If you're feeling that we're on the downhill side of summer, a warm evening in a local beer garden is a great way to make the most of those waning days. Taking that one step further, how about dinner, beer and a movie at It's actually more like a drive-in movie at Capital, where families with children, couples, groups of friends and even a few pet dogs start turning up at twilight. While the brewery doesn't serve food, it does offer about a half-dozen of its beers on tap at the outside bar. "We've been doing this for about three years and crowds usually range from 100 to 300 persons," explained Capital's events coordinator Monica Greenheck. "They bring their snacks, order food and beer is available until the movie ends." Attributing to that feeling of a Saturday evening when all seems right in world is settling in for the show with a Prairie Gold, the brewery's new summer beer named for the Midwest sunsets. As darkness descends on the beer garden, so do occasional pizza deliveries, coolers of sandwiches and helpings of popcorn brought from home. Capital's beer garden movie selection is mostly family friendly, and so far this year the titles have included The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and National Lampoon's European Vacation. Only one movie has a standing place on the summer schedule at the beer garden, though. What else is it but Strange Brew, the 1983 comedy featuring the characters Doug and Bob McKenzie (Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis) who try to get free beer by claiming they've found a mouse in a bottle and end up working at the brewery. For the beer drinker this is a cult classic. Think Rocky Horror with Canadian accents. "Is there a more perfect movie than Strange Brew for a beer garden?" asked Greenheck. One can overhear conversations started with "okay here's the part where..." before the fan fills in the rest with a description of a favorite scene. Among those that seem to draw loud laughter include scenes involving drinking beer underwater, a mad dog, and the use of donuts to bribe a receptionist to gain access to the brewery. "You would be surprised to hear what they try after they see Strange Brew," she noted about some of the movie's fans. Sherry Boak and husband Jason arrived with their own lawn chairs and seized a spot front-row center for this summer's showing of Strange Brew. Jason noted that this is at least the twelfth time they've seen it, adding "It would be wrong not to drink a beer as we watch this movie." Sherry quipped in response, "It would be perfect if we'd just brought donuts too." And borrowing a line from the flick, she added that the movie was shot in "3B -- three beers and it looks good." There are three more chances this year to catch a movie at the Capital Brewery Bier Garten. The Coen Brothers' southern-fried Homeric classic O Brother Where Art Thou is screening on Saturday, August 30, followed by Scorsese's farewell to The Band in The Last Waltz on Saturday, September 13. The season ends with the "Halloween Scream Party" on Saturday, November 1 with a celebration of horror flicks. All screenings start at sundown.
Brews and movies at the Capital Brewery Bier Garten
"Strange Brew" hits the screen in Middleton
Robin Shepard
Is there a more perfect movie than Strange Brew for a beer garden?