Cocktail and Movie Pairing: Sinner's Corn Liquor
“You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”
This is it - the pairing you’ve been (patiently) waiting weeks to see! By popular demand, your beverage pairing for Sinners, with an Oakland twist that would make Ryan Coogler proud. You’re ordering a shot and a beer at Club Juke, and Smoke and Stack know how to get you the best of both.
Sinners (2025) is the first wholly original concept from Oakland-born auteur Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station). Set in 1932 Mississippi, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) have recently returned to the American South with a chip on their shoulder and a lot of money from gangsters in Chicago. They end up buying an old sawmill from a Klansman and turning it into a juke joint. People from Smoke and Stack’s past life end up getting involved with Club Juke - their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), a preacher’s son, is the guitarist for the evening, while Smoke’s estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Osaku) and Stack’s ex-girlfriend Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) end up at the club alongside a colorful cast of characters. When worlds collide, the music starts wailing, and unwelcome guests arrive at the door (Jack O’Connell), who will be deemed a sinner, and who will emerge unharmed?
If the arrival of Sinners, alongside a plethora of other delightfully original movies, is any indication of the high level of cinema we’ll be seeing in theaters, 2025 will be a fantastic year to be a cinephile. Sinners has been a runaway hit in theaters, and the word-of-mouth game has been so strong with people urging their friends and family to see it on the biggest screen possible. The screenplay is tightly wound, packing a lot of information and exposition into a short amount of screen time without over-explaining anything. That being said, there is a lot of assumed knowledge for the time period and the situation - the racial politics of the deep South in the 1930s is something glossed over in many period-set films, but here it’s almost like seeing a textbook come to life (in a good way).
Michael B. Jordan is magnetic as both twin brothers (somebody on here said that “he deliberately played one twin hotter than the other” and that has not left my brain since… I need to find you so I can give you some digital flowers!). Smoke’s brass tacks business mind is an understandable point of connection with Annie’s earthy qualities (Wunmi Osaka is firing on all cylinders here), while Stack is forever in the business of people. The casting of Hailee Steinfeld as Mary is a welcome addition to the ensemble, and she’s very convincing as someone who moves through the world with privilege, and repays that privilege with protective behavior over the people that call her family.
The scene that has left an indelible mark on my heart as a movie fan? The history of music scene that represents the midpoint of the film. I can’t say too much because it’s a scene that needs to be appreciated with as little information going in as possible, but it’s cinematically gorgeous and an incredibly poignant statement with very little dialogue. This scene in particular reminds audiences that Sinners is not just a fictional story rooted in a bygone era, but a film that has an effect on culture as whole - especially American culture - that is connected to the past and will lead the way for more great art in the future.
Needless to say, this is not necessarily a wine movie (though there is a reference to “Italian wine” in the film, which I imagine would likely be old vine Sicilian stuff based on the gang connections in Chicago). Club Juke is the kind of place where you need a shot and a beer to loosen up the joints and get on the dance floor. I’m taking both of these to heart, with a corn whiskey and an Irish red ale that are both made in Oakland, California - Ryan Coogler’s hometown.
Home Base Spirits was founded in 2015 by two sisters, Ali and Sam Blatteis, who got into distilling as a way to support local farms. Their affinity for whiskies of all sorts has lead to a diverse portfolio of their own brown spirits, from a single malt inspired by their favorite lightly peated Scotches, to an all-purpose bourbon that holds its own with Kentucky’s finest. The newest release? California Corn, a 100% corn whiskey made from certified organic Yellow Dent corn grown in Sacramento. It contains “more corn than Mellow Corn”, that ubiquitous corn liquor that your favorite bartender absolutely loves, and it is undeniably American made.
California Corn is a fantastic corn whiskey for those who need a little sweetness with their high proof spirits. The kettle corn vibes are real, with that super fresh corn taste and a little caramelized sugar on the nose. It’s love at first sip, with a solid amount of body and a hint of French toast on the palate. This is a sipper, not necessarily a shooter, and it’s beautiful without any additional water or a rock. If you want to do something different with it, try it in a fall-themed Old Fashioned with maple bitters!
Of course, we need a beer as a chaser. Smoke and Stack do brag about having Irish beer available at Club Juke, and the Irish influence on the films is very real. Enter Original Pattern Brewing Co. and their “Colour Me Murphy” Irish Red Ale!
Original Pattern was founded by two married couples in 2018, and they’ve been dominating the craft beer scene in the East Bay ever since. While the rotating IPAs may be some of their best sellers, I’ve been rather fond of their odes to traditional beer styles from around the world (try their Rice Lager if you can grab it, and pick up some of the new Gose while it’s still around). “Colour Me Murphy” is a solid Irish red ale that has that some hefty weight coupled with the malty, caramelly flavor you expect. At 6% ABV, this could be a one-and-done beer for many. But when serving as the (sippable) chaser for the caramel delights of California Corn? It may only take a shot and a beer to get you on the dance floor!
For more on potential food pairings, check out this wonderful article from Audarshia Townsend on the culinary history in the movie. My food of choice with the two drinks mentioned above? My grandmother’s tamales, possibly served alongside some collard greens and oxtail.
Home Base Spirits’ “California Corn” is available through select retailers. Original Pattern Brewing Company has a taproom in Oakland, and their beers can be found on restaurant beverage lists and in select retailers. Thank you for shopping in Oakland!
Sinners (2025) is now playing in theaters. The movie will be available on 4K Blu-Ray and DVD on July 22. Thank you for supporting your local independent movie theater!