May the Schwartz Be With You! Dark Helmet Schwarzbier with ‘Spaceballs’

May 5, 2021 Brianna Gunter

It’s May 5th, which means we get the bonus holiday of Revenge of the Fifth! Though if you’re all Star Wars-d out from yesterday, ‘Spaceballs’ is a good option. May the Schwartz be with us all.

I’d say it’s the helmet that really ties the look together. // MGM

The Movie: The first big parody of Star Wars, from Mel Brooks no less! / 1987 / Brooksflims – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The Beer: Scwarzbier / 6% ABV / Westbrook Brewing Co. – Mt. Pleasant, SC

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs when I first saw it. It was probably because I was around nine years old at the time, but a lot of the jokes went straight over my head. Pizza the hut? An RV spaceship? Perri-Air cans? What was all this zany nonsense?

Fast forward to high school, and I was watching it with friends and laughing my butt off. While still not my all-time favorite Mel Brooks film (that would be 1974’s Young Frankenstein), Spaceballs is now a go-to comfort movie. The kind of flick I throw on right before bed just because I feel like giggling at John Candy’s half-man, half-dog creature referring to himself as his own best friend before I fall asleep.

Of course, the whole movie is worth giving its whole attention to when you’re in the mood for some decent slapstick. Rick Moranis bumbling around in a giant helmet and wise old Yogurt teaching the “upside” of the Schwartz is just good silly fun.

“I see your Schwartz is as big as mine.” // MGM

So when I saw that Westbrook Brewing (one of my favorites from the Carolinas) came out with a beer called Dark Helmet AND it was a Schwarzbier, the pairing was obvious! Only this beer has a lot more going on beneath the surface than the character it’s named after.

For those who’ve never tried a Schwarzbier before, I’m about to go all Yogurt and drop some knowledge: it’s essentially a German dark Lager, (the name means “Black Beer” in German). It’s similar to a Stout in that it’s crafted with roasted malt and typically carries notes of coffee and chocolate. But the body is considerably lighter. And thanks to the Lager style’s trademark cold fermentation, it carries a nice crispness throughout each sip.

Westbrook’s rendition is all of that. Malted rye, plus chocolate and carafe malts give it even more distinct notes of chocolate and coffee. Only this beer tastes extra smooth and crisp. It’s like a summer dessert beer. In fact, it’s the kind of beer that fits right in as either a late evening sipper or an all-day crusher. You know, whenever you decide to throw on Spaceballs.