It’s a grand idea. Pairing the Tacoma Film Festival with Peaks and Pints. Lights! Camera! Pints! Rising from Commencement Bay like a 50-foot antediluvian beast, the 13th annual Tacoma Film Festival kicked off yesterday with full-length films, shorts, theme nights, filmmaker chats and happy hours through Oct. 11. The happy hour peaked Peaks and Pints interest, because of all the craft beer, cider and wine we house in our little lodge in the Proctor District. From 3-7 p.m. today, Oct. 5, we’ll host a happy hour before the screening of Thunder Road at neighboring Blue Mouse Theatre. In addition to 20 percent discount on craft beer, cider and wine pours for all Tacoma Film Festival pass holder, Peaks and Pints presents an all-day, movie-themed beer flight for everyone. No need to whisper when drinking Craft Beer Crosscut 10.5.18: A Flight for Tacoma Film Festival.
Delirium Tremens
8.5% ABV, 26 IBU
Remember the pink elephants in the film, Dumbo? “Pink Elephants on Parade” is the name of the segment, and the song played therein, from the 1941 Disney animated feature film in which Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse, having accidentally become intoxicated (through drinking water spiked with Champagne), and see pink elephants sing, dance and play marching band instruments during a hallucination sequence. A pink elephant also graces the can of Delirium Tremens Belgian strong golden ale. Its Latin name translates to “trembling madness,” a condition often brought on by drinking water spiked with Champagne or great quantities of this classic, fruity golden ale. The unique taste results from the use of three different kinds of yeast for flavors of banana, candy sweetness, a hint of green apple sour followed by a long, peppery, bitter finish.
Pelican Queen of Hearts
6.5% ABV, 30 IBU
The Queen of Hearts is a fictional character from the book and subsequent movies Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by the writer Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as “a blind fury,” and who is quick to give death sentences at the slightest offense. Pelican Brewing’s version is a more even-tempered bird. The Pacific Beach, Oregon brewery’s Saison du Pélican is exceptional on its own; when aged in Ransom Distillery gin barrel, it takes on a whole other dimension of flavor. The fruity and spicy aroma of the farmhouse Belgian yeast, herbaceous Goldings hops and the well rounded malt character of Saison du Pélican pairs exquisitely with the huge botanical infusions imparted by Ransom Distillery’s Old Tom gin barrels. The name? Wait for it. … It has been mentioned that the distillers only bottle the “heart of the hearts” (best portion of distillate), which is why the Oregon coast brewery dubbed its barrel-aged saison, “The Queen of Hearts.”
Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale
5% ABV, 35 IBU
Oh, to be Bella Swan. To be adored by a shirtless werewolf on one side, a chivalrous vampire on the other. How hot is that? Other girls her age are stuck between a nerd and a jock, and that’s if they’re lucky. Suffering for love, teen-bogeyman-style, is the central theme of the Twilight films. Oh, to be Deschutes Brewery’s Twilight Summer Ale. To be softer and smoother than its Mirror Pond Pale sibling. While Deschutes brews it as a summer seasonal, Twilight almost fits in better with early fall brews. This clever golden-hued ale pours remarkably crisp and clean. A bright malt body complements a refreshing hop profile led by bold additions of Amarillo hops. It definitely retains the refreshing lightness that the straw-colored ale would imply, feels more substantial than most summer brews.
Tacoma Brewing Mo Pale Ale
5.3% ABV
“I’m better than dirt,” says Moe Szyslak. “Well, most kinds of dirt, not that fancy store-bought dirt. I can’t compete with that stuff.” Szyslak owns Moe’s Tavern on The Simpsons. Way better than dirt is Tacoma Brewing’s Mo Pale Ale with a cartoon character gracing the can. Brewed with Mosaic hops and oatmeal, it’s super smooth and crushable — just like Homer likes it.
Gilgamesh Vader CDA
6.4% ABV, 60 IBU
Luke, I’m your Cascadian dark ale. Salem, Oregon brewery Gilgamesh teams up with its neighboring The Governor’s Cup Coffee Roasters for this Cascadian dark ale aged with lightly roasted coffee beans, tawny malts and gradient hop flavors. The brew smells strongly of hops, and hits with a heavy vanilla front. Dig deeper to find espresso bitterness, caramel, malted sweetness, and a hint of dark fruit. We found ample Darth coffee and cocoa up front. It’s a well-balanced, easy drinker — unlike Darth Vader.
