A Beer Nerd’s Guide to Netflix and Chill

“Netflix and Chill” is the new “Would you like to come up for a drink?” Except instead of just panicking about what drink you are going to offer, you also have to panic about what movie you are going to watch. A warm can of Budweiser and a bottle of cheap moscato paired with A Night at The Roxbury isn’t going to cut it. On the other end of the spectrum, channeling your inner Don Draper and offering a dram of Scotch paired with the latest en-vogue abstract art film isn’t going to get you where you want to be either. Good beer and a good rom-com are the answer, friend. (Not to say you shouldn’t have some good wine on hand as a backup.) Follow our pairings for movies that are sure things and beers that entice the palate but aren’t too heavy when the time comes to ignore the movie. You don’t like rom-coms, but you like beer, and you like what happens next.

‘Drinking Buddies’ + Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale

Drinking Buddies centers around Jake and Kate, friends who work together in a brewery (Revolution Brewing in Chicago). Things get complicated, and the viewer is left rooting for the demise of one relationship and the kindling of another. Ballast Point’s Calico Amber Ale is the perfect beer to pair with the Drinking Buddies drinking game. Every time that they drink on screen, you and your date each take a drink.

Beer tasting notes: caramel, bready, smooth
Movie notes: An intro to mumblecore, and Jake Johnson

‘Serendipity’ + Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

After a night of romance and falling in love in New York’s Serendipity 3 ice cream parlor, John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale leave the future up to destiny. The perfect pairing for a film where dessert plays such an integral part is a beer that tastes like a dessert: Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout, a rich, decadent and creamy beer.

Beer tasting notes: baker’s chocolate, light hop character, raisin
Movie notes: There’s a book involved, somehow

‘Silver Linings Playbook’ + Narragansett Lager

Bradley Cooper chases Jennifer Lawrence in a football-meets-dancing love story drama. Nothing pairs better with the pigskin than an old-fashioned American lager. But don’t reach for Budweiser; Narragansett‘s version is light, bready and refreshing, keeping you from getting bogged down by a heavier beer.

Beer tasting notes: yeast rolls, corn
Movie notes: Go Iggles!

‘Amélie’ + Trinity You Never Even Call Me by My Name

Amélie follows the twists and turns of a French waitress’s love life. Trinity’s wild take on the saison stays true to the French-speaking region in Belgium with its yeast, but everything from there is a marked departure from the traditional style.

Beer tasting notes: sweet spice, root beer, tart fruit
Movie notes: Very, very French. And just about as confusing.

‘Notting Hill’ + Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale

Notting Hill is the unlikely love story of Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), a Hollywood actress, and Will Thacker (Hugh Grant), a small independent travel book store owner. A film that is based in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood requires a beer pairing of British heritage. Samuel Smith’s traditional English brown ale is light, but still delivers rich and delicious flavors.

Beer tasting notes: toffee, caramel, dark fruits
Movie notes: Another Hugh Grant romantic comedy?

‘New York, I Love You’ + SingleCut Billy Half Stack IPA

New York, I Love You follows a handful of couples as they go through the trials and tribulations of love. If it doesn’t sound like your jam, at least you’ll have a world-class New York IPA to keep you entertained. SingleCut’s Billy Half Stack has just a hint of an ABV bite that makes the film go by more quickly.

Beer tasting notes: lemon peel, pine, dank
Movie notes: So many high-profile actors that fall so flat.

‘Moonrise Kingdom’ + Off Color Dinosmores

Wes Anderson’s 2012 film follows the young love story of a boy scout and a girl who ran away from home. The plot is whimsical and filled out by beloved Anderson regulars like Bill Murray, Jason Schwarztman and Edward Norton. Nothing pairs better with a boy scout campfire than Dinosmores. The stout offers copious amounts of cocoa flavors along with marshmallow, vanilla bean and molasses that hit you with wave after wave of smooth creamy goodness as you work your way through the bottle.

Beer tasting notes: marshmallow, graham cracker, vanilla, milk chocolate
Movie notes: Two words. Bill. Murray.

’50 First Dates’ + Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Tropical IPA

50 First Dates is the story of Henry (Adam Sandler) and Lucy (Drew Barrymore). Taking place in a picturesque Hawaiian setting, Henry must woo Lucy into love each day due to her short-term memory loss. Sierra Nevada is a favorite old hand in the beer world, and its Beer Camp Tropical IPA has a hop bitterness that’ll keep you coming back for sip after sip. (Its fruit juiciness will also hide any hints of the garlic-heavy pasta you ate for dinner.)

Beer tasting notes: orange, papaya, biscuit
Movie notes: Like groundhog day. But worse.

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