Movie Tagline: Everyone's got a secret
Did you ever wonder how Jennifer Lawrence landed the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games? It wasn't for her star turn on The Bill Engvall Show, I can guarantee you that. Odds are the producers of that Young Adult juggernaut with its bullshit four-movie trilogy saw young Jen playing Ree in Winter's Bone and thought, "This is the girl." Seventeen-year-old Ree is dogged in her search for her meth-cooking father. She remains steadfast in dangerous situations that would make most adults quiver in fear. And it's not that she's unafraid; she just knows that she has to press on no matter what. If she can't find her father and get him to show up for his court date, her entire family is doomed. But Jennifer Lawrence, while awesome in this and everything else, is not the inspiration for this pairing. No, that distinction belongs to Teardrop, played by the inimitable John Hawkes. He is truly the backwoods bastard of Winter's Bone. Which is funny, because my first introduction to him was as meek, polite Sol Starr on HBO's Deadwood, a show on which everyone is a bastard but him. But that is why Hawkes is so fantastic. He can be small and quiet or big and scary. He can be the sweetest guy in the world or a manipulative cult leader who preys on young girls. He can be the straight man or a jokester. In Winter's Bone, Teardrop is perhaps the most dangerous thing in a world that is nothing but danger to young Ree, and he is her uncle to boot. But, as we come to learn, Teardrop is not a one-note villain but a complicated individual with a skewed moral code. Nothing is as simple as it seems in this world of meth-cookers, crooked cops, and the families caught up in the middle. Yes, the world of Winter's Bone is stark and unforgiving, but thankfully the Founders Backwoods Bastard is just the opposite. A bourbon barrel aged version of their already-delicious Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale, Backwoods Bastard is the perfect companion to a bonfire on a brisk autumn evening, or as a way to warm up after a long day of toiling outside. Warm and inviting, it smells of smoky Scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, and earthy spice. As you sip, it opens up to reveal vanilla, toasted malts, caramel, and even some dark fruit flavors. This highly sought after beer is one that easily lives up to the hype surrounding it and, in many ways, exceeds expectations. This one may be a bastard, but it's one that I would invite to my family reunion any day.
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Movie Tagline: Every man dies, not every man really lives
The Claymore is the Scottish variant of the medieval two-handed longsword. It is the weapon of choice for Mel Gibson's William Wallace in the movie Braveheart. It is also the name of a deliciously dark and roasty Wee Heavy Scotch Ale from our friends at the Great Divide Brewing Company in beautiful Denver, Colorado. The beer, like the sword, is a two-hander. It is also, like Braveheart, dark and epic. While the brewery itself is not Scottish, the Claymore will evoke a Scotsman's pride as readily as Mel Gibson (also not Scottish) wearing a kilt and giving an inspirational speech about "OUR FREEDOM!!!" The only problem one might run into with this pairing is that the beer is 7.7% alcohol by volume, while Braveheart is two minutes shy of three hours long. And while the movie is regularly exhilarating, it is also a bit of a downer. Terrible things happen to our bekilted protagonist and to those closest to him. However, with that protagonist being played by noted racist and crazy person Mel Gibson, his suffering will most likely be somewhat mitigated in your eyes. Dark and roasty. Violent and thrilling. Earthy, but clean. Inspiring, but historically inaccurate. Heavy, but smooth. Smoky and slightly sweet. Hints of tobacco and caramel. Are we describing the beer or the movie? Maybe both. After spending three hours enjoying them in tandem, they will be inexorably linked forever in your mind. |
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