Sweet Fang Milk Stout with ‘Teen Wolf’ (1985)

The popularity of the teen drama series launched Teen Wolf: The Movie. Let’s revisit the 1985 movie that started it all, with a howl-worthy beer to match!

The Movie: Coming-of-Age Comedy / 1985 / Atlantic Entertainment Group (MGM)

The Beer: Milk Stout / 6% ABV / Panther Island Brewing – Fort Worth, TX

Whether you’ve actually watched the modern Teen Wolf reboot series or you’ve only seen the ads, it’s clear that it has relatively little in common with its source material. The newer stuff is a pretty big departure from the awkward coming-of-age teendom that made it fun. It’s instead a darker, CW-esque teen melodrama.

That said, the original movie starring Michael J. Fox has its flaws — especially on rewatch all these years later. Let’s revisit, shall we? *Cue time travel music*

Teen Wolf: the quirky 80s movie with basketball and wolf-teens dancing on vans

I wasn’t alive when Teen Wolf came out, but I did watch it while growing up in the decade after its release. I remembered it being really fun when the guy I formerly knew only as Marty McFly went all werewolf right in his own bathroom (a scene since parodied in abundance). I also remembered him playing a lot of basketball.

And for some reason, what I remember most of all is Teen Wolf dancing on top of a van. While it was moving! On the road! Even as a kid who couldn’t drive nor had the dexterity to climb atop such a tall motorized vehicle, that struck me as an exceptionally bad decision.

Upon recent rewatch, it still struck me as a terrible decision — like Tide Pod-eating bad. But what struck me even more was how terribly unexciting Teen Wolf is for a movie about a teenager suddenly stricken with lycanthropy.

It’s still fun; don’t get me wrong. But it’s a surprisingly normal teen flick with extra hair. And van dancing.

A (brief) film summary

If you haven’t seen Teen Wolf, or many ’80s teen movies, then you may want to leave everything as a surprise. In that case, skip on down to the beer pairing. If not, here’s a quick refresher:

Scott Howard (Fox) is a normal teenager living in Nebraska, where he plays on his high school basketball team and isn’t that popular. His team, the Beavers, also isn’t that good, as we know from the introduction of their way better arch-rivals, the Dragons.

Like every teenager, Scott finds himself going through weird and disconcerting bodily changes. Only what’s this? Scott’s actually a werewolf!

Here’s what makes the movie a bit dull, especially in the middle and end: Scott literally changes nothing about his life upon discovering his amazing new hereditary powers. He keeps playing basketball and dances (surfing, with a lot of excess moves) on vans, just as a wolf guy.

Instead of an exciting tale of myth and magic-meets-high school, what we watch is a very formulaic high school… rom-com?? melodrama? comedy? The movie isn’t quite sure what it is. Scott just becomes more popular as a result of his powers and becomes kind of a jerk, because of course he does. His friend is even named Boof, because of course she is. Boof goes ignored as a romantic interest for much of the movie while Scott enjoys newfound attention from the popular girl, because of course.

Don’t worry — it’s the ’80s, so Scott will see the error of his ways in the end, will get the right girl, and he’ll even win the big game against those nefarious Dragons. Everyone knows they’re just a bunch of bullies that probably train in the off-season at Cobra Kai and totally deserve the loss.

Why Teen Wolf is still worth watching

Again, Teen Wolf is still a fun watch, even if nowhere near life-changing. I mean, the whole reason we’ve seen that kind of teen movie formula so many times is because it works. Paired with Michael J. Fox’s charisma and the natural nostalgia that comes from watching Teen Wolf, I’d definitely say “yes” to watching this movie again in the future.

Plus it goes without saying — if you’re among the many fans who enjoy the TV show and the movie that the 1985 movie spawned, you might as well check out the source material.

Sweet Fang Milk Stout: the added flavor this movie needs

For the slower moments of Teen Wolf, Panther Island Brewing’s Sweet Fang brings some much-needed flavor. This is a Milk Stout, which means it’s brewed with a nice dose of lactose for an extra creamy-smooth feeling and full body. But where Panther Island really goes wild is with the addition of peanut butter and chocolate.

The brewery advertises Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup flavors, and there’s definitely hints of nuttiness swirled with delicious chocolate. Here’s the thing though — I normally don’t care for peanut butter and chocolate mixed together. This beer might just have me questioning that though, because it sure is sweet and tasty. And boy is it SMOOTH.

Alongside a viewing of Teen Wolf, this beer definitely brings some flavor and fun into the mix. It’s only 6% ABV too, so unless you knock back a few, you’ll be up for playing your own basketball game by the end of the movie.

Who is Panther Island Brewing?

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Panther Island is a family-owned and operated brewery that covers pretty much all beer styles. From Blondes and American Wheat Ales to IPAs and Scotch Strongs, their year-round staples are more diverse than most. They’ve even got a gold Great American Beer Festival medal that testifies to their expertise.

If you’re in the area, go ahead and give Panther Island a visit. They’re part of Fort Worth’s Ale Trail collection of breweries surrounding downtown. Note that I am not paid to advertise for them. I just genuinely like their beer.

*Bonus beer pairings for Teen Wolf

Don’t live anywhere near Panther Island Brewing or where they distribute? Check out these fun beers instead:

• Wolf Pup / Session IPA / 4.5% ABV / Golden Road Brewing – Los Angeles, CA
• DirtWolf / Imperial IPA / 8.7% ABV / Victory Brewing Company – Downingtown, PA
• Secret Family Recipe / Imperial Stout / 9.3% ABV / Hysteria Brewing Company – Columbia, MD
• Growing Up Absurd / Imperial Hazy IPA / 8% ABV / Root + Branch Brewing – Copiague, NY
• Neon Werewolf / Hazy IPA / 6.8% ABV / Crushed By Giants – Chicago, IL

Where to watch Teen Wolf

With the success of the more recent TV show and its own movie (which was released by Paramount+ on January 26, 2023), down the original 1985 Teen Wolf can be a bit tricky. As of March 2023, you can stream it on HBO Max, Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Apple TV or Vudu.