Ahhh beer, the golden nectar that cools us on warm days, soothes us on bad days, and somehow makes food taste just a little bit better. August 2 is International Beer Day, a time for the entire world to join hands (and clink mugs) in celebration of the beverage that unites people across the world. If you’d prefer to party in your own home, we’ve collected the 10 best beer movies (or beer-related) films for the occasion.
From action to drama to some classic comedies, raise a glass to these hoppy cinematic delights. Here are the best beer movies streaming now.
The Best Beer Movies
Smokey and the Bandit
Streaming on: Starz
Pair it with: An ice-cold Coors
The original beer classic remains the best beer movie to this day. In 1977 it was illegal to sell Coors east of the Mississipi without a permit. Enter Bandit and Snowman, the two most talented smugglers in all the South. They have just 28 hours to get a massive shipment of Coors from Texas to Georgia. When Bandit picks up a runaway bride along the way, he accidentally draws the attention of the cops, leading to the best car chases in film history. Fun fact: Coors was illegal in some states at the time because it wasn’t pasteurized and contained no preservatives.
Beerfest
Streaming on: HBO Now
Pair it with: Hefeweizen
Broken Lizard may have built its fanbase off Super Troopers, but its masterpiece is Beerfest. This low-brow parody sees a group of friends band together to reclaim their honor after a disastrous showing at an underground German drinking contest. Playing off sports tropes and Broken Lizard’s unique brand of absurdist goofball humor, Beerfest is a profane drunken joyride. Enjoy it with a tall Hefeweizen, preferably poured into a glass shaped like a boot.
Strange Brew
Streaming on: Archive.Org
Pair it with: Molson Canadian
Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas’ brought their popular SCTV characters Bob and Doug McKenzie to the big screen in one of the best and weirdest drinking movies in history. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet (seriously), Strange Brew sees the iconic slackers take jobs at a brewery in hopes of getting free beer. Instead, they uncover a mind-control plot being executed by an evil Brewmaster. This is a deeply silly movie that’s sure to leave you adding a stray “eh” to the end of all your sentences for a week after watching. Okay, you hoser?
Drinking Buddies
Streaming on: Hulu
Pair it with: Anything from Revolution Brewing
On a list full of deeply silly movies, Drinking Buddies is an anomaly, a comedy-drama about the bonds of friendship and love. Kate and Luke are best friends who work together at a Revolution Brewing in Chicago. On paper, the two are perfect for each other, but Luke is in a serious relationship with Jill and Kate is dating Chris. When a weekend trip ends up sending all the relationships into a spiral, the two friends must reexamine whats important to them. Soulful and surprisingly sweet, Drinking Buddies never goes where you think it will.
BASEketball
Streaming on: Netflix
Pair it with: Miller Lite or PBR
After the runaway success of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone could write their own ticket in Hollywood. They used their newfound success to make BASEketball, a sports parody about a made-up driveway drinking game that becomes an international success. The easily offended should stay far away from this gross-out classic, but if you’ve ever laughed beer out your nose while playing beer pong, this one’s for you.
Beer For My Horses
Streaming on: Tubi
Pair it with: Bud Light
Toby Keith is not known for subtlety, and his action-comedy Beer for My Horses is no exception. Based on his hit duet with Willie Nelson, who co-stars, Beer for My Horses sees two small-town sheriffs deputies get wrapped up in a war with a drug cartel. Sadly, beer doesn’t play much of a role in the movie beyond being regularly consumed. However, any movie that turns Willie Nelson into a combat badass is worth cracking a cold one. Plus, the song plays at the end.
Road House
Streaming on: Netflix
Pair it with: A boozy IPA
The Double Deuce is a rough bar, the kind of place where the eyeballs get swept up at the end of the night. Thankfully for the owner and the bar’s patrons, a new bouncer named Dalton is in town. Dalton’s got a degree in philosophy and hands that can rip out a man’s throat, and he intends to clean up the bar for good. Patrick Swayze stars in the ultimate testosterone-fueled bar fight movie.
Dazed and Confused
Streaming on: Vudu and Prime (for rent)
Pair it with: Whatever people bring to the party
There’s nothing to admire about underage drinking, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun when we were in high school. Dazed and Confused is a slice of life comedy that follows a group of high school kids on the last day of school. With a beer bash by the Moontower closing out the day a group of misfits, jocks, preps, and popular kids gather their supplies to say goodbye to the year. Relive your irresponsible youth from the safety of home with this kegger classic.
Superbad
Streaming on: Hulu
Pair it with: Miller High Life
If Dazed and Confused was designed to make you nostalgic for high school parties, Superbad will make you thank God you don’t have to sneak anymore. Seth Rogen and Evan Gold’s beloved teen party comedy about a group of losers trying to score drinks for a party has a heart of gold under all the filth. But its most important lesson is to be careful who you dance with at parties. You never know who’s looking for a fight.
Shaun of the Dead
Streaming on: Starz
Pair it with: Stella Artois
In trying times it’s common for people to fall back on familiar comforts. For Shaun, that comfort is his local pub, much to the irritation of his girlfriend Liz. It’s the only place he hangs out, where he takes Liz for dates, and his general home away from home. So when a zombie apocalypse hits, its only natural that Shawn would try and head to the local pub. Along the way, Shaun learns the importance of growing up, one gory zombie battle at a time. Shaun of the Dead might be the most violent drinking movie of all time, but it’s got a heart of solid gold.
