Men's Journal: The Beers for Football Tailgates

Beer Luvvas,

Men's Journal has another Best Beers segment this month: The Best Pregame Brews!

Like my previous MJ posts (summer, beers of the world), I have some issues with their selections, and I'll provide some other options.

For a Noon Kickoff

• Men's Journal: Blue Moon Belgian White - It has substance without being filling, and it walks that fine line between sweet and sour. Add an orange wedge garnish and this beer becomes a perfect part of a complete breakfast. It's practically good for you, like a grapefruit wrapped in a salad. But tastier.
• Hops & Barley Blog: Guinness - Although my father had a nasty old T-shirt for working in the yard that depicted an immense man pouring Original Coors over Cheerios and declaring it The Breakfast of Champions, I have to go with Guinness. It's black creaminess is also surprisingly light. It's low in ABV so you can have many before kickoff and still remember your fight song. And the creamy head from the nitro-can will give your stomach a little TLC from the party the night before.

For a 4 PM Kickoff

• MJ: Corona - In the heat of the midday sun, you want an easy lager you can drink a fair amount of without feeling full, a beer that will quench your thirst after an impromptu touch football game as well as put out the fire of spicy wings. Bonus: Unlike most beers, Corona maintains its clean taste whether it's ice-cold or not.
• H&BB: First, Corona only qualifies for ASU & Phoenix Cardinal Pregames in August & September, otherwise it's a waste of a great reason to drink beer! I'll have to go with a Growler or two from your best local. There's plenty of time before a 4pm kickoff to get 'em filled on the way to the stadium. Since Freebird and I still live in AZ, we'd pick up a couple brews from San Tan Brewing: Big Red Ale for her, and Hopshock IPA for me - until Oct - Jan when I'd go with Gordo Stout. If we were back in PDX, the options are too many to commit to this blog but if I could get some Double Mountain, I'd do it!

For an 8:30pm Kickoff

• MJ: Yuengling Black & Tan - A night game calls for a darker brew, and you can't go wrong with a classic b lend from America's oldest brewery. With enough body to serve as an appetizer but still light enough to pair with a main meal, Yuengling sets the stage for... What was that? The game's already stared? Ah, hell crack open another.
• HB&B: Now the 8:30pm game calls for two different beers: the pregame beer, and the postgame beer because you know when the game's over you're not goin anywhere but home by the time you get out of that parking lot. Pregame - Alaskan Amber - Two fold, one it's getting colder as the sun goes down so you'll want a beer with some body, and two late kickoffs means a full meal and there's nothing better than Alaskan Amber Beer Brats! Postgame - For the non-driver: The Abyss! What else would be better sitting in front of the dying coals in the grill whether drowning your sorrows from a nail-biter loss; or enjoying smugly after a thrilling drubbing of your most hated foes!

Prost to Football Season!