Every beer has a distinct personality. So does every football team. Each week, we’ll take a look at the Monday Night Football matchup and discuss which beers best represent each team. Arizona Cardinals (2-3) Shane: Pumpkin Ale, Tributary Brewing Company. Just a few years ago, the Portsmouth Brewery went through a bitter breakup with Tod Mott, their famous head brewer (and creator of the world-famous Kate the Great Russian Imperial Stout). Mott decided to form his own brewery, which would become Tributary Brewing Company. Similarly, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer went through a nasty (and public) split with his former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, only to eventually move on and (after a brief stint with the Raiders) find success once more with the Cardinals. The Cardinals are excellent on both sides of the ball, and have been ever since they rose to power, seemingly out of nowhere, in the same division as the dominant Seattle Seahawks. However, they have struggled to find their feet in 2016. The Cardinals were an extremely popular pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year, but, so far, this Cinderella team seems instead to be turning back into a pumpkin. Pete: Prima Pils, Victory Brewing Company. The Cardinals are extremely well put together. They have a great coach, great defense, great running back, offense etc. They fit the bill of being a great NFL team and have all the components of being fun to watch and technically sound. But they will not win the Super Bowl, I don’t know why, but they just won’t. Much like this beer, a world class pilsner (yes WORLD, from Pennsylvania), has all the attributes of a great beer. It elevates the style and came out of nowhere to shake up the style category because everyone thought good pilsners had to come from Germany or the Czech Republic. America makes those piss water mass market pilsners right? Well, sorry to tell the world, Victory makes one of the best pilsners. That correlates with how the Cardinals, a perennial also ran basement team, rose to become one of the best teams in the NFL. It just came out of nowhere. But a pilsner, no matter how good, just can’t be the best beer in the world. No matter how well made it is, no one is going to say, “Screw Heady Topper I want a Prima Pilsner.” It can be the best made beer but for some reason can’t be the best. Just like the Cardinals, they can be one of the best assembled teams but just cannot be the champ (for some reason). York: Little Sumpin, Lagunitas Brewing Company. For whatever reason, I constantly find myself rooting for the Cardinals. Maybe a bit of fantasy football, a little rooting more against their opponents like the Seahawks, or possibly just because they seem to have made a real solid team out of some interesting odds and ends. Lagunitas is an NFL caliber player on the West Coast, notably for West Coast IPAs. They’ve got plenty of competition with Russian River, Ballast Point, Stone, and countless other great breweries, but they’re always on the short list. The Cardinals are an oft-forgotten team playing in a division with the contemporary powerhouse Seahawks, and the deep history of the Rams and 49ers. Little Sumpin is one of the better style mashups I’ve found from West Coast breweries. It’s most definitely a hop-forward ale, but it’s got a smooth, wheaty character that makes it approachable for those who normally find West Coast IPAs a bit assertive. The Cardinals equivalent to the baseline IPAs from Lagunitas are the Palmers, Fitzgeralds, and Petersons, but when you watch the Cardinals play, there’s so much more going on. It becomes obvious that there is much more to focus on if those aren’t your style or quite good enough for you. Watch Matthieu roam the secondary or David Johnson juke his way out of the backfield. Chandler Jones is an absolute wrecking ball, and hell, even their kicker has had a little sumpin to watch for. New York Jets (1-4) Shane: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pabst Brewing Company. No one is going to mistake Pabst Blue Ribbon for a “good” beer, just like no one is ever going to mistake the Jets for a “good” football team. Still, both have an undeniable popularity. The popularity of the Jets stems mostly from the fact that they play in the enormous New York market. The popularity of Pabst stems mostly from the fact that its quality sits ever-so-slightly above that of its similarly priced competition like Bud Light and Miller Lite. And like the Jets, the popularity of Pabst Blue Ribbon takes a serious hit in New England, where there is a better, more local option (the Patriots and Narragansett, respectively) playing the same game. And you know what? I may be a Patriots fan, but I’m also a football fan. It’s not like I’m ever going to turn off a game just because the Jets are playing. Similarly, I’ve always found Pabst Blue Ribbon to be a perfectly drinkable beer. The NFL needs terrible, sad-sack teams. The beer industry needs cheap beers. They each fill their role, and they fill it well. Pete: Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche, Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla (Oak Smoked Dopplebock) - So the Jets are an acquired taste. You have to almost enjoy the short comings, the controversy, the constant feeling that no matter how well everything is going...the sky is going to fall. That niche basically explains the difference between people who like smoke beers and people who don’t. I am someone who enjoys them. They are rich smoky and remind me of ham or campfire. That’s not something everyone likes or gets and I am ok with that. More for me. I know many people who keep trying to like this style, and this is one that just may not happen for you. You won’t get it. Unlike an IPA that you can usually train your palate to enjoy; smoke beers may always feel like drinking ash to some people. I have handed Schlenkerla to many friends who have grimaced and told me I was drinking an ash tray. Perhaps it is because the smoked malt has an aggressive flavor and it has character you just don’t expect. These beers have a weight and grab your palate in way that you cannot mistake. I picked this style for the Jets because there is always going to be something smoldering or burning when you discuss this team. And much like Schlenkerla, the best smoked beer brewer, the Jets are the best at being whatever the hell the Jets are. York: Yuengling Lager, D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. - I suppose this is a similar argument to Shane’s with PBR; however, I think Yuengling adds a level of regionality that PBR may not share. Growing up near the city, I was surrounded almost entirely by Jets and Giants fans. There were, of course, a few of the people whose fathers raised them a 49ers or Cowboys fan, but in general most people could pick out Fireman Ed more accurately than their congressman. The mass market, rowdy fans, and longing for the past greats to be replicated leads to an extremely loyal fan base that is quick to rain down boos, but never really bails on their team. Yuengling has one of the most loyal followings I’ve ever witnessed in a beer. Pennsylvania in general seems to latch particularly strong onto regional products (see Hershey’s Chocolate or Wawa) and the Lager is one of them. When anywhere near Pennsylvania, Yuengling is the default beer where a Budweiser or Coors might otherwise be. Once you leave the area, though, people often haven't even heard of or tried Yuengling. When they do, it seems to be met with a "Yeah it's a good beer. Why are you upset it's not my number one ever favoritest thing I’ve ever had ever?" Yuengling Lager is good. It’s got history, it's got green bottles, and it has transcended the tier of basic gameday beers by adding the regional base to it. The Jets are fine. They’re sure great to follow along with, but only Jets fans could really get excited about the team in recent years. Predictions Shane: The Cardinals have struggled, but they seem to be righting the ship. The Jets are just awful, even more so after losing their #1 receiver this week. I have a limited appetite for pumpkin beers, but I’ll happily take Tributary’s Pumpkin Ale over a PBR. Cardinals, 27-13. Pete: This just screams “the hope game” for the Jets. I think they will manage to win this game in a decisive fashion, which will be the perfect thing to hype the fan base into thinking “Hey, everything is ok! The ship is on the right track!” Then they will proceed to be embarrassed by the anemic Ravens and routed by the Browns. That just feels right. So I will say Jets, 24-14. York: I like the Cardinals here. I had them very, very high on my board this year and had the Jets as low as the Cardinals high. I don’t see this being all that much of a game, and home field for New York in this game would have been much more advantageous in the colder months against an Arizona team. Cardinals, 34-10. Don't forget to follow us on social media!
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We love baseball. We love beer. In honor of the Major League Baseball playoffs, we thought we’d do something a little bit different. Just as every baseball team has a distinct personality, so does every beer. We put our heads together to come up with the perfect beer to represent each playoff team. Then, since we completely disagreed about every single one, we decided to do it this way instead. Washington Nationals Pete: Siren's Lure, Fair Winds Brewing Company. This is the Bryce Harper of this brewery. A little sweet, a little hoppy, it’s a strong beer, while still maintaining some nice saison funkiness. A true five tool player. However, this beer’s name is kind of a metaphor for how I foresee this series playing out. This team is really good but there is still that chance they get tempted off course and crash on the rocks. Bryce is everything to this team, and how he goes, this team will go. And hey, if that’s how it’s going to turn out, we could all use a few more Siren’s Lures. York: Anchor Steam Beer, Anchor Brewing. Recently moving from DC to San Francisco, this is a pretty obvious match in my head. The Nationals gave the DC area a baseball team to get excited about again, and they were adopted objectively as the area’s team. Everyone in and around DC seems to root for the Nats when they play, just like everyone from San Francisco knows to go for the Anchor Steam when it's on tap. Anchor Brewing has been putting out West Coast craft beer for over 100 years, and has a true regional loyalty. Likewise, the Nationals, regardless of whether it's Bryce, Zimm, Stras or any of their other superstars, encapsulate the energy and loyalty of their city. Shane: 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Goose Island Beer Company. 312 is an old go-to of mine. It’s easily one of my favorite summer beers, and my favorite thing about it is that just about every grocery store, convenience store, and beer store has it on the shelf. On a similar note, "on the shelf" also applies to what feels like half of the Nationals lineup. Stephen Strasburg is injured. Jayson Werth is injured. Wilson Ramos is injured. Daniel Murphy is injured. Bryce Harper is supposedly banged up. Ryan Zimmerman is ancient. This team is basically the walking wounded. But much like Goose Island, when they are at their best, the Nationals can go toe-to-toe with anyone. 312 is among the best summer beers around, and while one of its strengths is the fact that you can always find it on the shelf, the Nationals are probably hoping to avoid that description in the future. Los Angeles Dodgers Pete: Brawler, Yards Brewing Company. This is more a tribute to that ageless pugilist, the great Chase Utley. A team that preseason looked really good, and ended up winning the division in a way that few expected. Losing Clayton Kershaw for a good portion of the season, problems with Puig, and a lot of uncertainty. But this team just kept on fighting, and they went on to win the division in spite of all of this. This beer embodies that mentality of fighting through adversity and still coming out on top. It is one of my favorite session beers because it isn’t just a low ABV IPA. Its roasty a little citrusy making it that perfect combination of refreshing and drinkable. It may not have all the crazy hops and a ton of ABV, but it gets the job done. Just like this Dodgers team. York: City of the Sun, Modern Times Beer. I absolutely love Los Angeles. If only the National League would finally acknowledge that the DH makes the game better, I might find myself a Dodgers fan. I love how they acquire talent with seeming reckless abandon. See a good outfielder? “Good sign him”…”But wait we already have 5 starting outfielders”...”Whatever, we’ll make it work.” They Dodgers have an eye for talent and make good things work the best way. Kershaw goes down and Puig implodes? No problem, they still beat out the Giants for the division, all the while playing in a gorgeous city and what I think is one of the coolest stadiums out there. Modern Times makes beer. And roasts their own coffee. And barrel ages. And releases multiple new beers every month. These guys find something good and make it work in their lineup. I can’t get enough of that approach and have become a huge fan of what Modern Times is doing. Simple, classic art and branding does wonders for both the Dodgers and Modern Times, and the always-find-something-new attitude goes a long way with their fans. Shane: Voodoo Doughnut Mango Astronaut Ale, Rogue Ales. I don’t really understand the Dodgers. They are a hodgepodge of players who didn’t really work out elsewhere (looking at you, Adrian Gonzalez), who people thought were too old to compete anymore (looking at you, Chase Utley), who wildly exceeded expectations (looking at you, Kenta Maeda), and who are total and complete head cases (looking at you, Yasiel Puig). Their depth chart is basically a list of names that will make you go “oh yeah! That guy!” Howie Kendrick. Carlos Ruiz. Joe Blanton. Andre dang Ethier, you guys! But somehow they seem to make it work. And then there are the superstars--Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager can play for my team any day. What I’m trying to say is, the Dodgers possess incredible talent, but the way they’ve managed to put it all together absolutely baffles me. That’s about how I feel about Rogue’s Voodoo beer series. Rogue is an absolute powerhouse of a brewery, but some of these beers just make me scratch my head. Who came up with this idea? Who decided on these ingredients? Who gave it the green light? I don’t have answers for Rogue any more than I do for the Dodgers, but neither one of them seems to need my advice. I’d say they’re doing just fine. Don't forget to follow us on social media!
Facebook: Together We Drink Twitter: @TogetherWeDrink Instagram: @TogetherWeDrink Untappd: Together We Drink We love baseball. We love beer. In honor of the Major League Baseball playoffs, we thought we’d do something a little bit different. Just as every baseball team has a distinct personality, so does every beer. We put our heads together to come up with the perfect beer to represent each playoff team. Then, since we completely disagreed about every single one, we decided to do it this way instead. Texas Rangers Pete: Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery. This beer is consistent. It has been the beer of choice for many of the barbecue locations in DC, I always order it and it is always good. Goes great with smoked meat and is always better than I expected it to be. That’s the Texas Rangers in a nutshell. It has been a while since they were a basement dwelling team. Yes, they have not won the World Series, but they have been a consistent team for a long time now. They have lost their best pitcher and hitter to a division rival, and still managed to be productive and competitive. Just like Shiner bock. It’s never going to be the best beer in the world, but damn if it isn’t a consistent drinkable beer that goes great with everything. York: Ranger, New Belgium Brewing Company. Aside from the obvious shared name, New Belgium fits the rangers in a bunch of different respects. The one that really makes me correlate the two is how New Belgium is constantly doing collaborations, sharing barrels and experimenting to find the perfect lineup. The Rangers have been consistently contending for years because of that same mindset. One of the most active teams in terms of roster changes this year, the Rangers have mixed homegrown talent with signings of big names either for the bats or their attitudes. New Belgium is proud to collaborate and has their hands in all sorts of styles these days as a result. The Rangers look for pieces that fit at the time that works best and it doesn’t matter if they’re expensive, old, young, from a rival, or anything else as long as it pushes them in the right direction. Shane: Old Man, Southern Tier Brewing. I was actually going to say Shiner Bock for much the same reason as Pete, but he beat me to it. Instead, I’ll go with Old Man, a rich, dark, winter ale from Southern Tier. Southern Tier is a brewery that I have never been disappointed with. Their standard offerings are great, and their special offerings are better. But sometimes it seems like, thanks to their location in remote western New York, they don’t quite get the respect or attention they deserve. The Rangers are very much the same. This is a team that is in the thick of the playoff hunt year in and year out, but never seems to get any attention. Obviously Texas is far from remote, but the coastal bias of the baseball press seems to take its toll. So today I’m going to give them both some love. Why did I specifically choose Old Man? Well, just take one look at the core of this team. Cole Hamels, Adrian Beltre, Ian Desmond, and Carlos Beltran are aging superstars, and Carlos Gomez, Elvis Andrus, Shin-Soo Choo, and Jonathan Lucroy aren’t exactly spring chickens themselves. Sure, there are young guns like Rougned Odor and...actually, pretty much just Odor. I think the average age on this team is 50. Toronto Blue Jays York: It’s Complicated Being A Wizard, Burlington Beer Company. The Blue Jays constantly find themselves in a tough spot. That spot being the AL East. In terms of following, the Jays certainly take a seat below the Sox, Yankees, and probably the Orioles. Similarly, Burlington Beer is brewing in a region with craft beer MAMMOTHS like The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, Lawson’s, and all the other amazing beer coming out of Vermont. Nonetheless, Burlington embraces this and stays true to their own style in branding, brewing and venue. I went with Burlington’s Double IPA to honor the towering home runs the Jays seem to hit nightly. Neither the Jays nor Burlington are trying to disguise themselves as their opponents and by forging their own way have made it to the respective tops of their games! Pete: Habanero Sculpin, Ballast Point. This Blue Jays team is all over the place. They have a ton of great power hitters, decent pitching, and the ability to flame out and shoot themselves in the foot. That pretty much sums up Habanero Sculpin. Such a good base beer, hoppy, refreshing, citrusy, not too overwhelming. But it has some fire in it that can ruin your day. The first time I sampled it (SAMPLED), I spent the next day on the toilet as though I had consumed a dozen super spicy buffalo wings. This team has a lot of potential, some good parts, but there is just a little too much fire in it for me to stomach. They are matched up with a Texas team that has shown they can get under their skin and that does not bode well for the Blue Jays. Maybe a little too much habanero for them to be able to win it all this year. Shane: D.H. IPA, Henniker Brewing Company. Henniker is a brewery mostly known to those in the northeast, so it might seem weird to assign them to a team based in Toronto. But in this case, it just seems to fit. The Blue Jays are absolutely LOADED with players who seem destined for the DH position someday. Encarnacion. Bautista. Tulowitzki. Hell, maybe even Donaldson. So this designated hitter-themed beer just seems right. What’s more, this beer is strong. It’s intense. It has POWER, just like the Blue Jays lineup. I’m a Red Sox fan, and the idea of getting into a playoff slugfest with the Blue Jays both excites me and gives me nightmares. Clocking in at a respectable 8.5% ABV, Henniker’s D.H. IPA should both scare and excite you, too. Don't forget to follow us on social media!
Facebook: Together We Drink Twitter: @TogetherWeDrink Instagram: @TogetherWeDrink Untappd: Together We Drink We love baseball. We love beer. In honor of the Major League Baseball playoffs, we thought we’d do something a little bit different. Just as every baseball team has a distinct personality, so does every beer. We put our heads together to come up with the perfect beer to represent each playoff team. Then, since we completely disagreed about every single one, we decided to do it this way instead. Cleveland Indians Shane: Sculpin, Ballast Point. Just plain solid in every way. Ballast Point has done a lot of interesting things with their Sculpin IPA, adding fruit, adding spices, and generally tweaking the recipe every which way...and it almost always winds up being delicious. This is an Indians team that doesn’t have many bombastic personalities. They aren’t led by one single star. Instead, they’re a genuinely likable, team-first group of players who are fundamentally strong at just about every position. To me, that is what Ballast Point’s Sculpin IPA embodies. Sculpin, Pineapple Sculpin, Grapefruit Sculpin, Key Lime Sculpin, Mango Sculpin...no matter which one you reach for, you know it’s going to be solid. Pete: Burning River Pale Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Company. This team sums up the city of Cleveland, this beer sums up the city. Citrus, pine, a little bitter, easy to drink. This is a hard working team and a hard working brewery. Straightforward. Cleveland is Cleveland, and no one would ever mistake it for any other city. Cleveland has a history of poor performances in the playoffs, so this beer sums up the inescapable notion that no matter how smooth things are going, the river can always catch on fire. As my father, a native Clevelander, put it, "the river actually was on fire." Yup, that's how it goes sometimes. York: Fresh Squeezed IPA, Deschutes Brewery. Every time I have a beer from Deschutes, I'm reminded how much I like them. They make solid beer across the board and are constantly brews I go for in the fridge. The Indians are a team I don’t follow all that closely and rarely think of as a powerhouse, but somehow am also never surprised when they make the playoffs. Cleveland has a way of quietly climbing that list of contenders for the top spot much like Deschutes has continually impressed me with each release. I went with the Fresh Squeezed because it's one of the best iterations of a normal style I can think of. The Indians don't sign big controversial names or try to reinvent the wheel. Deschutes doesn’t follow the fads of fruits or flowers. Both have an aura of simple success and consistently solid top to bottom lineups. Boston Red Sox Shane: Rebel IPA, Samuel Adams. Obviously there's the Boston connection with Samuel Adams, but there are plenty of other reasons to choose this beer. Samuel Adams is basically the old guard of the craft beer scene. Like the Red Sox, they've been around along time. They're crafty. They know all the tricks. And they're led by a charismatic star. But the craft beer scene has changed, and Samuel Adams has shown a remarkable ability to change with it. Sometimes they throw a recipe against the wall and it doesn’t quite stick (Pablo Sandoval/Sparkling Ale). Other times, they step up and absolutely knock it out of the park (Mookie Betts/Rebel IPA). This Red Sox team is surprisingly likable, and a surprising number of fans who wouldn't usually root for a Boston team have admitted a grudging respect for this one. The Rebel IPA was a similar success for Samuel Adams, with even the most dedicated beer snobs acknowledging the quality of this beer. Pete: Fort Point Pale Ale, Trillium Brewing Company. This Red Sox team is not like the other teams. They are flashy, bold, new, exciting, and in your face. That's what this pale ale has done to the Boston beer scene. Big, hazy, fruity, cloudy New England style beer has similarly come out of nowhere to take over the beer world much like this Sox team. While there is this new guard, there is always a harken back to the old days. The old Fort Point neighborhood is well represented on this beer, and old reliable David Ortiz is still a big part of the ethos of this team. What could be better than a citrusy, tropical, fruit-forward pale ale that you can enjoy during a baseball game? Nothing. York: The Truth, Flying Dog Brewery. I love a brewery that just goes for it. Flying Dog is always pushing out something new with a bigger and bolder attitude. Beers like their Dead Rise (brewed with Old Bay), their Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout, and their Mango-Habanero Fever Dream prove that they aren't scared to go all-in at any given moment. Similarly, the Red Sox have shown a tendency to make blockbuster trades and signings to find the best way to succeed. That said, both the Red Sox and Flying Dog whiff here and there, but their fans are loyal because of the building blocks they use. Flying Dog has a long list of great IPA's that make up their backbone, just like the Red Sox have relied on guys like Pedroia, Ortiz, and Buchholz to make sure those risky ventures don't cause more of a shake up than intended. Flying Dog has art as distinctive as Fenway and The Truth has an ABV as high as the Green Monster. Don't forget to follow us on social media!
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