Game Day Beer Picks: Syracuse vs. Clemson

So this season has gotten weird, in the best way possible. The Syracuse Orange are bowl bound, they’re undefeated heading down to a Top 20 matchup in Death Valley against a Clemson squad who frankly scared the hell out of us on paper at the beginning of the year and now looks like we can at least give them a game. It’s a nooner on ABC... If you called any of this at the start of the year, go home, you’ve been tailgating too hard.

Either way, we did our weekly thing with our friends at Branching Out Bottle Shop in Camillus and found you all some tasty surprises to kick off your breakfast tailgates with. (Apologies for the somehow sideways pictures)

Syracuse area beer pick - Bullfinch Brewing - Rickle Pick

This should not be good. This is good. A cucumber pickle gose with a Rick and Morty reference is the winner from the newest(?) brewery on the Syracuse scene. Located in the former Gordon Biersch in the mall, they have started to put out some seriously solid options off the bat. I wouldn’t have expected this to work as well as it did. Interesting mouthfeel, nice bite and a great light finish.

Clemson area beer pick - Westbrook Brewing Co. - Fluffer Nutter Shake IPA

I don’t know what this is. I don’t know why it works, and if you want beer flavored beer, this isn’t it, but it really does function as a delicious option. Westbrook has always been quality and their gose is one of the standby options I’ve always gone with in the summer for a traditional german style salted gose. It’s great. This is great. Enjoy it.

Random beer of the week: Norwhey Nordic Seltzer

Yes, I know, it’s cheating, it’s not a beer. But they’re really good if you don’t like the crazy carbonation of a “traditional” seltzer and want the mouthfeel of a beer, it’s well worth a shot. Brewed using strained skyr yogurt offcast whey, it’s a unique look at the new fangled seltzer concept. Brewed right here in Upstate NY in the Cazenovia area, and along with Willow Rock’s Leaf, they’re looking like they’re making a bit of a local influence on a differing style of seltzer. Is not beer. Is good.

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So, what are you drinking?