With Halloween almost here, we turned to our Brooklyn Brewery staff for their best horror movie memories and recommendations. From seasoned slasher fans to through-the-fingers watchers, we racked up plenty of spooky suggestions for your holiday viewing and beyond. Enjoy the list below, and good luck sleeping with the lights on.
Paige Snider
Social Media Coordinator
What was the first horror movie you remember seeing? Ghostbusters. I made it to the ghost in the library and shut it off to watch Casper the Friendly Ghost instead.
What is your single most iconic horror moment?: That terrifying woman in the bathtub in The Shining.
Please recommend your favorite horror movie: Cabin in the Woods
What is your beer of choice for a scare session? Oktoberfest. “Oktober” implies spooky season. “Fest” implies party. Spooky Party beer.
Tim Rozmus
Digital Marketing Manager/Guy Putting This Together
First horror movie? Halloween, when I was way too young. It didn’t help that I was at a Halloween party on the day itself.
Iconic horror moment? It’s tough to choose, but the violins from Psycho stand out. Even when they’re used in a joke, that REE! REE! REE! still strikes a nerve.
Horror recommendation? Dead tie (sorry): Cabin in the Woods for the sheer subversive glee of taking on the genre and winning, and Deathgasm for being literally metal as hell.
Scary beer: A can of Brooklyn Lager in a koozie. It’s comforting, and doesn’t spill as much as a glass during jump scares.
Eric Brown
Barrel Aging Manager
First horror movie? My oldest brother had a VHS tape of Evil Dead that he let us watch when we were definitely too young to be doing so.
Iconic horror moment? The original Psycho shower scene is the correct answer.
Horror recommendation? The Evil Within. It’s unsettling from the opening frame and crescendos into one of the most shocking final scenes ever.
Scary beer? Black Ops.
Ben Plotkin
Sales & Marketing Rep, SE PA/Southern NJ
First horror movie? Halloween
Iconic horror moment? When they kill zombie Bill Murray in Zombieland
Horror recommendation? Predator
Scary beer? Defender IPA
Elisa Yousett
Central Division Marketing Manager
First horror movie? Hocus Pocus was the first horror movie I remember ENJOYING. I have older siblings who made me watch Nightmare on Elm Street well before I should have. Freddy is still my favorite bad guy.
Iconic horror moment? Bruce Campbell fighting his own possessed hand in Evil Dead II.
Horror recommendation? One of the many favorites I can recommend is Better Watch Out. It’s the perfect way to continue Spooky Season into the holidays.
Scary Beer? Black Phillip from Blake’s Cider
Miles Moser (above, left)
Business Development Manager
First horror movie? IT.
Iconic horror moment? Event Horizon, when they look up the lost spaceship’s last log entry and it’s the entire crew speaking Demonic Latin and cannibalizing each other!
Horror recommendation? The Omen
Scary Beer? Black Chocolate Stout! Duh.
Jess Tabac
Tasting Room General Manager
First horror movie? IT.
Iconic horror moment? Jurassic Park, when the puddles start vibrating because the T. Rex is coming.
Horror recommendation? The Ring
Scary Beer? Defender all the way! Something has to protect me.
Aidy Fenwick
Sales & Marketing Rep, Scotland/UK
First horror movie? Piranha
Iconic horror moment? When the girl from The Ring crawls out of the TV.
Horror recommendation? Pet Sematary
Scary Beer? DEFENDER!
Ashley Swope (above, left half of the Swole Sisters)
Graphic Designer
First horror movie? Hide and Seek. This is the first one that really stuck with me.
Iconic horror moment? The shower scene in Psycho. The use of chocolate syrup for blood? Genius!
Horror recommendation? The Shining. However, The Exorcist will always take the cake for effects during its time.
Scary Beer? C’mon, Post Road Pumpkin! If you’re going to Halloween, you need to go all the way! Any other time of year, Defender IPA.
Patrick Paulick (above, Slimer)
New England Regional Manager
First horror movie? Salem’s Lot (1979.) Saw it on TV and had nightmares for days.
Iconic horror moment? The theme from Halloween.
Horror recommendation? The Shining, but the 1975 movie Satan’s Triangle is an underappreciated classic.
Scary Beer? Blackened Pumpkin– 2/3 Post Road Pumpkin Ale, 1/3 Black Chocolate Stout.
Andrew Maxson
Eastern Division Marketing Manager
First horror movie? Ghoulies II
Iconic horror moment? The Naked City “Bonehead” scene in the U.S. version of Funny Games.
Horror recommendation? Salo
Scary Beer? Brooklyn Pilsner
Ashley Cobb
Junior Graphic Designer
First horror movie? Jeepers Creepers
Iconic horror moment? The musical cues from the first Insidious movie still haunt me.
Horror recommendation? The original 1978 Halloween
Scary Beer? Brooklyn Lager or Post Road Pumpkin, depending on the season!
Patrick Hood (above, center)
Social Media & Digital Intern
First horror movie? Either Hocus Pocus or Halloweentown
Iconic horror moment? The blood test in The Thing (1982)
Horror recommendation? The Cabin In The Woods
Scary Beer? Brooklyn Lager– it has the spookiest colors.
Philip Shelton (above, left)
Logistics Manager
First horror movie? Ernest Scared Stupid
Iconic horror moment? Kevin McCallister going into his basement in Home Alone
Horror recommendation? 28 Days Later
Scary Beer? Defender will protect me.
Chris “Peanut” Peña (above, not dog)
Event Producer
First horror movie? Children of the Corn
Iconic horror moment? The Crypt Keeper’s laugh from Tales from the Crypt
Horror recommendation? Blair Witch Project or Boss Baby
Scary Beer? Black Chocolate Stout.
Pedro Escobar
Maintenance Technician
First horror movie? I remember seeing glimpses of Nightmare on Elm Street as a child, but was too scared to see it through.
Iconic horror moment? The ending of The Strangers (2008). No spoilers in case you haven’t seen it yet, but at that time I had never seen an ending like this. The mood, the reasoning, the confusion. It was fantastic
Horror recommendation? Hard to pick one, but I recommend It Follows because I like to listen to the soundtrack this time of year and it still holds up.
Scary Beer? Bud Light because when I spill it from being scared, it’s easy to clean.
Kim Kreil
Front Desk/Person With Answers
First horror movie? Alien, and I was probably way too young to be watching that.
Iconic horror moment? Watching the girl from The Ring crawl out of the TV and just the creepy, static-y way she moved… I’ll never forget the screams in the theater on opening night.
Horror recommendation? Sleepy Hollow! Love me some wispy-haired, Tim Burton-collaborating, still-in-his-prime/not-a-d-bag Johnny Depp.
Scary Beer? Anything that will achieve a happy medium- I want to enhance the movie but not to the point where I suddenly become paranoid that something’s under the bed. So maybe something around 5%.
Hutch Kugeman
Head Brewer, The Brewery at the CIA
First horror movie? The Re-Animator
Iconic horror moment? The musical cue for Jason and Jason’s mother in Friday the 13th.
Horror recommendation? The Shining.
Scary Beer? Stout.
Greg Donheiser (above, living the dream of the 90s)
Business Intelligence Manager
First horror movie? One of the Jason movies. I wore a Jason mask for Halloween at least three years in a row in elementary school. It was cool until the Scream mask came out.
Iconic horror moment? Anything Freddy Krueger. Everything about him and the way he gets to people in their sleep is so unsettling. Plus every town has an Elm Street, so it’s even more creepy.
Horror recommendation? Not favorite, but the new movie Mandy is really weird and great. It feels nostalgic but fresh- awesome dark psychedelic droning soundtrack, with plenty of slashing to go around.
Scary Beer? Something dark and heavy so I don’t have to or want to get up for a while.
Ebony Creech
Sales & Marketing Rep, Texas & Louisiana
First horror movie? Child’s Play (aka Chucky)
Iconic horror moment? The scene in The Shining when Jack Nicholson looks through the broken door and says, “Heeeere’s Johnny!”
Horror recommendation? American Psycho
Scary beer: Hausu (House)