The Last Blockbuster Video Now Has Its Own Beer
Blockbuster Video stores are sort of like Highlanders: There can be only one. At least in 2018.
Where once stood a mighty empire with hundreds upon hundreds of video rental outlets all over the United States, there is now just one store left, located in Bend, Oregon. (Its address is 211 NE Revere Ave, Bend, OR 97701 in case you feel like taking a late-summer road trip.) Now, to honor this dubious achievement, local Oregon beer maker 10 Barrel Brewing Company has created “The Last Blockbuster Beer.” The Instagram post announcing this unique concoction (via The Takeout) promises “each sip will deliver you back to a time when cracking open that blue and white VHS case was the sound of an epic Saturday evening.” This is a big promise to deliver; I remember that sound well.
The beer is a black ale with “with nuances of red licorice,” which is also Blockbuster-y, although if they really wanted to capture the glory days of this former entertainment giant they’d have managed to bottle the beer with the aroma of one of those VHS cases after it’d been sitting in a hot car for two days.
There will be a beer release party at the last Blockbuster on September 21. Facebook has more details.
I am very sorry I don’t live near Bend, Oregon. Not only would I frequent this Blockbuster, I would drink this beer, possibly while contemplating how many days I had left on my 5-day rental of 12 Angry Men and whether it made sense to return my 2-day rental of Men In Black II on time or just suck it up and pay the late fees and return both tapes at the same time.