The Tap Brewing’s Sassy Rabbit & The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Hey there, Drinkers!

I know it’s been awhile but New Years not the time to judge me. Or ever. Anyway, I just got back from a visit to my hometown of Boston and I thought I’d bring you all a local brew for today’s BAAM. We’re sipping on The Tap Brewing Company’s Sassy Rabbit while watching one of my personal fun-favorites: Wallace & Gromit’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. So grab your beer and let’s hop to it!

Now, I sincerely hope that all of you are familiar with the lovable British claymation characters Wallace and Gromit. For you sad few who don’t know who they are, Wallace and Gromit were first unleashed on the world in 1990 in the short film A Grand Day Out and have since gone on to be featured in four more shorts and a lone feature. Wallace is a silly, cheese-loving inventor and Gromit is his silent yet intelligent dog/assistant. Gromit is also one of the most expressive characters in film, all told with hand gestures and eyebrow raises. Without fail, the humor is equal parts clever and stupid in the best of ways. In 2005, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit launched Wallace & Gromit into the feature-film world, delivering all the expected humor and heart for which the franchise is known. Since you should really see this movie, I don’t want to go too far into the plot but, in short, the film is about a giant, vegetable-ravaging rabbit that terrorizes a quaint English town just in time for its annual giant vegetable competition. And while the film is first and foremost intended to be a family-friendly goof-fest, it also provides the audience with some more subtle and adult comedy as well. So well-integrated is the humor that I find it hard to point out any one thing in particular but needless to say that every detail has been accounted for when it comes to the comedy.

Bun Vac 6000

And as for the film itself, of course it’s impressive. It’s 90 minute claymation film (well, technically they no longer use clay but whatever)! It’s incredible they ever actually finished it even, given how minute and varied some of the animations are. At times, there are upwards of twenty moving characters on screen, all requiring painstakingly careful movement in order to come to life. So to have a funny, complex and engaging film on top of that technical feat, this film will always be considered a winner in my very fleshy heart.

So many cute bunnies to animate!

And our Sassy Rabbit? It’s definitely its own beast, so it fit perfectly with our Were-Rabbity adventure. Hailing from Haverhill, MA, this brew from The Tap Brewing Company is a rye ale brewed with a significant amount of hops. The end result is a uniquely smooth IPA that both confuses and delights the palette. As I’ve said in the past about ryes, these brews tend to be smoother than your average ale, making them great for easy drinking. However, this Sassy Rabbit sports a ton of hop power, bringing out a nice mix of pine, citrus and earth. While it wasn’t as spicy at the label promised, it was still an interesting, tasty mix of bite and smooth. Moreover, since the brew is only 5.7%, you can drink it at whatever pace you’re comfortable with and avoid any unwanted buzz. Next time I’m back in Boston, I’ll definitely have to check this brewery out.

So there you have it folks, a hoppy and happy evening for families and bunnies alike. A fun, silly and smart movie with an interesting and delicious brew. Both are definitely worth checking out when you can.

Thanks again, Drinkers for being here in 2013. Work has really slowed my output on BAAM, so I really appreciate all of you bearing with me. So raise your glass and cheers to a safe and happy New Year. And as always keep drinking, my friends.

Tonight’s Tasting Notes:
The Tap Brewing’s Sassy Rabbit:
-Hazy brown pour
-Nice rye smoothness
-Significant hoppiness

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit:
–Sharp, fun comedy for everyone
-Great voice-acting cast
-Wallace & Gromit in their finest form

Anchor Brewing’s Liberty Ale & Chicken Run

Evening, Drinkers!

Tonight we’re back with another beer from Anchor Brewery and continuing with our recent trend of discussing American values in cinema (4th of July slasher, death racing as an American pass-time, Team America: Fuck Yeah!). On tonight’s menu? Chicken. And Liberty.

Get ready.

Tonight’s movie is a bit of a throwback, but I think most of you should remember it. Back in 2000, the incredible creators of Wallace & Gromit took a break from their famous characters to bring us Chicken Run. Utilizing their unmistakeable claymation style, Peter Lord and Nick Park recreated the classic film The Great Escape with chickens. It’s a little odd, but that’s kind of what these guys do. In short, the chickens of Tweedy’s Farm work to escape the confines of their farm/prison by enlisting an escaped American circus rooster (improbably voiced by Mel Gibson) to train them to fly. In between the silly setup and the film’s high-flying dramatic conclusion, there’s the usual slew of amusing antics that one would expect of a bunch of British lady-chickens trying to fly. And that’s kind of what this film is. Antics. And it’s great. Sure the plot is a bit predictable and the movie is a bit short (a speedy 82 minutes), but that’s not really why you see this film. If you’re like most viewers, it’s mostly a quick, fun distraction that satisfies both parents and kids. It’s goofy enough for the little ones and has enough sly, British humor for the adults. Not to mention you have Mel Gibson pretending to be funny and carefree. That’s always a hoot. But simplicity or not, you still have to appreciate the creativity and labor that went into this film. As I’ve said with other stop-motion films, just the sheer amount of work that goes into creating one of these feature-length films is alone worthy of praise. But on top of that, you have distinct characters and a plethora of witty chicken-themed puns. What more could you ask for?

You could ask for a chicken dance scene, but they have that already.

Onwords to beer! Now the strangely astute and the hopelessly bored may notice that I’ve actually discussed Anchor’s Liberty Ale in last year’s holiday recap. However, since my review was about three sentences long and my opinions towards IPAs have changed pretty dramatically since then, I figured I owed it to this beer to give it a second shot. And I’m glad I did. This San Francisco IPA is arguably one of the maltier IPA’s I’ve had. It’s actually hard to classify it as an IPA, as the floral bitterness from the hops is very well-balanced caramel-y malts. You also get some fruity hints in there, which takes some of the weight out of the beer, making it perfect for a warm Los Angeles evening. Pouring a hazy gold with a thick, lacy head, this brew is at once easy to drink and multi-faceted in its flavor profile. And while I wasn’t the biggest fan of Anchor’s summer wheat, I have to admit that the Liberty has inspired me to check out some more of this brewery’s creations.

So that’s our evening of Liberty, folks. There were chickens running wild, beer was flowing and I was laughing by myself in my darkened living room. So it was a pretty typical Wednesday for me. Zing!

Remember that if you have any beers or movies that you would like to see here, just leave a comment, hit me up on Facebook or find me on Twitter.

And, as always, keep drinking my friends!

Tonight’s Tasting Notes:
Anchor Brewing’s Liberty Ale:
-Hazy gold color with 2-inch lacy head
-Sweet, floral hoppiness
-Well-balanced maltiness

Chicken Run:
-The Great Escape as performed by clay chickens
-Sharp, British humor
-Mel Gibson plays a douchey American. Shocker.