If there’s one event in Austin that will give the foodies, movie buffs, and craft beer junkies something to rave about it, hands down, it’s gotta be Alamo Drafthouse’s beer dinner.
Alamo Drafthouse puts on their own specially curated beer dinner once a month at the location on South Lamar. Lucky for me I got to attend May’s event hosted by Bell’s Brewery and Alamo Drafthouse. The two developed three courses and four beers based around the classic cinematic masterpiece, Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
D’aww baby Sean Penn!!
The funnest part must be when Drafthouse and the brewery get to choose the movie. It’s usually a movie with a scene or quote that inspires the menu for the accompanying beer dinner.
This time the movie was picked solely because of Fast Times’ memorable pool scene and Bell’s new seasonal Pooltime Ale: a wheat beer with light clove notes and an unexpected tartness thanks to fresh cherries.
All food and drink is served during the film to fit a timeline the beer dinner team comes up with. I thought it was so cool how great the timing matched up certain quotes and scenes in the movie. It was perfect!
There’s no messing around with the beer dinners at Alamo Drafthouse. You can bet it will be a perfect pairing of your favorite movie with food and beers served during the greatest scenes.
Bell’s Amber paired with that iconic Alamo Drafthouse logo
Every Alamo Drafthouse beer dinner is specially curated, so expect something different with every event. To show you the solid lineup of courses to expect, here is what we ate and drank during our beer dinner:
Welcome Beer – Bell’s Pooltime Ale
“How ’bout a meatball sandwich, a medium coke, and your phone number?”
House Made Beef Meatballs, Cola Braising Sauce, Smoked Out Cheese, Roasted Red Peppers, Grilled Sweet Onion, Sesame Butter Croutons, Fresh Greens
– Paired with Amber Ale
“Who ordered the double cheese and sausage?”
Double Cheese Rolled Up Pasta, Toasted Parmesan Cheese Sauce, Sliced Spicy Italian Sausage, Fried Herbs, Lemon Bread Crumbs
– Paired with Two-Hearted Ale
“Alright, Hamilton!”
Coffee Sauce Splash, Orange Chocolate Rum Cake, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
– Paired with Oarsman Ale
How ’bout a meatball sandwich, a medium coke, and your phone number?
OH! And I haven’t even mentioned the ticket price for the beer dinners! They’re only $40 each! When was the last time you went out for entertainment, food, and drinks at that price?!? I think for me, it was years ago.. back in college.. ugh and it was hardly ever as cool as the beer dinner.
So June’s beer dinner will be a screening of Serenity, hosted with Hops & Grain.
There’s usually one beer dinner showing per month at the Drafthouse, and they’ve been known to sell-out pretty quickly. So if they’re playing a movie you love or pairing up with your favorite brewery, you need to jump on those tickets!
The easiest way to keep up with any announcements about new beer dinners is by checking out the Alamo Drafthouse’s South Lamar event calendar.
Who ordered the double cheese and sausage?
If you haven’t already, definitely subscribe to Alamo Drafthouse‘s newsletter. You’ll get the first news of beer dinners and all the other exciting events the theater hosts.
What movie would you love to see at an Alamo Drafthouse beer dinner? Let me know in the comments!
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Thanks to Alamo Drafthouse’s Beer Program Manager, Adan De La Torre, for reaching out to me about this. And thank you to Bell’s Brewery for helping to pick a damn good movie!