Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has a motto:
Birth.
Movies.
Death.
If you’ve ever been to an Alamo Drafthouse, you know that it’s not just “going to see a movie”. At Alamo, it’s about having a “movie experience”. Leather recliners. Well-behaved guests. Great food and drink served to you while you watch your movie. The Alamo Drafthouse movie experience is awesome!
Brian and I were kinda excited about the Alamo Drafthouse that was slated to come to Springfield, MO in 2017. We distinctly remember the time we were vacationing with a very young Andy that wanted to see a new cartoon movie coming out while we were on vacation. We found the movie at a theatre in the town we were visiting, and when we walked in to purchase tickets, we saw taps on the walls. WHAT? Those taps might as well have been illuminated by a ray of light from heaven, accompanied by an angelic choir. They even let us take that beer right into the theatre! With our kid! Best cartoon movie we ever saw.
In the summer of 2017, we were invited by the folks at Alamo Drafthouse and The Backlot in Springfield for a sneak peek at the theaters and to take part in their Charity on Tap program. We partnered with Ozark Greenways with Black Walnut Wheat as the Charity on Tap from late December 2017 to late March 2018. The program is quarterly and $ from every pint of Black Walnut Wheat went to Ozark Greenways. What a win! Our beer was poured, and we connected the Ozark Greenways and Alamo folks raising over $1000 for a local charity! Plus, we all had some fun drinking beer and watching movies, too.
Not only can you enjoy a beer, cocktail, glass of wine, or adult milkshake with your movie and fresh popcorn with real butter (!!!), there’s a full food menu, too. If you don’t want to eat in the theatre, you can enjoy really good food at The Backlot, the full bar/restaurant located inside Alamo. There are comfy chairs to lounge in at the The Backlot while you enjoy a pre- or post-show drink. There’s outdoor seating, and there’s regular live music at The Backlot, too. I would say that you should definitely check out The Backlot sometime even if you aren’t going to see a movie.
So, I say all of that to say that Piney River is getting ready to be an even bigger part of the Alamo Drafthouse experience in Missouri! Late month, we hosted our friends from Alamo Drafthouse in Springfield and in Kansas City to brew a beer that will only be available at Alamo/The Backlot/the BARn. Yep, we’re making our movie debut!
This crew helped brew our first pilsner, a Bohemian-style pilsner. And when I say helped brew, they dumped pilsner malt into the mill, emptied the mashtun, put hops in the kettle, and fed spent grains to the girlfriends. It was all day. It was hot and sweaty. It was work, but this crew could be part of our regular brewing crew if they weren’t needed at Alamo. Just sayin’.
First, you start with the best pilsner malt.
Unlike most people, Vit does not need a ladder to access the mill.
Brian pontificates about beer, or is he warming up up for a killer rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody?
Adding hops to the beer in the boil kettle under Matt’s supervision.
Heather and Drake provide an afternoon snack of Bohemian pilsner grains to the Piney River girlfriends.
Feeding the spent grains to the girlfriends.
Nom. Nom. Nom.
A little bit about this beer—our brewer, Matt Beatty, developed the recipe. It’s brewed 100% with Bohemian pilsner malt, hopped with German noble hops, and lagered for over a month for a bright, crisp flavor with a delicate hop finish. ABV: 5.6%
Why a Bohemian pilsner? When you roll with Alamo Drafthouse crew, it’s about Birth, Movies, and Death, so you have to pair your beers with a movie! Which, in this case is Bohemian Rhapsody, the new movie about Freddie Mercury.
Nothing really matters any more….
Now you can’t get that song out of your head. Right?
So, you pair Piney River with Alamo Drafthouse in Springfield and KC and the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, and this pilsner is aptly named “Ozarkian Rhapsody”. We cannot wait to enjoy one with you at Alamo and The Backlot in KC and SGF!
Bohemian Rhapsody and Ozarkian Rhapsody will premiere on Thursday, November 1st at both Alamo locations–Springfield and Kansas City. Come drink a pint, enjoy some food, watch the movie, and sing along with us!
Additional fun ensues with this beer and Piney River beers at a special beer dinner in Springfield on Tuesday, November 6th and in Kansas City on Saturday, November 17th. Enjoy Ozarkian Rhapsody, Cerveza Rio, Sweet Potato Ale, and Barrel-Aged Raise A Ruckus paired with special menu creatively paired with the movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Tickets are already going fast for the dinners!
Finally, Ozarkian Rhapsody will be the Charity on Tap beer at Alamo in Springfield from late December through late March to again benefit Ozark Greenways. We will definitely have an event with Ozark Greenways in 2019, so stay tuned!
We appreciate the opportunity to do this collaboration with our friends at Alamo in Springfield and KC! We can’t wait to share this beer and a movie with you soon, too!
Thank You Alamo SGF & KC! We love making beer with friends who love beer!
