Game day beer picks: Syracuse vs. Clemson

Welp, things aren’t looking great for the Syracuse Orange football team, and this weekend’s matchup with the Clemson Tigers is unlikely to help matters. Clemson’s the No. 1 team in the country and just got done teeing off on Georgia Tech last week. SU, as you know, just got done suffering a miserable loss to Liberty. Cool...

Whether you’re imbibing before, during or after this week’s noon ET kickoff vs. the Tigers, we’ve provided some local and not-so-local beer recommendations below. Fair warning in advance: You won’t be able to acquire at least one of these.

Syracuse Area Beer Pick: Heritage Hill Sugar Shack Pancake Stout

Heritage Hill is one of the best hits in the county, as a farmstead brewery out in Pompey. I’ve had a few brews of theirs over the course, though not this one. At this point I’m actively seeking it out this weekend, since they just dropped their first can release. This screams taste of fall in upstate NY. Sugar bushes flowing and the syrup boiling. Maple, Tahitian vanilla, cinnamon, all blended with a milk stout. Seems like it will hit all the buttons. I’ll let you know if the game thread.If you get a chance to visit the brewhouse, it’s a great view, some good food. Overall great atmosphere. Take a quick hike at Three Falls Woods or Pratt’s Falls while you’re out in the area. Might as well have a solid relaxing local brew while watching this one.

Clemson Area Beer Pick: Keowee My Blood Runs Orange

We usually opt for something from Carolina Bauernhaus, but with a beer named “My Blood Runs Orange,” we couldn’t avoid Keowee. Located in nearby Seneca, Keowee brews a variety of different beers, including several IPAs (as most do today). This one’s named for Clemson, but since our (THE) Orange are in town, it seemed like a perfect choice. It’s a New England IPA brewed with blood oranges and clocking in at just 6.3% ABV, it’s also an incredibly crushable drink. Since blood orange flavor is pretty strong, the hops are definitely downplayed a bit. But for tailgating, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Los Angeles Area Beer Pick: Beachwood Melrose

Yes, we’re talking about a West Coast IPA. Beachwood’s Melrose is a resiny, tropical throwback of a beer that’s just... full, without being filling, if that makes any sense. It’s dank and citrusy, refreshing and dense all at once. The Simcoe and Amarillo hop bill is simple but does a lot. Even as Beachwood has managed to explore much further reaches of what an IPA can be, this is one of its original attempts, and one could contend it’s still among its best. This delicious beer is not just drank. It’s breathed in and enjoyed with each sip as it proceeds to lace your glass.

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What are you drinking (heavily) this weekend?