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Nothing conjures nostalgia like inebriation.
At least, that's the thinking behind Bend, Ore.-based 10 Barrel Brewing's latest special-release beer, The Last Blockbuster. The ale is a collaboration between 10 Barrel's brewmaster Jimmy Seifrit and Sandi Harding, the store manager at the Blockbuster in Bend, which is the last in the nation.
Related: The Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon Will Soon Be the Only One Left in the Country
The beer is 5.7 percent ABV and, according to 10 Barrel spokesperson Meg Seibly, an adaptation of the brewery's Sinistor Black Ale, with "a light body and smooth finish with nuances of red licorice." It will officially be released at a Bend Blockbuster block party on Sept. 21. After that, Seibly says, it will be on tap at both of Portland's 10 Barrel locations.
Chris Cox, 10 Barrel's co-founder, says the idea for a collaboration was hatched immediately after he found out Bend was the home to the last Blockbuster in the U.S.
Related: We Visited the Last Blockbuster in America. Here's What We Found.
"We're stoked to share the home of the last-standing Blockbuster," Cox says. "Blockbuster is a cultural icon and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate over three decades of movie fandom with them."
Seibly says profits from sales won't actually go toward keeping the Bend Blockbuster's doors open. But a portion of the proceeds from the block party will go to Street Dog Hero, a central Oregon non-profit dedicated to rescuing stray pups.