Many items in this life go together to offer a simple pleasure. Peanut butter and jelly. Dry cereal and milk. A condom and oil-based lubricant. But few people think to combine punk music and beer. Yet that’s exactly what several bands have recently done. And more should be doing it.

1. The Menzingers

Hailing from Scranton, the Menzingers offer a mix of punk aggression, darkly introspective lyrics, and a beautiful lady called melody. In late 2015, they paired with a local Scranton brewery, the Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, to craft the Menzinger Hoppy Imperial American, a “light and drinkable non-IPA with a hoppy flavor.” The project came to fruition when vocalist/guitarist Greg Barnett visited the brewing company and spoke with his friend/head brewer, Jeremy Myers. Greg stated, “Somewhere along the line, I started talking to Jeremy about home brewing and found out he was really passionate about it…All of a sudden, here we are at the brewery. It’s crazy.”

Though many of the taproom’s patrons may not have heard the band, it’s still an inventive way to give back to the fans. It may also raise awareness both about the band and the brewing company. Here is a video about the making of the beer, and this is the Menzingers’ webstore, where you can support the band by buying 2014’s fantastic offering, Rented World.

2. Brand New

While the Menzingers’ brew is offered year-round in Scranton, several other bands have cooperated with breweries for one-time events, resulting in unique merchandise and memorabilia. Brand New partnered up with Cooperstown New York’s Ommegang Brewery in August 2015 to draft a beer specifically for the band’s summer show at the Brewery. Only 20 sixtels of the beer were drafted, creating a hyper-specific piece of culture for fans of the band.

3. Jimmy Eat World

Another case of a limited run, in late 2015, Jimmy Eat World scoured the Arizona desert to procure pieces of prickly pear cactus. It was the 10^th ingredient in their beer made to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of their album Futures. They worked with the Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company, which was named the world’s best new brewery by RateBeer.com -- an impressive accreditation, no doubt. All proceeds were donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Little Kids Rock, a program that supports music in school curriculums.

If Jimmy Eat World can utilize its fans and beer for a good cause, why aren’t more bands jumping on the beer wagon? The truth is that few bands have the size of fan base that Jimmy Eat World does. The Menzingers are a smaller band, sure, but they seem to be the only band their size cooperating with breweries to fashion such liquid.

Even if the proceeds are not given to charity, a band-affiliated drink offers another dimension to enjoying a band’s music. The nerd in my head would love to sit down with Brand New’s next album (whenever it may be released), a Brand New beer, and have a good Brand New time. So come on, other punk bands. Get on this wagon and generate some sweet amber to complement your jagged compositions. Descendents, I want to be able to enjoy your forthcoming album with a Cool to Be Brew in my hand.