Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Parasite’ Inspires Limited-Edition Beer

Limited-edition beer and kick-ass South Korean cinema? Name a more iconic duo.

Alamo Drafthouse and Boomtown Brewery have unveiled the launch of an exclusive beer inspired by Bong Joon Ho’s new film “Parasite,” which launches in theaters October 11. “Bong Joon Hops,” as it’s called, is now available to patrons of the just-opened Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Los Angeles, and will be up for purchase at the Austin-based theater chain’s San Francisco hub beginning October 1.

According to the Alamo Drafthouse, Bong Joon Hops is a “sessionable, flavorful, dry-hopped IPA with some haze and plenty of flavor. It is clean with notes of tasty peach flavors from the blend of Loral, Ekuanot, and Cascade hops.”

“Peaches are prominent in ‘Parasite,’ and Boomtown was able to get a major amount of stonefruit notes from their blend of hops,” said John Gross, director of beer at Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, in a statement about the new beer. “The beer came out stellar on its own, but honestly, it tastes WAY better while watching the movie, with each sip a proverbial toast in Bong Joon Ho’s direction.”

Opening in limited release from distributor Neon, “Parasite” became the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The film is now South Korea’s official submission for the International Feature Film Academy Award. It’s poised to pick up a few Oscar nominations next year, including for well-overdue director Bong (“Okja,” “Snowpiercer,” “The Host”) in the Directing category, which often makes room for foreign-language filmmakers (see last year’s nominee for “Cold War,” Pawel Pawlikowski).

“Parasite” centers on an impoverished family of four who swindle their way into the much-wealthier lives of a well-to-do couple and their precocious children. The film touches on issues of class and family structure, but it’s also a knockout entertainment featuring superb performances and unexpected shifts in tone, and a few crazy twists. In other words, it’s a Bong Joon Ho movie in the purest sense.

Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Parasite’ Inspires Limited-Edition Beer