Looking for something new to sip on at your tailgate this Saturday for the UF against the University of Georgia game?
When you're considering a beer to bring along for a day full of drinking, it's important to consider three things:
• Is it going to have an easy drinkability?
• Is it going to hold up to gameday conditions?
• Is the flavor going to be too much to handle?
Find a brew that passes the test, and you'll be set for a gameday full of enjoyable drinking with not a bad glass of beer — or sick fellow tailgater — in sight.
If you're going to be tailgating in a large group, it might be worth it to pick up a growler or two of your favorite beer. A glass jar that holds half-a-gallon of fresh beer, growlers will let you pick up large amounts of beer, but not so much that you only have to stick to one kind. Swamp Head Brewery offers growlers for their five year-round beers, so support a local start-up and grab some of their Stumpknocker Pale Ale, Big Nose IPA or Wild Night Honey Cream Ale — all great, lighter beers that will be perfect for throwing back while waiting for the game to start.
Want to get the job done with just a few bottles? If you'll be tailgating in a smaller group or just want to mix up your normal drink choices, reach for a stout or porter. Heavier styles like Flying Dog's Wild Dog Coffee Stout or Southern Tier's Raspberry Porter will be especially preferential if the temperatures start dipping.
Still not sure about what to bring along? Take a look at some of my picks for a reliable gameday beer.
Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
A bottle of full-bodied, smooth, hoppy refreshment, Jai Alai has a sweet, citrusy flavor that fades into a bitter hop finish typical of the style. Very balanced, very drinkable. If you can get your hands on the White Oak version, even better! The added complexity from the wood really helps the brew to showcase its flavors.
Dogfish Head 60 and 90 Minute IPAs
The 60 Minute delivers a taste that is hoppy, crisp and chock-full of flavors like grapefruit, orange peels and pine. The lower ABV (6 percent) makes it a tad more drinkable than its big brother the 90 Minute, a brew that packs a smooth 9 percent ABV punch. Better for slow drinking, the 90 Minute has a sweeter taste than most double IPAs and is filled with big, malty flavor.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Filled with a blend of West Coast hops, this pale ale is a straight representation of the style. It will please hop-lovers with its bitter taste and rounds out nicely with floral hints and a trace of malty caramel. Medium bodied and slightly creamy, this beer is as sessionable as they get. [A session beer is a beer that someone could drink for long periods of time. It's usually smooth tasting — nothing too heavy that would limit you to just two glasses — and has a lower alcohol content (usually below 6 percent).]
What will you be drinking this weekend? Share your pick for the best tailgate companion.
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Posts in Beer for Breakfast appear on Wednesdays.
