Countdown to the Big Game -- Lager Edition

by Matt DeMarco

With the big game approaching this weekend, here is the second list of beers for you that will not deflate your taste buds.

I have chosen four lagers that are sure to please even the most discerning palate. All of the beers I have picked are good beers that will not scare way non craft beer drinkers. The hoppiest of the beers is Victory Prima Pils and drinks more like an IPA than a lager or pilsner. The other beers are very light in the hops department. They all pair well with normal football fare.

At the end of this post, I have included a super simple recipe for beer cheese dip that can use any of the following Lagers.  Cheers!

Countdown to the Big Game – IPA Edition

by Matt Demarco

To get you ready for the big game on February 1st, we will be highlighting crowd-pleasing beers that pair with football and recipes you can make with them.
 

I have chosen four IPAs that are as American as football and apple pie. All the beers are floral, piney, and citrusy which are the main components of a highly regarded American IPA. These beers pair well with tailgate food, especially foods that are spicy, salty, or fried. For spicy food, hops amplify the spice and then wash it away; the bitterness can help put the fire out. Salt and fat tone the bitterness down and showcase the malts a little more in the beer. It allows you to taste the food instead of the hops. Citrusy IPAs even pair well with chocolate cake or brownies because the chocolate showcases the citrus and vice versa.

Then at the end of this post, I have included a simple recipe for hummus that can use any of the following IPAs.  Cheers!

Proper Glassware--You’re Not Doing It Wrong

by Matt DeMarco

We’ve all done it; we have poured a beer into a vessel that is the easiest to reach. It could have been a coffee mug, cereal bowl, or maybe if you were desperate, an empty soup can. Some beer geeks would gasp in horror and give you a lecture about how the beer you are drinking only belongs in one type of glass. I am sure there are even some beer geeks that might even slap the beer out of your hand. (If that happens to you, then you are hanging around with the wrong crowd.)

Yes, certain beer glasses do help some beers if paired correctly, but who wants to have 10 different styles of glasses in a cabinet? I keep 2 types of beer glasses in my house and that is all you should ever need. There are tons of articles all over the internet that explain what beers belong in what glass but unless you run a tap room, that is more information than you need.