View with a brew: What beer would Mr. White or Mr. Pink drink?

Movie Tagline: Four perfect killers. One perfect crime. Now all they have to fear is each other.

I’ve been having some real issues with taglines as of late, so let me get this out of the way right now:
1. They are not perfect killers, they are thieves.  Maybe just call them criminals in general, but definitely not perfect killers.
2. There are six of them, not four.  Mr. Blue, Mr. Pink, Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Blonde.  Yes, two of them are only in the movie for a short time, but they still count.
3. This crime was not perfect; it was an absolute disaster.  That’s the whole point of the movie.  If it was the perfect crime, there wouldn’t be an issue.
4. They have a lot more to fear than each other.  Like, the cops.  They should be afraid of the cops showing up and arresting or shooting everyone.

Anyway, I feel better.  Let’s get on with it.  This week we’re looking at Reservoir Dogs, the debut feature of America’s favorite foot fetishist, Quentin Tarantino.  With a reported budget of $1.2 million, Tarantino’s crime thriller tells the story of a botched jewelry heist committed by five professional criminals and one undercover police officer.  It uses a disjointed narrative structure that goes back and forth between the aftermath of and scenes leading up to the heist, while never actually showing the heist.  It features rapid-fire dialogue, bloody violence, tons of pop culture references (with a particular fondness for movies and music from the 70s), and the trunk shot.  All in all, it is a perfect showcase of Tarantino’s modus operandi.

It is fitting, then, that it pairs so well with Ska Brewing‘s Modus Hoperandi, a beer whose label looks like a Reservoir Dogs reference all its own.  From its deep golden color to its piney, grapefruity smell, this beer is the work of someone who knows what they are doing.  Someone who loves beer the way Tarantino loves movies.  With a blast of hops up front that give way to a balanced, smooth finish, it is everything you want in an American IPA.

While Modus offers a smooth finish, I can’t say the same for Reservoir Dogs.  But, then again, nothing goes smoothly for these unlucky crooks.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy watching them bicker and fight and accuse one another of being rats.  Just do so with a Modus Hoperandi in your hand and everything will go smoothly for you.  Because drinking Ska beer is a hell of a lot better than listening to ska music.