Riding on the bromance train, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell follows narcissistic law student Tucker (Matt Czuchry) and his two man-besties Drew (Jesse Bradford) and Dan (Geoff Stultz) as they travel to faraway strip club Avarice to celebrate Dan’s impending nuptials. The horny threesome make the three-hour trek to witness the famed club’s touching-allowed policy. While Tucker is pumped about their pilgrimage to the titty-touching mecca, Dan is paranoid that his fiancée will find out their destination. Drew’s less-than-stellar attitude also adds to the tension. Fresh off a breakup, he dramatically insists through the film that all women are “whores.”

When the trio arrives at the strip club it’s not long before the real problems mount. Dan’s fiancée discovers their whereabouts after Drew confesses their location over the phone. Then Drew “cock-blocks” himself by antagonizing every stripper that approaches him. Eventually the troubles cause the friends to split up. Drew leaves with the only stripper who could handle his incessant insults, and Tucker goes in search of a girl on the main stage. Left alone, Dan drinks himself silly to forget about his angry fiancée. Things only get worse when a drunken Dan accidentally hits a stripper, gets kicked out, and lands in jail for peeing in public.

After Dan unsuccessfully tries to call Tucker and Drew from jail, he spends the night in a cell with his head in a crusty pool of his own vomit. To make matters worse Tucker confesses that he only dragged everyone to Avarice so that he could bed the club’s little person stripper.  A furious Dan hitches a ride home and un-invites Tucker to his wedding. To console himself Tucker parties alone in a bar on the eve of Dan’s wedding, but things go wrong when a “fat girl” Tucker snubs puts eye drops in his beer.  He spends the night in a diarrhea coma, which finally makes him realize his douche bag-status. This sudden epiphany propels him to redeem himself at Dan’s wedding and all ends well between friends.

The film had its funny moments but the bachelor party plotline was too reminiscent of this summer’s The Hangover. And while The Hangover was full of surprising twists, this hellish copycat was too predictable. The film also loses points for a graphic and gag-inducing bathroom scene. Although Bradfrod delivered some memorable one liners, Czuchry’s character was unlovable and there it wasn’t enough overall to carry the film to Avarice and back.

Beer Pairing: The aforementioned bathroom saga might leave a bitter taste in your mouth, so why not balance it out with a sweet malt? Try Bell’s Double Cream Stout for a milky brew that has notes of chocolate, mocha, and a roasted flavor. If the beer alone isn’t enough, pair it with dessert for the ultimate sweet tooth satisfaction.

Original Gravity: 1.075
Alcohol by Volume: 6.1%
Available Packages: 4/6/12 oz. bottles (case) 15.5 gal. keg
Dates Available: Winter
November 1st through March
State Availability: FL, IA, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, OH, PA, VA, WI