With the nice summer weather (when it isn’t raining), we’re trying to spend alot more time outside. Outdoor parties, BBQs, happy hours … but here’s an idea, let’s have an outdoor movie viewing party! It wouldn’t take much to get everything set up – The New York Times has a guide here you can follow –

 https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/diy-outdoor-movie-theater/

But, what to watch? We’ve gathered a collection of some classic movies along with beverage pairings! Use these duos to host your own movie night, or get inspired to create your own outdoor movie and beverage combos.

Cutwater White Russian – The Big Lebowski

Let’s start with an obvious one – 1998’s The Big Lebowski is a cult classic not only for its unique comedy and characters, but the signature cocktail featured in the movie is beloved far and wide. The White Russian, a cocktail with vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream over ice, is The Dude’s go to drink – and you can have one at home with Cutwater’s rendition featuring their own vodka, filtered 15 times and distilled from the finest corn.

 Raise one to The Dude, and he will abide!

https://bit.ly/43RNQOr – Link to Drizly

Brewdog Bushwood Beer – Caddyshack

Another classic, Caddyshack is considered “the funniest sports movie ever made” by ESPN. This unhinged golf comedy has it all, including a dancing gopher, which is kind of tame considering what other debauchery goes on. Our friends at Brewdog created a crushable tribute to the classic movie. A 5.0% ABV pilsner, Brewdog’s Bushwood Beer is a crisp, enjoyable session beer – as long as you’re not driving the golf cart around.

https://bit.ly/42NsVdZ – Link to Drizly

Old Style – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Both of these selections are quintessentially Chicago. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is about the extreme lengths some kids would take to skip class (and let’s be real, if we had the choice, we’d do the same). The Chicago landmarks and scenery are a very important part of the movie, and kind of serves as a background character in a way. It also features my favorite sequence ever in a movie with Ferris running back home before he’s caught.

What’s also classically Chicago? The famous Adjunct Lager style beer that’s also as deeply ingrained into Chicago as the landmarks themselves. If you want a top notch experience watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with your best friends, host an outdoor viewing party with some Chicago Style dogs, a pack of Old Style, and reminisce about your high school days! 

https://bit.ly/448xDUC – Link to Drizly

A Selection of Non Alcoholic Beers and Beverages – The Hangover

This one is a bit different. The Hangover is a series of movies, featuring a group of friends dealing with … well you know … a really bad hangover. The over the top exploits and probable copious amounts of liver damage spread across the entire trilogy between the main characters. If anything, watching these movies back to back to back would be a lesson in self preservation and realizing, maybe you’re just fine drinking something non-alcoholic (Liquid Death, Stella Artois Liberte, or even a Bud Zero if you want to keep that beer feeling) at a party or gathering.

Better safe than sorry, anyhow.

https://bit.ly/3pjxRJQ – Liquid Death

https://bit.ly/42PQvqv – Stella Artois Liberte

https://bit.ly/3qUpdC0 – Bud Zero

Spiteful Bleacher Bum – Major League

Back to the classics, Major League is a parody filled look at Major League Baseball through the lens of a fictional version of the (formerly named) Cleveland Indians and their dysfunctional players. So what’s a better way to enjoy the baseball shenanigans than cracking open a can of Spiteful Bleacher Bum peach wheat ale? The crisp, peach-y flavor will transport you to the bleacher stands of your favorite ballpark, but this time, you can enjoy the unhinged comedy since it’s not actually coming from your baseball team.

https://bit.ly/444T4pU – Link to Drizly

Goose Island – Blues Brothers

Want two more Chicago classics? Pair up the cult classic comedy Blues Brothers with a case of your favorite Goose Island beer. Like Ferris Bueller, Blues Brothers is quintessentially Chicago, and is one of the city’s defining pieces of film. On the flip side, Goose Island is about as Chicago as deep dish pizza (or tavern style – whatever floats your boat). So gather a group of your friends, hang out on the patio, put on a pair of your coolest shades, watch the Blues Brothers together, and share some Goose Island! 

https://bit.ly/3XguDDz – Goose 312

https://bit.ly/42OWbBh – Goose IPA

https://bit.ly/3NhzyPY – Goose Beer Hug