Quirky Alien Beers and ‘Solar Opposites’ Season 2

While Season 1 was more like Rick and Morty’s fun kid brother who’s okay to play with while big bro is out, Season 2 is where that kid grew up and became awesome in college. In some ways, he’s even more fun now than big bro.

The Show: Adult animated comedy with aliens living in suburbia, like Alf meets Rick and Morty / 2021 / Justin Roiland’s Solo Vanity Card Productions! – Hulu

The Beers: A bunch of different styles, all alien-themed – or as some brewers like to suggest, with intergalactic origins.

*Mild Spoilers Ahead*

When Solar Opposites premiered last year, it quickly proved itself to be a highly watchable Rick and Morty-style romp. There were sparks of innovative genius (especially with episodes centered inside “the wall”), but overall it was more fun than memorable.

Then Season 2 landed this weekend and cranked everything up to 11.

After failing to leave Earth due to a Terry (voiced by Thomas Middleditch) blunder, (stowing away too many Earth souvenirs and causing the ship’s mass to overload), the alien family settles in for another extended stay on their unchosen planet. Needless to say, Korvo (Justin Roiland, which is why he sounds so much like Rick Sanchez) is pissed that he has to stay longer on a planet he finds so dumb, while their kids / “replicants” are content to just go back to their regular everyday shenanigans. For Jesse (Mary Mack), that’s attempting to have a typical adolescence a lá what she’s seen in movies like Dirty Dancing. For Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone), that’s attempting to integrate himself among the cool kids while also shrinking more people down and stashing them in his wall.

Though the “aliens in the suburbs” concept has been tried and done (Alf, The Neighbors, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Mark & Mindy, Coneheads, etc.), Solar Opposites continues to set itself apart for the same four reasons it did in last year’s Season 1:

1. The aliens don’t hide themselves among humans.

2. They’re not a traditional family unit either in functionality or appearance.

3. Their day-to-day adventures usually involve bizarre (and often shocking) scientific experiments or grave misinterpretations of human culture, often at their own expense or inflicting great damage around them.

And finally,

4. There are no recurring human “friends” coming over to their house or interacting with them in everyday life. The only recurring humans are all the shrunken down tiny inhabitants of Yumyulack’s terrarium, or “the Wall,” and the aliens don’t really know or care what’s going on there.

Regardless, Season 2 is where the show seems to have really become comfortable with itself. Now officially referred to as “the Solar Opposites” by Terry, the family’s adventures are more socially biting and more meta. The jokes come faster and wittier, and the episodes brim with the kind of alarming gross-out shock humor that will delight Rick and Morty fans (especially episode 6, “The Apple Pencil Pro.” Hoo boy.) While Season 1 was more like Rick and Morty‘s fun kid brother who’s okay to play with while big bro is out, Season 2 is where that kid grew up and became awesome in college. In some ways, he’s even more fun now than big bro.

And yes, Season 1 fans, the Wall narrative continues in the new episodes, and it does NOT disappoint!

If you’re looking to binge it (who are we kidding – this is the 21st century and the entire season is now on Hulu. You’re not going to stop at one episode), it’s worth stocking up on a couple beers before you hit “play.” Here are some alien ones, because why not? “The Solar Opposites are exploring craft beer!”

Alien Porter – 3 Floyds Brewing

This 5.7% ABV brew is a “summer porter” brewed with a new experimental hop from Hop Head Farms that bring out notes of dark fruit wrapped in a surprisingly crisp body. The brewers at Indiana’s 3 Floyds say it was “inspired by the -230 C nights on the surface of Planet X.” The lead characters in Solar Opposites are from the now-destroyed Planet Shlorp, not Planet X, but it’ll do!

Alien Church IPA – Tired Hands Brewing

The new season shows snippets of Shlorp’s dominant religion, and it’s pretty darn weird (but hey, so is every religion when you think about it). But while those aliens are reciting the Sacred Non-Repeating Number around the dinner table, you can enjoy a nice Alien Church IPA from Pennsylvania’s Tired Hands Brewing. A 7% ABV New England-style IPA, it’s pillowy-soft and lightly sweet before finishing dry – the perfect refreshment following a session of self-flagellation whilst circling around the Grangnar.

*Bonus Brew* Want to get weird with it? Try Tired Hands’ tangy variant, Alien Church Double Dry Hopped With Idaho Gem And Conditioned On Soursop Purée (that’s actually the full name of it). Soursop tastes kind of like a cross between an apple, red berries and citrus.

Most Likely Aliens Stout – DSSOLVR

If you’re big into craft beer and haven’t heard of DSSOLVR, it was only a matter of time. This North Carolina crew has been blowing up the scene with big, fulfilling brews like Most Likely Aliens. This 9% ABV Stout was inspired by Mexican hot chocolate and comes complete with additions of cinnamon, cacao nibs, cacao husks, nutmeg, poblano peppers, vanilla beans, and lactose. Otherworldly? That’s an understatement.

Alien Hat – Watermelon Sour Ale – Columbia Brewing Co.

Watermelon Sours are often hit or miss, but this one’s bright acidity and easygoing 5% ABV body make it hit. Let it linger on the tongue, and the watermelon notes arise in full form, with almost a candy-like tangy tartness on the finish. Fruity candy? Seems like exactly the kind of beer Terry would rave over. And while the Solar Opposites might not be located near Columbia Brewing in South Carolina, we now know it’s just a hover ride away.

Butterbeer Golden Ale – Bottle Logic Brewing

No, this one’s not an “alien” brew, but Terry’s a known fan of Harry Potter and butter beer! There are a lot of breweries out there crafting their own versions of the magical literary beverage, but this one from California’s Bottle Logic contains actual vanilla and butterscotch for creamy-sweet deliciousness. Most other iterations also don’t come with this one’s nicely buzzing 9% ABV.

*Bonus*

Go with a space-themed brewery, like Celestial Beerworks, Deep Space Brewing or Third Space Brewing!