Game day beer picks: Syracuse vs. Bye Week Fightin’ Byes

The Syracuse Orange football team faces off with the hated rival Bye Week Fightin’ Byes on Saturday. Some of you may be taking the week off as a result, but that doesn’t mean beer consumption needs to taper off while you enjoy... whatever else you do with your time besides watching SU football.

No matter when you’re drinking on Saturday, 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.

Bye Week Area Beer pick: Allagash Hoppy Table Beer

Bye Week has no home stadium, so we opted for a beer that you can find pretty much everywhere in America. Allagash has a slew of great brews, but of their staples, Hoppy Table Beer is a surprising winner due to it successful simplicity. Table beers are traditionally low-ABV Belgian options that used to be brewed “for the table.” This one takes that concept and makes it hop-forward without being overpowering at all. It’s crisp, clean, delicious and you could very easily mow through a bunch without feeling any effects thereof.

Syracuse Area Beer Pick: (Various)

Beer also takes a break for the bye week. I’d like to take this week to highlight the local pilsners that have been so instrumental in the Syracuse and Central New York region over the years, primarily Congress, Haberle Congress, Utica Club and Genesee. Congress and Haberle Congress we’re both recently brought back after years of absence and give the immediate Syracuse area a lager to call their own. Willow Rock worked with the Onondaga Historical Society to bring back the classic Congress recipe and the Haberle family brought back their version of the same beer. Utica Club, was the first beer sold in the US after prohibition was lifted. It has been sold in various iterations for all of the years since in the Utica area and beyond. FX Matt also brews the Saranac line of beers. The western reaches have always been served by Genesee and their products. The Brewhouse there is actually putting out some solid craft offerings as well. All in all, there can be a time to take a break and grab a local lager. The bye week seems a great time for that.

Los Angeles Area Beer Pick: Arts District Traction IPA

Couldn’t go the entire article without mentioning an IPA... Arts District is (appropriately) in L.A.’s Arts District and the hip spot is spacious, filled with games and also some high-quality beer. Traction is one of their long-standing entries in the market, spotlighting Mosaic hops while tasting primarily of tropical fruits. The grassy and resinous aroma hints at the crisp and hoppy IPA you’re about to consume. It’s one of the better West Coast variations of the style brewed locally here.