What to drink for the Super Bowl?
Shocking as it may be for a beer-drinking male in America, I’m not a huge fan of professional football, and the only time I really watch is when the Super Bowl is on—and even then, it’s because we’re usually at a friend’s house for their Super Bowl party. So while I’m not the first person you should go to for football advice, I always jump on the opportunity to make a beer list. And with the Super Bowl tomorrow, you still have time to follow my game plan here and stock up on the beer.
Regionalism?
Since the Super Bowl and American football are peculiarly American institutions, one possible theme you could go with are all American-brewed beers—in fact, you may run into people who insist on it. I’m not such a stickler on this—good beer is good beer, no matter where it’s from—but most of my suggestions here are in fact American beers.
Another fun theme is beers from the city each competing team is from: Indianapolis, Indiana for the Colts, and New Orleans, Louisiana for the Saints. Since I am totally unfamiliar with either city, however, I’m going to pass on making any recommendations in this regard—that way I can maintain some shred of credibility with the Beer Illuminati.
Pre-Game
The hours leading up to the actual start of the game call for easy drinking to pace yourself—in other words, session beers! I would go with anything in the alcohol-by-volume-range of 5(ish)% and lower, and go with several easy-drinking styles:
- Cream or Golden/Blonde Ales, Kölsch: You will almost always have friends who drink American Macro Lagers, but since you’re reading this it’s a fair assumption you’re not stocking any of that for your Super Bowl party. Instead, introduce them to similarly-light but much-more-flavorful styles of craft beers. Suggestions:
- Brown Ales: I think Brown Ales are underrated, actually; you don’t see many popping up on the “Best Of” lists, but a good Brown is fun to drink, pairs well with all sort of foods (thinking of pre-game snacks here), and isn’t necessarily too scary to the Beer Naïfs. There are some big, strong Brown Ales out there, but I suggest sticking with the session-strength ones. Suggestions:
- Pilsners: Again, not the bland American Macro Lagers, but the flavorful, hoppy excursions into the style. Suggestions:
Kickoff
Time to ramp it up as the game starts, move beyond the session beers and into more serious territory. But be careful about overdoing it even so—it’s still early enough that you don’t want to be dozing on the couch by halftime.
- American Pale Ales and IPAs: Great go-to beers for just about any occasion, they can range from easily drinkable to intensely hoppy and offer up more of an experience than the lighter session beers—but don’t go for the Imperial or Double IPAs yet. Suggestions:
- Porters: Great for the dark beer lovers without being overbearingly strong in alcohol or overly heavy. Pair up a good Porter with some little smokies and you’ve got a winning combination. Suggestions:
- Wheat Beers: Undoubtedly some of the “lighter beer crowd” won’t be jumping on the previous two suggested styles, so a good wheat beer can be just the thing here. And it doesn’t have to be light and dull, either—kick it up a notch and introduce some interesting variants, like Witbiers or even some darker wheats (think Dunkelweizen). Suggestions:
Halftime
Now we’re getting daring and unconventional: everyone’s getting up for the halftime break (though many are undoubtedly watching the show as well), getting food, talking excitedly about this play or that catch, and it’s time to introduce some fun beers, and some experimental ones. After all, the halftime show on TV doesn’t have to be the only flashy thing going on.
- Smoked Beers: Some people will taste smoked salmon or bacon and love these beers, some people will taste an ashtray and hate them.
- Imperial Pilsners: This is an interesting style, to be sure: double-strength Pilsners, sure to get people talking. Suggestions:
- Barrel-aged Stouts: What gathering of beer drinkers would be complete these days without some sort of barrel-aged stout geekery?
- Saisons: A solid Belgian style that doesn’t necessarily have to be as flashy or as gimmicky as some of the other styles, but can be just as exotic to the average beer drinker.
Second Half
After the halftime show the day is winding down; the game still has two quarters to go but everyone’s satiated from lots of food and lots of beer up to this point. A few may even be, er, dozing on the couch (*cough* floor *cough*) after the Halftime Beer Lineup. My suggestion: it’s time to start easing back; throw back a glass of water or two and work through the beers you have left over a bit more slowly. If you’re still looking for ideas, then I suggest going with some classics:
And of course if you’re still feeling adventurous, then it’s the perfect time to break out the sipping beer: Barleywine! February is an ideal month to enjoy a good Barleywine, and there are ample choices to choose from. My suggestions:
- Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
- Hair of the Dog Fred
- Victory Old Horizontal
- AleSmith Old Numbskull
- J.W. Less Harvest Ale
Post Game
Drink water. Lots of water.
2 Comments to “What to drink for the Super Bowl?”
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Awesome list and choices! I am in the same role as you: not a big fan of football, but do enjoy a “Big Game” event.
Plus I love the city of New Orleans, so now I have a reason to cheer for a particular team.