austin Powers vibes, Midwestern accents and culottes / 2021 / Gloria Sanchez – Lionsgate

The Beers: Sour styles loaded with fruit and some surprising ingredients.

*Mild Spoilers*

I haven’t laughed as frequently at a new movie over the past year as I did today with Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (now available on demand and for rental on Amazon Prime). The new comedy written, produced by and starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo hits all the right notes between engaging and downright silly.  It’s also an endearing story of friendship, though in a very different way from 2011’s Bridesmaids, which Wiig and Mumolo wrote together. 

If you’re thinking this is going to be a straightforward story about two middle-aged Midwestern gal pals going on vacation outside of their hometown for the first time and getting into shenanigans, you’re not entirely wrong. That’s one way to describe the plot, and there is the predictable friendship falling out just before the climax, then coming back together stronger than ever. But, surrounding all of that is a lot of unexpected lunacy. 

Between its delightful SNL-style gags, surprising musical numbers and supervillain-trying-to-destroy an entire town framework, the movie has a comforting Austin Powers-meets-The Lonely Island kind of quality. Is it perfect? No, but it is a really good time, replete with a ton of well-placed cameos. 

In today’s sea of movies that try so hard to bend your mind with meta themes or push social messages, Barb and Star is actually really refreshing in its absurdist simplicity — not to mention it’s the first genuinely funny movie of 2021.

So for beer pairings, what better way to get into the carefree, Vista Del Mar-vibe than some crazy Smoothie Sours? These ones in particular are packed with surprises while remaining easily sippable throughout:

Maximum Florida – Westbrook

As the South Carolina brewers say in their official description for this 6% Fruited Sour, “Let’s. Get. Weird.” The brew pours a hot pink and boasts a huge lineup of dragonfruit, passionfruit, mango, pineapple, pink guava, key lime, tangerine, toasted coconut, marshmallows and milk sugar (lactose). You go in expecting a straightforward tropical vacay, but the unique ingredient list makes for surprisingly delicious twists and turns. 

Chonk Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry & Chocolate – Drekker

The Fargo, North Dakota brewers at Drekker could have stopped at the berry additions, but they took it further with chocolate! They call it a “Sundae Sour,” and it definitely pours pretty thick and luscious. Something tells me Barb and Star themselves would be all about this berries ‘n cocoa delight, though the 7.1% ABV would probably get them a little loopy. 

Florida Weisse – Untitled Art and Forager Brewery

This silky treat certainly tastes like something you’d be handed immediately upon entering a fun-packed beachside resort. Only just like the movie, it too is a tropical foray that comes from the Midwest (the beer is a collab between Wisconsin’s Untitled Art and Minnesota’s Forager Brewery). Specifically a 4.8% Fruited Berliner Weisse, Florida Weisse is jammed full of flavor with additions of passionfruit, pink guava and cranberries. Yum! 

Beach Plum Gose – Blue Point Brewing Co. 

There are some weird things on the beaches in Barb and Star (like Morgan Freeman as a crab), just as there are some beachside oddities near Long Island’s Blue Point Brewing. Like beach plums. These are only found on beaches in the Northeastern part of the U.S., and there’s a lot of debate as to whether or not they’re edible because of the large pit-to-fruit ratio. When they are consumed, it’s usually in wine and cordials. But, you can experience beach plums in the weirdly tasty beer that is Beach Plum Gose. In addition to beach plums, this 4.1% sipper has North Atlantic seaweed and sea salt for extra zing. 

Don’t forget your culottes!