Revving up nostalgia and innovation in equal measure, Dark Sky Brewing Co. has ingeniously transformed a vintage 1959 Ford C-600 box truck into the centerpiece of its beer garden — complete with a 15-ft screen and six taps — creating a pretty fun theater experience for craft beer enthusiasts and cinephiles alike. The Flagstaff, Arizona, craft brewery recently debuted its new (um) drive-in theater, affectionately named Dottie, this month.
Like all good stories, Dottie’s tale begins with a For Sale sign in a field full of sunflowers. After buying it, the team at Dark Sky spent weeks transforming the classic C-600 box truck with a new box wrap, massive movie screen, keg infrastructure and six taps, making her into the first beer garden movie theater truck we’ve heard of. The movie machine even sports a hot pink glitter vinyl bench seat, evoking visions of Dorothy’s glittery heels in the Wizard of Oz, which eventually led to her name — Dottie. The movie screen goes down the side of the box trailer like so…
Dark Sky Brewing guests will be able to enjoy movies while enjoying fresh beers flowing from Dottie’s taps. They can also book Dottie for special events, noting it would be perfect for the CBB Christmas party where we watch holiday horror films and sample exotic brews. Dottie is also just an impressive eye-catcher, making it a great marketing opportunity. It’s a beautiful billboard, and the brewery has plans to take Dottie to events around Flagstaff.
Established in 2014 by Larami and Ryan Sandlin, Dark Sky Brewing has become a downtown Flagstaff institution that builds community through craft beer, food, philanthropy and cool ass ideas like Dottie. Named in honor of its home, in the world’s first International Dark Sky Place (which protect ecologically sensitive areas and their starry night skies), Dark Sky Brewing has brewed more than 750 distinct beer recipes. The craft brewery has nine canned beers available on a regular basis, and they always have something innovative on tap. Maybe meet the beers.
Committed to making that home a better place by giving back, the Dark Sky Community nonprofit organization was founded out of the brewery to serve as a launching base for other nonprofits to raise more funds and awareness. Dark Sky has two restaurant operations onsite, and you can learn more about Pizzicletta and Atmosphere Kitchen and get hungry right here.
We’re excited to see how this craft beer drive-in theater works out, so we’ll keep you updated. Congrats to Dark Sky on earning the Marketing Idea of the WeekTM.
Turn It Up Media says
Sweetness Dark Sky Brewing Company!