Well, this time I may not be posing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but last night I did have the chance to sample Virginia's own Old Dominion Brewing Company's Bourbon Barrel Oak-Aged Stout in a bizarre movie theater while watching the Hangover. We decided to visit the quaint little local theater because it's smack in the middle of Old Town Alexandria, a beautiful historic town on the Potomac river a mere mile or so from where Catherine and I are staying for the summer.
When we walked in, we heard there was a one-drink minimum, and that they sold decent beer. Great, I thought. So I tried the Dominion Stout that I've been wanting to taste for quite a while. It was served in a plastic cup, unfortunately, but I could still smell the tobacco and chocolate flavors that dominate this excellent beer. Catherine and I found some seats, and noticed that the sound set-up was a bit weird, and that the screen was oddly sized. Even stranger was the owner: he came out, stood in front of the screen, and asked a series of bizarre questions, explained the drink minimum, and then tried to teach us how to see out of a car at night (turn the interior lights off, he said) and figure out what your dominant eye is (you have to point and close your eyes or something). Also, he told us that Gordie Howe was his favorite hockey player. And that they had 25 tons of air conditioning to use up (not even sure what this means). He answered some other odd questions and then, twenty minutes after the movie was supposed to start, told the projectionist to start up the reel, and then stood up in the back to watch it with us. When the credits opened, he said, loudly, "here's the movie you came to see." Wow. No wonder there are some befuddled reviews of this place on yelp.
Anyway, by the time the movie started, I was almost done with the beer. I do believe the soothing, velvety mouthfeel of the stout and the delicious (and quite noticeable) sweet bourbon and vanilla tastes that supplement the chocolate/tobacco flavors helped me to enjoy the supremely odd show put on by the proprietor that preceded the film. But The Hangover was way better than the opening act: it's damn hilarious. My favorite part involves Phil Collins, Mike Tyson and air drumming. I have to be honest, the bourbon barrel Stout felt a little out of place when watching a movie about guys putting down too many Coronas. But that was a good thing: this movie is so engrossing that any distance is good distance.
what an entertaining night all around...i drank a red stripe while watching the hangover at midtown arts cinema last week. as expected, the beer was pretty boring. but the movie was good!
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