The one-time movie rental king, Blockbuster, is still around — and now it has a beer.
The Internet was ecstatic to hear there was one last living Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon. The beer-loving state that Oregon is, it only makes sense that Bend-based 10 Barrel Brewing stepped up to honor it with a collaboration.
It only makes sense that Bend-based 10 Barrel Brewing stepped up to honor Blockbuster with a collaboration.
“We’re stoked to share the home of the last-standing Blockbuster,” said 10 Barrel co-founder Chris Cox. “The 10 Barrel team is always up for a fun time, so when we found out that the Blockbuster store right here in Bend was one of the last few remaining in the country, we immediately thought to team up with them to brew something special.”
There’s certainly a nostalgia factor involved with Blockbuster, which has been, for the most part, rapidly disappearing the past decade as the once ubiquitous form of renting a movie. As is the case many of us who grew up in the ’90s, Blockbuster was important to Cox and his team. “Blockbuster is a cultural icon and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate over three decades of movie fandom with them.”
The video rental chain may no longer be a staple of weekend entertainment in cities across the nation, but at least we can honor its legacy with a cold one. The Last Blockbuster (the beer, not the location) is a black ale “with nuances of red licorice … a light body and smooth finish and pairs perfectly with buttery theater popcorn and your favorite movie-sized chocolate.” The beer’s label suggests it’s a take on the brewery’s S1nist0r Black Ale, a schwarzbier-style beer.
A block party on September 21 in Bend near the Blockbuster will be the beer’s official release; the celebration will be open to the public. It’s probably worth pouring one out — even if you can’t get to Bend. The limited-edition brew will be available at the Blockbuster, as well as 10 Barrel’s brewpub locations in Bend and Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; Denver; and San Diego.=
