Game day beer picks: Syracuse vs. Notre Dame

In lieu of horrifying performances for the Syracuse Orange football team this year, the men’s basketball team is apparently dead set on forcing you to drink copious amounts of whatever the nearest adult beverage is this season (or at least ‘til Frank Howard gets back).

That football team, you need not be reminded, is currently 8-2 and sits at No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Up next, though, is a team that could potentially put a stop to the current four-game winning streaking: the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-0).

Things get started at 2:30 p.m. ET from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (and on NBC for those at home). That should be plenty of time to prepare yourself and your liver for what’s to come, good or bad.

No matter when (or if) you’re imbibing before, during or after this game against Notre Dame, see below for beer picks that are worth your while. You probably won’t be able to acquire at least one of these. Sorry in advance.

Notre Dame beer pick: Crooked Ewe Turtle Tamer IPA

There are only a handful of breweries in and around South Bend, Ind., but things have improved of late. Crooked Ewe is one of the better options in the area, with a collection of IPA, stouts and pale ales, plus other styles they’ll dabble in too (including a sour or two). Turtle Tamer is among the most popular IPA they have on draft — it’s brewed with Amarillo and Simcoe hops, providing a resiny, piney finish paired with plenty of floral notes. It’s less sharp than it is smooth, which potentially alleviates concerns from those who are less bullish on IPAs in general.

Syracuse area beer pick: Griffin Hill Farm Brewery Single Hop IPA Series

Griffin Hill is a small nano-brew out of Onondaga. They’re featured at the Farmer’s Market and distribute their brew in bombers. They source all their hops from their namesake farm. They’re also pretty damn good.They’ve been running a Single Hop series with their IPA that is reminiscent of what Prison City is doing with their 4-Piece, and Treehouse does with their Bright. The Centennial offering in particular seemed to get rave reviews, though I didn’t have it myself. If you’re around the market, it’s definitely worth a pickup. They’re also pretty adventurous, producing festbier, stouts, kolsch and farmhouse/saison style offerings.

Los Angeles Bronx area beer pick: Gun Hill Brewing Void of Light

With the game at a neutral site this week, I decided to forego the typical local (for me) L.A. selection and go with something more nearby for the actual game location. Void of Light is Gun Hill’s jet-black foreign export stout, bringing forward a strong helping of espresso flavor. It’s not smoky, as much as it is toasted and rich, with a smooth finish as well. Gun Hill makes all of its beer using ingredients from New York farmers. They also derive their name from nearby Gun Hill, which was a battle during the Revolutionary War. It’s not necessarily right next to the stadium if you’re looking for a spot to post up in advance. But if you can find a way, why not?

(also, consider this your pre-game jitters thread)