Say ‘What’ Again! Craft Beer’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ Obsession

Beer has become very intertwined with movie culture (cough, cough Beer-Flicks.com), and there’s an abundance of beer name and can art references to prove it. But there’s one movie that seems to draw more brewers’ eyes than most — 1994’s Neo noir black comedy, Pulp Fiction.

A quick search for “Pulp Fiction” on the online beer database Untappd reveals 92 beers, two breweries and 12 venues (venues include places like beer bars, taprooms, specialty stores that serve beer, etc.) And that’s just the surface.

Brewers often use references to the dialogue, setting or characters themselves – Untappd also shows at least 10 beers with the name “Vincent Vega,” and that’s not including all those shortened to “Vince.” Another popular beer name is “Royale with Cheese,” which reveals at least 14 beers and 8 venues. “Marsellus Wallace” also shows 10 entries (and one venue!), while “Mia Wallace,” “I Love you Honey Bunny,” and “I Just Shot Marvin” all lead their own handful of results. Even “Pulp NonFiction” turns up a surprising 8 beers.

Many of these beers are one-off releases. But for some brewers, the Pulp Fiction references are a regular thing. Minnesota’s Junkyard Brewing has an entire Pulp Fiction-themed New England-style IPA series, with editions like Royale With Cheese, Riding with Jules, Jack Rabbit Slim’s, The Wolf, and, of course, Vince Vega. It’s worth noting, however, that Junkyard states these beers are specifically in reference to Cinefix’s 8-bit video game-style retelling of Pulp Fiction, rather than the original live action movie.

Junkyard also has a Big Kahuna Dark Ale, which many cinephiles will be quick to connect to Quentin Tarantino’s fictional chain of Hawaiian-themed fast food. Coincidence? Maybe, but the circumstances suggest otherwise. 

For other brewers, the Pulp Fiction theme runs deeper than name alone. For the folks at O’Connor Brewing Co. in Virginia, their Pulped Fiction Berliner Weisse boasts flavors and ingredients that are wholly inspired by the film.

“Brewed with a classic combination of the finest Pilsner Malt and plump White Wheat, Pulped Fiction entertains with tangy notes of fresh orange zest and citrus punch,” they said in a statement. “We added over 900 pounds of blood orange puree during secondary fermentation to create this this tart and thirst quenching brew. Like the movie, this Berliner Weisse is bold and juicy on the palate with a soft, pleasant finish to round it out.” 

Pulp Fiction-themed brews have made their way into the awards circuit as well. Perhaps most recently, Pulp Friction IPA (from Motorworks Brewing in Florida) nabbed a gold medal at the 2020 Best of Craft Beer Awards. 

Home brewers are also paying homage. One more memorable tribute is Butch’s Watch, an 8.1% ABV IPA from Hypobrewing Co., a home brewery in New Jersey. Fortunately, there are no reports of the beer being put anywhere for safekeeping except refrigerators or their mouths. 

Why is it that brewers have such an affinity for Pulp Fiction references? The answer likely isn’t too mysterious. Arguably the most quotable Quentin Tarantino movie ever, Pulp Fiction remains widely influential in modern culture. Today’s craft brewers are simply shaping a new frontier of fandom. 

For those of us who are both beer fans and movie geeks, that’s pretty darn awesome.