Let’s have some fun, o legion of beer geeks.
I’m writing a post for the Today Show’s website in honor of the 2012 NFL season, and I thought it would be cool to recommend a local craft beer to enjoy while watching each of the 32 NFL teams play.
I’d love to get you guys and gals into the act, and let you have a chance to make the recommendation for your local team and local brewing company. This will give the article a fun “boots on the ground” vibe instead of me picking what looks good from New Jersey. I’ll give credit where it’s due, and if you have a blog (especially a regional beer blog) I’m happy to include a link in your recommendation.
Here’s how to play along: In the comments below, please share your local team, the beer you recommend and ONE OR TWO SHORT SENTENCES about why this beer is a great gameday companion. A mention of flavor is always important.
It should look like this:
Team: New York Jets
Beer: High Point Brewing Co’s Ramstein Classic Wheat
Notes: High Point is the way to go, because this beer will probably be the “high point” of watching the Jets struggles this year. This dark wheat is has a smooth roasted flavor, with awesome hints of clove and apple.
You don’t have to be funny, just recommend your favorite beer and tell us a little about it. But there are rules (which are made to be broken if there’s a good reason):
– 100 Miles: Each beer should to be brewed within a 100 miles or so of the hometown of the NFL team. This should be easy to do, what with so many excellent breweries dotting the American landscape. It might actually be tough to decide what beers to recommend in Denver or San Diego or even Charlotte – there are lots of choices.
– Widely Available: While it might make you feel cool to recommend curling up with a wax-sealed growler of Pliny the Younger to watch the Niners or a 2009 Dark Lord to view Andrew Luck’s official debut, I’m really looking for beers that are readily available in each NFL city. It sucks to recommend something that folks can’t easily get their hands on. That goes double for your homebrew (but you can mention it if you like as an alternative to the beer you recommend).
– Around 6% ABV. I’m looking for beers that won’t make you go blotto after a couple bottles. Football games last for three hours or more, so please try to recommend more sessionable fare. We want folks to remember the fourth quarter! This rule isn’t set in stone however, as long as you can provide reasons for why you went over the limit (this should be a no-brainer for Browns fans and folks who root for Jacksonville – the pain!!!!).
And there you have it. As I said, I’m happy to give you credit for your submission – just let me know how you’d like to be credited (or I’ll just use your log in name over here) and where you’d like me to link. The post should go up midweek next week.
Also, you don’t have to live in the city to recommend a beer local to your favorite team. If you’re an Eagles fan living in Florida, you can still tell us how Victory/Sly Fox/Independence has a beer you’d love to watch the game with.
Most of all, have fun! And thanks for helping out!!
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Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Team: Detroit Lions
Beer: Atwater’s Vanilla Java Porter (2 miles from Ford Field!)
Notes: When it gets cold in Michigan and football is on, I want a dark, vanilla-roasted beer. And a La-z-boy with four or five cupholders so I don’t have to move.
You should look for one with the fridge built into it: http://www.pointlessbutcool.com/gadgets/lazy_boy_chair
The massager is just a bonus…
Team: Philadelphia Eagles (Iggles)
Beer: Flying Fish Exit 4
Notes: Versatile like the Eagles offense. Spicy, complex and citrusy with a warming finish for cold tailgate parties. More interesting companion to a Cheesesteak or wings and pairs well with brats and onions.
Reminds fans of that NY team that rents stadium space up the Turnpike that Eagles fans drink to a higher standard!
Interesting a Jersey brew!
Pretty nice triple. Always buy it on the rare occasions I find it down here in the South…
Team: Denver Broncos
Beer: Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager
Notes: Spicy Rye and moderate hops make this a great beer for Fall. Now that Tim Tebow is out of town, it’s OK to have a few!
But I am actually an Eagles fan at heart so, if you’ll allow me:
Beer: Victory Hop Devil
Notes: A very malty IPA, in the East Coast style, balanced by floral hops. Takes the sting out of seeing Michael Vick getting crushed in the pocket or defenders running into one another like this: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1286512/eaglesderp.gif
That guy’s going to be out of rib cartilage by Thanksgiving…
Two preseason game appearances, and two x-rays to show for them. Might be more of an “Old Horizontal” season.
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Beer: Victory Prima Pils
Notes: Success in football, much like success in life, is all about versatility and balance. The Victory Prima Pils is about as versatile and well balanced as a beer can get. Crisp and refreshing enough to drink on its own, yet flavorful and well balanced enough to stand up to a wide variety of game day vittles. Bring on the Chili and Nachos!
Almost used that as the example for Philly above, but didn’t want to steal it from someone (who turned out to be you!).
Great minds drink alike!
Team: Green Bay Packers
Beer: Miller Lite
Notes: Miller Lite and the Green Bay Packers, a marriage made in heaven. Overblown, adored by fat people, and just so easy to dislike.
I actually laughed out loud at this.
Haters gonna hate!
Team: Carolina Panthers
Beer: Foothills Brewing Company’s Carolina Blonde
Notes: Just like the Panthers, Carolina Blonde is named to identify itself with both of the Carolinas. I wonder how many football fans outside the region know the Panthers play in Charlotte, where Carolina Blonde was born (it is now made in Winston-Salem but widely available across the state). Blonde is a light easy-drinking, but well crafted cream ale with only a touch of hops, so it is accessible to both craft and non-craft beer drinkers.
Stock up – you’ll probably have plenty of occasion to toast to victory this year…
Team: NY Giants
Beer: Sixpoint Autumnation
Notes: Aptly named for Eli’s tosses to Nicks/Cruz combo often result in 6 points! Also a great beer in bomber cans with pumpkin and spice notes, perfect for football season.
Maybe after the sixpoint(s) you can go for two (beers brewing evolutionary IPA).
Team: New England Patriots
Beer: Allagash White
Notes: A Belgian White from the Portland, Maine brewery is a safe bet on Sundays. The ABV isn’t too high (5%), so you can have a few while watching Brady & Co. try to return to the Super Bowl. A little fruity with some faint lemongrass. A world-class beer.
(New England alternative: Baxter Stowaway IPA. A full and hoppy IPA reminiscent of the west coast IPA’s. Delicious. And it’s in a can!)
must…resist…sniping…just…because…you’re…a…patriots…fan…
My college roommate/great friend is a Giants fan. Trust me, I’ve heard it all. Sigh. Don’t forget http://www.reviewbrews.com … we’re big fans of the blog.
Cheers.
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Beer: Boxcar Brown Ale
Notes: More depth than you’d suspect, smooth, and not at all bitter, which makes it a nice contrast to the football team. Also, it uses Fuggles hops, which often becomes a suitable nickname for the Eagles, especially with our regional dialect.
Boxcar Brown Ale is 5% ABV so no many how many scoring opportunities get wasted, you won’t. It goes well with BBQ, pork, and beef so it’s perfect for tailgating.
Is Fu’ggles! a compound word, short for “f-ing Eagles”?
Team: Denver Broncos
Beer: Avery’s Joe’s Pilsner
Notes: A crisp lager perfect for Joe Football Fan to drink while watching Peyton Manning and the Broncos decimate the AFC West.
Other: I also agree with Alex on anything from Great Divide that falls within the ABV requirements. You’re right Jim, there could have been any number of beers to recommend from our area. An alternative would be OB’s Mama’s Little Yella Pils.
I heard Brett Favre used to be really into Mama’s Little Yellow Pils.
Or was that Vicodin? 🙂
Team: Cleveland Browns
Beer: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
A porter that all other porters should be compared to. Superb blend of coffee and chocolate flavors to go along with a velvety texture. Each sip makes you smile and warms you from the inside. You’ll need that to cope with the Browns’ offense.
Alternate: Blackout Stout. More than 9% ABV, for those games you just know you won’t want to deal with the fourth quarter. No more quick-snap TDs given up to the Bruce Gradkowski. Nor 115+ yards given up to two different running backs for the Texans. Or overtime losses to the Cardinals.
thebeerfan.com
I think there’s a “Sinking ship” joke here as well, but I’ll leave it alone…. 🙂
That ship sank a long time ago!
Big +1 to both of those from another Clevelander… I couldn’t have written it any better.
FWIW I know my Gravatar doesn’t match my home team… it is what it is. I would recommend New Glarus for the Packers but while it’s the same state it’s neither within 100 miles or widely available!
And apparently after logging in my display name changed. Odd.
Actually, I live on the other side of the state, but I’m a Clevelander at heart!
Team: Cleveland Browns
Beer: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerland
Notes: In my opinion, the flagship example for what a porter should be. Lots of balance between chocolate, roastiness, coffee, and malt.
Other: You will need several of these to watch an entire Browns game, but a beer this good is a nice consolation prize.
Great Lakes Brewing Company has one of my favorite Christmas ales. I’ve shipped it all the way to Texas. A friend of mine from work who went to Case Western law school turned me on to it. Lucky me!
I don’t think any NC beers technically qualify, as anything brewed within 100 miles of Charlotte isn’t widely available. That being said, here’s my choice:
Team: Carolina Panthers
Beer: The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Mecktoberfest
Notes: Charlotte is a transient city, filled with fans of opposing teams like the Steelers, Redskins & Cowboys — but that’s changing. Just as the city is beginning to truly embrace the Cam Newton-led Panthers, so too are they embracing local beers like Olde Mecklenburg’s Mecktoberfest.
Team: Carolina Panthers
Beer: The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Mecktoberfest
Notes: Charlotte is a transient city, filled with fans of opposing teams like the Steelers, Redskins & Cowboys — but that’s changing. Just as the city is beginning to truly embrace the Cam Newton-led Panthers, so too are they embracing local beers like Olde Mecklenburg’s Mecktoberfest, which signals the coming of fall and football.
Well, it doesn’t fit the ”Widely Available” or ”Around 6% ABV” criteria very well but the Oskar Blues/Sun King collaboration Chaka would fit for the Denver Broncos: something great from Indiana influencing Colorado like Peyton moving from Indy to Denver.
Another option for the Broncos: anything of the ”Demons of Ale” series from Avery Brewing i.e. Samael’s, The Beast, or Mephistopheles. Why? Because the team that cuts uber-Christian Tim Tebow will surely burn in hell. None of the mentioned fit the ”Around 6% ABV” criteria, they’re all considerably stronger. Then again, Peyton has a considerably stronger arm than Timmy.
For the Colts, drink Sunlight Cream Ale from Sun King. Indy went through a very dark phase last season–going from Super Bowl contenders to the bottom of the pile in a matter of months. Now Indy has hope–the sun’s shining through–and wants to drink something refreshing to celebrate the new life Andrew Luck has instilled in the city. This beer fits all criteria.
If you use any of these, my name is Chris Bruns and my blog is http://www.beerincolorado.blogspot.com
I like the Sun King/OB Indy/Denver thing!
Nice choice! It even has Broncos colors on the label.
Pittsburgh Steelers
1 Church Brewworks IPA
2 Penn Brewery Kiaser Pils
Both fantastic beers!
Team: Carolina Panthers
Beer: Hoppyum IPA from Foothills brewery in Winston Salem
Notes: IPA’s go best with chicken wings and other football food. This one has plenty of hop flavor but doesn’t peel your taste buds off, so you can still taste the dip.
A little further then 100 miles and you have Fullsteam brewery’s Working Man’s Lunch in Durham, which taste like RC cola and Moon Pie’s. What could be more North Carolina then that?
Team: 49ers (Don’t judge)
Beer: Bear Republic, Pete Brown – Tribute Ale
Notes: What better way to enjoy the Niners, in California, than with a six pack of Bear Republic? But remember the CRV (California Redemption Value) so you can ‘return’ your bottles and get a ‘quarterback’. There is no ‘substitution’ for stocking up; otherwise you may find yourself ‘running back’ to the store. The best beer is always the ‘first down’ with you trading your empty, to get a ‘fullback’. ‘Rush’ to your ‘spot’ and enjoy that Pete’s Brown Ale you’re ‘holding’. Appreciate the ‘formation’ of bubbles which constitute the ‘head; coach’ others to experience this fine craft beer. Be sure to ‘handoff’ a bottle or two, which will encourage others ‘overtime’, to ‘pass’ on the same ‘draft choice’.
Go Eagles!
Although there are a lot of great regional beers around Philly – especially my favorite style – IPA’s (big fan of imperial ales like Victory’s Hop Hazzard) you have to go with Yards Brewing Company Philadelphia Pale Ale. A good session beer, about 4.5 ABV – light and fruity, with nice hop bitterness. Plus, the name just goes great with Philly sports!
Team: Buffalo Bills
Beer: Ithaca Beer Co. Cascazilla
Notes: It’s a little over the 100 mile radius but well worth it. Great malt character into a wonderful hop finish. Little over the 6% but you need a little extra as a Bills Fan. If only the Bills could finish as well as the hops.
Team: Tennessee Titans
Beer: Yazoo City Hop Project
Notes: The recipe (or roster) is never the same twice. It’s never bad but some times (or seasons), it’s awesome. Other times, it makes you think it should be better than it is. Let’s ignore that the Titans can just absolutely crush in ways a revolving recipe beer never can.
While I grew up in Tennessee, I live in the DC area when the Army lets me, and I can in no way associate any of the fine new craft brewers (Port City, Lost Rhino, DC Brau, and Chocolate City are those I’ve enjoyed) with the abomination that is the Washington Redskins. They probably are Budweiser or something similar.
That should be “crush your soul”.
Does not matter on the NFL team. I am a NASCAR fan myself but, Raspberry Wheat home made is the best.
New England Patriots:
Sam Adams Octoberfest
I’m a bit new to the blog but nothing says Boston Beer more than Sam Adams and Octoberfest is consistently the best seasonal brew in the city, much like the Patriots are consistently the best team in the AFC East.
As an alternative (probably doesn’t meet the widely available test): Ipswich Ale, the flagship brew for Ipswich Ale Brewery is a great local brew but it’s best if you can watch the game in their Brew Pub with a nice draft.
Team: New England Patriots
Beer: Gandhi Bot by New England Brewing
This Double IPA will help you celebrate the return of the “Double Trouble” of Tight Ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski to long term contracts. Light in color with a citrusy hop finish, at 8.8% ABV this one breaks the 3rd rule, however like most Patriots fans, I think I’d rather NOT remember the 4th quarter of last season’s Super Bowl, so this beer is the perfect companion!!!
Team. 49ers
Beer: Brew Free or Die IPA from 21st Amendment
Notes: Hoppy but not too hoppy. Easy to put down 3 or 4 and not be overwhelmed. Of course at 7% you may start to feel it.
Other: also from 21A are Hell or High Watermelon, light and fruity – actually makes Hefe’s interesting (and features the Golden Gate Bridge) or Bitter American, a sessionable Pale Ale (but almost an IPA at 46 IBUs) clocking in at a binge-worthy 4.4% ABV
Team: Raiders
Beer: Trumer Pils
Notes: Coming in at just under 5% ABV this Berkeley brewed “import” is full of flavor where it will distract you from the Raiders losing and has a crispness that will keep you from getting beer fatigued. Also it has a silver label…
Minnesota Vikings
Summit Extra Pale Ale
The finest ale available in the states.
Team: Denver Broncos
Beer: Odell Brewing IPA
Notes: Brewed by one of the oldest breweries in Colorado, Odell’s IPA not only bears the beautiful Broncos colors (and an Elephant bucking like a bronco), It’s brewed with Rocky Mountain snow melt and boasts an amazing hop aroma and flavor that is bold, but not bitter, and has an ABV of 7% (the same number as legendary quarterback, John Elway)
tampa bucs.
cigar city Maduro Brown Ale or the jai alai @ 7.5%
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Beer: DuClaw Brewing Company
Team: New England Patriots
Beer: Maine Beer Co., Lunch IPA
Notes: This is one of my new favorite beers. Amazingly balanced and drinkable. A small brewery in Portland, Maine that makes some incredible beers.
team: texans
beer: shiner bock
notes: Lance Armstrong’s favorite beer is my favorite too. Tastes like a german beer with lonestar flavor.
I was just about to write a Houston entry for the article – your timing is awesome joe!
Almanor John
Team: San Francisco 49ers
beer: Sierra Nevada Summerfest or Tumbler.
notes: Summerfest is a tangy and smooth lager with lots of carbonation and a really superior hopsy taste. Tumbler is darker and more complex than Summerfest with more bite from hops and a long smooth after taste,
team: Chiefs
beer: Copperhead Pale Ale – Free State Brewing
notes: Just like the Chiefs it has a perfect balance of sweet and bitter. The sweet expectations that this season will be different and the bitter realization one month in that it will not.
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
beer: Copperhead Pale Ale
notes: The nicely balanced combination of subtle sweetness and bitter mirrors the Chiefs football season. It starts with sweet expectations only to be countered by bitter results.