5 Craft Beers for Football

by Joseph Elia

Football is a beer sport, no two ways about it. But football season brings about a dilemma for beer drinkers--How do you keep Bud, Miller, Coors fans happy and satisfy your need to drink a quality beer?  Or how do you keep craft beer drinkers satisfied when you are a Bud, Miller, Coors fan.  In an attempt to bridge this gap, I have put together a list of some beers with crossover appeal for your next football gathering.  This is an excellent opportunity for both craft beer drinkers and Bud, Miller, Coors fans to try something new and distinctive.  Many standard domestic beer drinkers do not often try craft beer and when they do it is usually something that is hoppy, heavy, and high in alcohol.  Many craft beers fans get stuck in the IPA, Ale, Stout, Porter rut and neglect trying other styles of beer.  So try one of the following at your next football gathering; it could be eye opening for both sides of the beer fence.

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold

This is a lager brewed in the Dortmunder style.  This style originated from the German city of Dormund and was brewed for the workers in the swelling coal and steel industries of the 19^th century.  They are characteristically a pale golden color, have a balanced hop profile, and are generally crisp, clean drinking beers.  They are what American beers used to be and they will have the greatest crossover  appeal with the your Bud, Miller, Coors friends.  It also has enough flavor for craft beer drinkers.   Great Lakes Brewing from Cleveland makes one of the best examples. 

ABV: 5.8%. IBUs 30.

Kona Longboard Island Lager

Light in taste and on the wallet, Kona Longboard Island Lager from Kona Brewing in Hawaii is a craft lager with great crossover appeal.  It has some hop spiciness that is sensed more in the aroma than in the mouth.  Overall it finishes crisply and cleanly and makes a well done sessionable beer that will satisfy all but the hoppiest hopheads.
ABV: 4.6%. IBUs 20.

 

Bell’s Amber Ale

American pale ales have a tendency to be hopped to just shy of IPA standards.  Bell’s Amber Ale however notches the hoppiness back to allow some malt flavor and sweetness to show through.  This well balanced ale is crisp and light with a little more carbonation than would be expected from an ale.  There are some citrus notes that become apparent towards the end.  This beer is easy to pair with football fare and will delight all types of beer drinkers.  As craft beer drinkers know, this Michigan brewery delivers quality and taste.  We recently sampled Bell’s Amber at one of our Thursday Tastings and it was a warmly received by the Bud, Miller, Coors crowd and craft beer fans. 

ABV: 5.8%.  IBUs: NA.

Great Divide Nomad Pilsner

We are sampling Great Divide on October 24^th, 2013 and we will be featuring Nomad Pilsner.  Pilsners are pale lagers that are bottom fermented and are often associated with Bavaria, Czechoslovakia, and Bohemia.  If you collected beer cans back in the day, these locales were all over American adjunct lager labels.  Nomad reminds me of the beers I use to steal from First Communions, weddings and picnics.  It is extremely drinkable (I’m drinking one right now in fact) and accessible to all tastes.  It has the positive qualities of Yuengling Lager with an added mild bitterness that rounds out the flavor. 

ABV: 5.4%.  IBUs: NA.

Founder’s All Day IPA (cans or bottles)

Some craft guys, only do IPAs.  I can’t say I blame them much, but it often alienates other drinkers.  With Founder’s All Day IPA you don’t have to worry.  Brewed as a sessionable IPA, this beer is low in alcohol and relatively mild on the bitterness and hoppiness.  It also comes in both cans and bottles making it perfect for drinking in all settings.  All Day may just be the beer that opens the eyes of your Bud, Miller, Coors friends to the wonders of IPAs. 

ABV: 4.7%.  IBUs: 42.