These brews are as timeless as documentaries about venturing into the great unknown – and they’re both better when enjoyed together.

A good documentary has the ability to inspire even the most risk-averse individual to do things way outside of their comfort zone. Free Solo reduced us all to a state of sweaty, anxious delirium, but still had the masses pulling on climbing shoes within months. Street Food and Chef’s Table had us wanting to travel to places never seen to try delicacies we’d never heard of. But what if you could channel this sense of intrepidness simply by opening your fridge? Well, this is where we think a good beer comes in. As the drink of the everyman, there’s no better vessel to evoke the feeling of adventure – no matter what the journey might look like.

Inner Gravity Passionfruit Sour Beer Can

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A welcome dose of gravity for interstellar adventures

British astrophysicist Brian Cox has solidified himself firmly as this generation’s David Attenborough for all things space-based – his mind-blowing documentaries on the topic widely considered by science nuts to be essential viewing. Wonders of the Universe, which explores the very nature of what we know about things like time, gravity and existence itself, will bend your brain and leave you wanting more. Colossal Brewing’s Inner Gravity Passionfruit Sour, crafted quite fittingly with a whole load of galaxy hops, creates just the right supernova of flavour to snap you out of the trance and bring you back to earth.

Watch it on: Stan

A crisp lager that’ll transport you to the alleys of the tropics

In a classic clip from his era-defining travel series, Anthony Bourdain quipped: “Anywhere I’m eating a bowl of spicy noodles, I’m happy”. Many of the scenes that make up Parts Unknown take place in the bustling, scooter-packed alleyways of Southeast Asia, and the libation the late chef would almost always pair with his fare was a crisp local lager. Nam Nam Alley channels these vibes in a big ol’ 500mL can. The refreshing malt bitterness and clean finish, designed to cut through the worst of the equatorial humidity and all the spice a bird’s eye chili can throw at you, remains unchanged.

Watch it on: SBS On Demand

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A high-octane XPA for a high-octane series

Few documentaries have had quite the impact on a global sport as Drive to Survive did on Formula 1. It created an entire generation of new fans who were as addicted to the off-track soap opera that surrounds the sport as they were the racing action, and with the show’s fifth season just released in Feb, the series has redefined the very notion of a petrolhead altogether. Panhead brews its beers with a similar tangent and an unmissable race-inspired motif – its Quickchange XPA being among the most popular of its offerings. Fruity, refreshing and luscious, it’s exactly what you’d fancy after a few hours sweating in the cockpit.

Watch it on: Netflix

A bright beer for a bright-burning love story

The natural forces that shape our world will always be a point of utter captivation for a certain breed of person, and no two people knew this better than Katia and Maurice Krafft – a pair of French volcanologists whose obsession with studying and filming the literal earth-shaping forces of tectonics and volcanoes led to their own gripping, and ultimately tragic, love story. Their tale was told by National Geographic last year in Fire of Love – one of the few nature documentaries to be nominated for an Oscar in recent years. This Hazy Pale Ale from Redfern brewers Atomic is complex yet sessionable, with a light, lingering bitterness that matches the tone of the doco perfectly.

Watch it on: Disney+

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The Alpinist and a weighty beer to keep you on the ground

As we mentioned, plenty of people have seen Free Solo. Jimmy Chin’s portrait of climber Alex Honnold brought the sport of climbing firmly into the mainstream – which makes it surprising that less people have seen The Alpinist, one of the wildest outdoor documentaries you’re ever likely to watch. The subject here is Canadian adventurer and climber Marc-André Leclerc, who brings the same death-defying approach to his climbs (no ropes and no outside assistance) as Honnold – the only difference being that he climbs literal mountains. Similar to the dark beers Leclerc is seen enjoying after his alpine conquests, Brick Lane’s Revolver Vanilla Porter is loaded with galaxy hops and is brewed with pure Tahitian vanilla to help the porter’s inherent flavours of coffee and chocolate coat your palate.

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video

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An easy-drinker for chasing barrels

It’s hard not to look at a can of Your Mates’ iconic Larry Pale Ale – a beer that has captured craft beer drinkers in Queensland like no other – and not want to revert to a life of long days, great surf and very little stress. So why fight it? Grab a pack and settle down on a warm summer’s arvo with one of our favourite recent surfing docs: The Yin & Yang of Gerry Lopez, Patagonia’s feature-length telling of the story of Mr. Pipeline himself, Gerry Lopez, who is widely regarded as one of the smoothest and most stylish surfers ever to hit the waves. Even better, it’s free to watch.

Watch it on: YouTube