‘Shaun of the Dead’ with Anchorage Brewing Love Buzz Saison

This Valentine’s Day is going to be packed with action, blood and ice cream! For those who’d prefer more traditional V-Day beer and movie pairings, check out last year’s selection of Sour Ales and rom-coms. 

The Movie: Zombie Horror Rom-Com / 2004 / StudioCanal – Universal Pictures

The Beer: Saison – Farmhouse Ale / 8% ABV / Anchorage Brewing Co. – Anchorage, AK

Several years ago, my boyfriend and I had the great fortune of discovering that one of the Alamo Drafthouse locations in Denver was hosting a very special dinner, beer and movie pairing dinner on Valentine’s Day. Not wanting to pass up the perfect date night, we immediately reserved spots and made the two-hour trek down from our mountain town to enjoy a three-course meal with three beer pairings and a viewing of Shaun of the Dead.

It’s one of the many reasons I miss living anywhere near an Alamo Drafthouse these days. And if you haven’t seen Shaun by this point, good lord, you need to (spoilers are below, mind you). It’s the first in director Edgar Wright’s “blood and ice cream” or “three flavours Cornetto” trilogy, and it’s brilliant.

Anyway, my boyfriend and I had both seen Shaun as teenagers in the early 2000s and loved its perfect balance of comedy and horror, plus the great use of foreshadowing. But the V-Day experience at the Alamo was something else. This time we were able to see (and appreciate) the love theme woven throughout this well-written masterpiece.

I’m not just talking about Shaun’s (Simon Pegg, in the role that made him internationally beloved) relationship with Liz (Kate Ashfield). Yes, they break up shortly after the start, and it’s nice to watch them gradually come back together while fighting for their survival in a zombie apocalypse. But there are multiple other love stories to watch here.

The second, and perhaps most obvious, is the touching friendship between Shaun and his best buddy / slacker roommate, Ed (Pegg’s real-life best friend, Nick Frost). These two are the definition of bromance, and not just because they playfully flirt with each other in front of others. The two defend one another both from hungry zombies and from verbal criticism, and they prove to be there for each other until the very bitter end. Though if you’ve seen the movie, you know that their friend love is so strong, it ends up extending beyond that as well.

The third love story — and arguably the most underrated — is between Liz’s two tag-a-long friends. It’s clear Dianne (Lucy Davis) and David (Dylan Moran) have been together for quite some time, and they’re stuck in a kind of relationship plateau. Though unlike Shaun and Liz, it seems that they choose to ignore it and instead focus their efforts on the problems of others (like Shaun and Liz). But there is some depth there, and ultimately Dianne proves her love for David is much stronger than anyone would have suspected.

Last but certainly not least, there’s the whole element of familial love. Shaun finally gets to bond with his step-dad, Philip (Bill Nighy), and the two share a rather touching moment just before poor Phil gets zombie-fied. Shaun fortunately gets to spend more time with his mum, Barbara (Penelope Wilton). When she goes, it really is tragic.

There’s also a very loose storyline with Shaun’s ex, but I’m not counting that here. When watching on Valentine’s Day, Shaun of the Dead‘s stronger love stories are the ones worth focusing on. Now, ready for some beer?

The Beer Pairing: Anchorage Love Buzz Saison

Sure, there are a lot of zombie-themed brews one could pair with Shaun of the Dead. But this is no ordinary zombie romp, so why go why the expected? Whether you’re celebrating with a significant other or just a best buddy, Valentine’s Day calls for something extra special anyway. That’s where Anchorage Brewing’s Love Buzz comes in.

A Farmhouse Saison, this brew is already different from most of the stuff you’d find on the grocery store shelf. But just wait ’til you get a taste! It’s an Ale brewed with an enticing assortment of rose hips, peppercorns and orange peels. The brewers at Anchorage then aged the beer for a whole year in freshly emptied pinot noir barrels with Brettanyomyces yeast. This is a pretty popular wild yeast strain in brewing, but it manages to taste a little different every time based on the ingredients and conditions it’s used in. In the case of Love Buzz, the Brett injects a sour berry pie-like flavor, mingled with whispers of delicious funk.

The one I tasted was hopped with Citra as well for deeper nuances of orange rind and tangerine, but I’ve learned there is a Mosaic rendition available as well. Regardless, this beer makes for both a delicious accompaniment to a V-Day dinner or for a nice dessert. It comes in a bottle, but you’ll definitely want to pour it into a glass before sipping to allow all that flavorful depth to open up.

The really cool thing about this beer pairing? More flavor reveals itself on each sip. Just like how you notice more hilarious detail with repeat viewings of Shaun of the Dead, this brew is worth revisiting more than once. If you can get your hands on it that often, that is. Unlike the movie pairing (available for streaming on multiple platforms), Anchorage Love Buzz is currently available in limited quantities. It’s entirely possible that Anchorage will re-brew it at some point, but there’s no telling when.

Of course, that’s why we have bonus beer pairings for our movies on here. Scroll down past the beer float recipe below!

Valentine’s Day Dessert Beer Float

Trust me, the beer is worth tasting by itself. But if you really want to up the ante (and embrace the whole “blood and ice cream” theme of Shaun of the Dead while you’re at it), a Saison just so happens to be a perfect contender for a beer float. You can really use any beer for this, but the softly funky, slight tanginess of a Saison (or other Farmhouse-style brew) will counter the sweetness of the ice cream superbly.

Ingredients

• 2-3 scoops vanilla ice cream
• Beer of choice
• Tall glass, preferably chilled
• Cherry for garnish (if desired)

Instructions

Add the ice cream first to a tall glass, then carefully top with the beer. Go slowly and wait for the foam to subside a bit in between pours in order to prevent overflow. If you really want to get fancy, top with a cherry. Serve to your sweetheart (or enjoy all to yourself, because it’s Valentine’s Day and self-love is important too). Cheers!

*Bonus Beers*

• Flesh & Blood / IPA / 7.5% ABV / Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, DE
• Zombie Dust / Pale Ale / 6.5% ABV / 3 Floyds Brewing – Munster, IN
• White Zombie / Wheat Beer / 5.1% ABV / Catawba Brewing Co. – Morganton, NC
• My Bloody Valentine / Red Ale / 6.66% ABV / AleSmith Brewing Co. – San Diego, CA
• Undead Red / Red Ale / 6.3% ABV / 515 Brewing Co. – Clive, IA

And, for our friends across the pond:

• Sean of the Red / Amber Ale / 5.1% ABV / Arbor Ales – Bristol, England
• Bloody ‘Ell / IPA / 5.5% ABV / Beavertown – London, England
• Zombie Cake / Porter / 5% ABV / BrewDog -Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
• Bloody Slush / Milkshake IPA / 6.3% ABV / Schwarze Rose – Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany