Game day beer picks: What to drink for Syracuse vs. San Diego State

During football season, we checked in on beer every week, but it’s not that easy during men’s basketball. With the Syracuse Orange playing the San Diego State Aztecs in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, though, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to talk drink recommendations — especially with a great beer city/county on the opposite end of this matchup.

This list is far from exhaustive, but we wanted to offer up some options from both locations, with Steve handling the CNY options and John providing the San Diego beers.

(via Buried Acorn)

Buried Acorn Vincent B3

The third iteration of Vincent, a wonderfully flavored beer/wine hybrid aged in local red wine barrels with the Buried Acorn house yeast. The bottled version of batch three is a blend of barrels from batches one, two and three. One of the best from Buried Acorn and great to have it available bottled for the time being.

Prison City Work Work Work

An unfiltered pilsner with Palisade hops, this go-to from PCBC has a great balance and consistency that the Orange will need heading into Friday’s matchup. It’s become a must-grab four pack when at the brewery. Work Work Work is an apt name for what Syracuse has done these past few weeks to put them into the field, as well as what the team needs to do to continue to make a run this season.

Modern Times Star Metal Ultra

This one may lose some of you, but Star Metal Ultra is a fantastic mega berliner weisse that clocks in at 7% ABV. it’s loaded with blood orange, pineapple, guava, and hibiscus — though oddly tastes like hoppy grapefruit juice as a result. It’s an easy drink that’s tropical, citrusy and refreshing. Perhaps it seems out of place in the midst of a Central New York winter. But on this end, it tastes like a bitter and not-to-sweet foray into summer.

Pizza Port Jetty IPA

Rather than dig into San Diego’s deep cuts across its many breweries, one of Pizza Port’s best IPAs seemed like the best one to feature in this space. It’s a traditional West Coast that’s light, citrusy and a burst of flavor with every sip. Simcoe, chinook, cascade and amarillo combine to create a beer that provides equal notes of fruit and pine. It’s not necessarily dank, which is fine. It’s just a great and highly recommended take on the style that’s a fantastic example of what West Coast IPAs can be.

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Have any Syracuse-area or San Diego-area beers that you’d recommend (or are even drinking this weekend)? Share your own picks below.