It may only be diehards who know this, but today marks the 27th anniversary of South Park. The show, which chronicles the misadventures of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, has divided viewers with its controversial takes on political, religious and social issues since its first episode in 1997. It has had a lasting impact on popular culture through its boundary-pushing comedy, unique animation and rapid-fire turnaround time allowing for quick responses to real-time world events. It’s even made its way into craft beer. The team at Voodoo Brewing are long-time fans of the influential series, and we thought who better to celebrate another year of South Park with than the crew that brought us ManBearPig.

Voodoo Brewing

While not boasting quite as extensive a history as South Park, Voodoo is far from a stranger to the beer scene. Originally opening in 2005 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, the brewery has since seen huge nationwide growth. There are now over 20 U.S. Voodoo locations, and they are still expanding. And yet even at a nationwide scale, Voodoo continues to remind the craft community why it is one of the most versatile programs in the country. Attention to detail, product consistency, ingredient quality and beer innovation are all tenets that the Voodoo team has followed for the last 19 years, properly equipping it for the path to success.

Voodoo has also shown a very clear love for South Park over the years, showcased through a variety of releases since its first brewpub opened in 2012. The K13, Taco-Flavored Kisses, Budday, Guy, Fwiend, City Sushi, Artemis Clyde Frog’s Wild Wild West Coast IPA, Island of Misfit Mascots, Delicate Like a Flower, Fruits Are Fun, Jenny’s Crème Fraîche — the list goes on, and will likely continue to do so.

In fact, related to the brewery’s love for South Park, it could be argued that the passion recently came full circle. In May 2023, Voodoo opened its Colorado Springs location, situated just two hours east of the fictional location where the show is based. Coincidence? I think not.

ManBearPig: The History

The famous Comedy Central show has seen its influence popularized in all sorts of different ways over the the last 27 years, even in beer. Intentionally left off the list above is easily the most famous South Park-related release Voodoo ever produced: the legendary ManBearPig.

For a bit of context, the lore around ManBearPig goes back to its namesake episode (Season 10, Episode 6), which aired on April 26, 2006. The episode features former Vice President Al Gore, who visits South Park Elementary to warn the students about the mythical creature ManBearPig, insisting he is a grave threat. The boys initially dismiss his warnings but later join Gore on a dangerous journey into the Cave of the Winds. Despite the boys’ skepticism and the lack of evidence for ManBearPig’s existence, Gore remains adamant about its reality, leading to a chaotic and humorous adventure. The show’s creators intended for ManBearPig to be a metaphor for climate change, playing off of the idea of people’s real-life skepticism of its existence while evidence continually presents itself right in front of their eyes.

The Beer

While Voodoo Brewing has since established an industry-leading barrel program, ManBearPig was part of only its fourth Barrel Room Collection release alongside Gran Met, Quadfather, Chocolate Covered Cherry Big Black Voodoo Daddy and Black Magick. Master brewer Curt Rachocki came up with the idea for this beer in 2011, and it had been in the works since 2013. Voodoo finally released it on March 26, 2016 at the Meadville and Homestead pub locations (both in Pennsylvania).

The process began by sourcing local honey and maple syrup and then aging them in freshly emptied bourbon barrels for over a year. At the time, the base beer was the biggest Voodoo had ever made, a robust imperial stout with house applewood and hickory-smoked Munich malt, which then aged in the barrels that previously held bourbon, maple syrup and honey. According to the release announcement, the result was “a truly complex work of liquid art designed to be savored.”

It has now been over eight years since ManBearPig’s original release, and the PorchDrinking team thought it would be fun to turn back the clocks to see how this legendary beer is holding up. Time can be a friend or foe to high-gravity beers, but after a certain point you really just don’t know what you’re going to get. Regardless, the Voodoo team agreed that the South Park anniversary was the perfect timing to to do a deep dive into ManBearPig and check its status. They were generous enough to send a bottle for review on the site, and so we owe it to both them and South Park to do it the justice it deserves. Much like global warming, we really have no idea what’s next.

The Review

Bottled Feb. 16, 2016, #447.

Initially unpresuming while cascading into the glass, the beer boasts beautiful leg retention when trailing back down into the pitch black body. While there is momentarily some agitated carbonation, ManBearPig quickly and quietly settles flat.

It’s honestly astounding to think this beer is eight years old, given how much the nose is still offering. Maple sweetness combines with vanilla undertones to lead the way with Charleston Chews. After a moment, notes of firewood cut through like a knife. As the authoritative aromatics begin to subside, we’re left with stewed raisins and caramel candy.

The palate fills in any aggression that the nose was devoid of. The barrel comes forward with oak-fueled aridity and hickory peat. There’s a touch of golden raisins and burnt caramel that bring forward a touch of sweetness to integrate more balance. That said, the contrast between the nose and palate here is beautiful. Again, unbelievable how well this has held up.

The beer is distinctly dry. Medium-bodied, with great carb retention and a beautiful warmth. Accompanying the dryness are some lingering esters that carry some noticeable bitterness into the finish. The dry, smoky, estery finish has fantastic length that extends well into the next sip.

Super Cereal

Much in the same way that no one believed poor Al Gore about the existence of ManBearPig, it’s likely that no one reading this will believe us when we tell you how well this 2016 beer has held up. Now granted, after nearly a decade, storage plays a huge part in promoting a positive experience with vintage bottles. While we could have ultimately ended up as dissatisfied as Eric Cartman with a stomach full of fake gold coins and jewelry, it turns out that Voodoo’s ManBearPig was the real treasure.

PorchDrinking extends a huge thanks to Voodoo Brewing for making this fun showcase possible. We appreciate you joining us as we celebrate another outrageous year of South Park in the best way we know how. Here’s to many more adventures in everyone’s favorite little mountain town. Cheers!

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