Sure, when it comes to the Super Bowl, the action on the field is most important. If it wasn’t for the two football teams battling for the Vince Lombardi trophy, there’d really be no reason to have a party. Honestly, what else in February would be worthy of a party filled with chicken wings, pizza, guacamole, chips, and various appetizers? Definitely not Valentine’s Day. In our opinion, it’s not a proper Super Bowl party without the right beer. But, how do you pick from a seemingly endless list of breweries?
Dean Hurst, a mixologist at Berns Steakhouse in Tampa Bay, Florida, has a simple, easy solution. “Pick your local brewery that makes a good, straightforward Pilsner or lager,” he says. “These beers are made to attract a wide swath of beer drinkers and are often pleasurable enough for the non-beer drinker, too.”
If lagers aren’t your jam, there are definitely a lot more options to quench your gridiron thirst.
That’s why we asked some of our favorite bartenders to tell us their go-to beers to pair with Super Bowl foods. We also went one step further and ranked them. Check them all out below.
Photo: Anna Bizon (Getty Images)
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Superbowl Beers
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12. Bitburger
“Bitburger is a fantastic Pilsner that is relatively easy to find, quite a few notches above your Budweiser or Miller, and is a crisp complement to all those wings and guac you'll be wolfing down.” – Jamal Granger, bartender at The Williamsburg Hotel in New York City
Photo: Bitburger
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11. Boulevard Ginger Lemon Radler
“I admittedly don’t have a lot of experience with Super Bowl parties, but the food seems to always be incredibly rich and often spicy. I’d personally steer towards a low ABV refreshing option like Boulevard’s Ginger Lemon Radler (for fresh and zingy with a wisp of sweetness) or Weihenstephaner’s Hefeweissbier for classic, clean, and wheaty.” – Rob Guimaraes, manager at Etch in Nashville
Photo: Boulevard
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10. Bud Light
“I'd grab a 48-pack of Bud Light. It's perfect for enjoying every down and great for the fun games that ultimately happen, like flip cup, beer pong, etc.” – Stefan Seecharran, head bartender at Brasserie Saint Marc in New York City
Photo: Bud Light
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9. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
“Honestly, I adore bringing big bottles of Belgian Style beer to parties. It feels so celebratory, and it helps that the beer styles found inside are really fabulous for Super Bowl foods. Spicy wings, nachos, chili? Get me a big glass of Trippel, please. La Fin Du Monde from Unibroue is usually semi-easy to find in more upscale liquor stores in big bottles. The fruity, light sweetness and baking spices in the flavor go great with anything spicy, and the slightly elevated alcohol levels brings extra cheer to the party.” – Evan Moore, beverage director at Cut DC in Washington, D.C.
Photo: Unibroue
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8. Miller High Life
“If I'm watching the game, I want to be drinking something that I don't even need to think about. For me, that's Miller High Life. Keep it simple. It's crisp, refreshing, low ABV and just an overall tasty beverage.” –Kyle Tarczynski, wine director at RPM Steak in Chicago
Photo: Miller
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7. Modelo Especial
“Ice cold Modelo in a can. You can pretty much always count on Super Bowl foods to be salty, spicy, or both. Mexican beer is made for that and Modelo is a little sweet and full of bubbles. Plus, with all that snacking and drinking for hours I like to avoid the microbrews that fill me up after one or two.” – Sarah Briggs, beverage director at Renata in Portland, Oregon
Photo: Modelo
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6. Montucky Cold Snacks
“Montucky 'Cold Snacks' Light Lager. It's the best alternative to light American beers. Easy drinking and full of happiness. You can drink a bunch of them while you munch on salty junk food and watch your team win. A proper sessionable beer.” – Chris Vicic, beverage director at Downtown Sporting Club in Nashville
Photo: Montucky Cold Snacks
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5. Old North Lager
“I love a nice craft beer. I'm showing up with a North Carolina brewed Old North Lager. It's clean and refreshing, you can drink it all day. It’s great with all the spicy and greasy Super Bowl fare, and I can yell ‘Gimme an oldie!’” – Jill Bulmash, lead mixologist at Monk’s Flask in Asheville, North Carolina
Photo: Old North
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4. Rodenbach Grand Cru
“Rodenbach Grand Cru. It’s a fantastic gold, red ale. It’s super dynamic; a third of the beer is younger, then two-thirds of the beer are aged in the barrel for three years. Great balance of freshness and sour cherry notes. I’ve drank a lot of these.” – Anthony Merlino, beverage director at Bergamo’s in New York City
Photo: Rodenbach
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3. Samuel Adams Boston Lager
“When it comes to pairing beer with Super Bowl foods, there honestly can be only one: Sam Adams Boston Lager, because deep down I'm such a homer.” – Chris Amirault, bartender at Otium in Los Angeles
Photo: Samuel Adams
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2. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
“Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is my go-to six-pack to pair with Super Bowl foods. It has light lemon and floral notes to it that makes it easy to pair. Let’s be honest: we are all indulging on unhealthy eats for Super Bowl Sunday, so this less-sharp palate is an easy pairing for wings, pizza, chips and salsa that we love to eat while watching men tackle each other.” – Yotam Bloom, beverage manager at Refinery Rooftop in New York City
Photo: Sierra Nevada
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1. Stella Artois
“I'd probably stick with a good lager, something with flavor, but low enough on the ABV that your guests survive the game. A couple of good ones that are somewhat easy to find are Stella Artois and Yuengling, but there's a great German style Helles coming out of Altstadt Brewery in Fredericksburg, Texas, that I would recommend for any party, anytime.” – Natasha DeHart, founder and master blender of BENDT Distilling Company in Lewisville, Texas
Photo: Stella Artois
