Game day beer picks: Syracuse vs. Louisville

It’s time for another season opener for the Syracuse Orange folks. I know it seems like this offseason has lasted forever and now you have to learn new players and a new playbook and hope we can win in an opener against an ACC foe while navigating the hardest schedule the Orange has had in ages, but lets forget about that for a while and talk about beer.

It’s fair week, but it’s a primetime game. Apples aren’t ready to be picked yet. There’s no excuse to not get up to the hill this weekend and enjoy some food and beverage in a parking lot with your favorite Syracuse fans. If you’re doing that you should maybe swing by our friends over at Branching Out Bottle Shop in Camillus. They’re going to help us out with some picks this year since we lost a Cassillo in the offseason.

Louisville (related) Beer Pick - Springdale Not Stirred

Louisville is home to the one and only Kentucky Derby. What’s about as Kentucky as that? A mint julep. It may not be from Louisville, but Springdale Brewery, the offshoot of Jack’s Abbey has had a go at taking the famous cocktail and putting a beer spin on it with Not Stirred, their mint julep oak-aged sour. The golden ale is aged on mint in former bourbon barrels. If that doesn’t say Kentucky (while being made in the Boston metro), I don’t know what does.

Syracuse Area Beer Pick - Saranac Black Forest

I’m a sucker for it every time I see it, and it’s increasingly rare, but Saranac’s Black Forest is a great drinking schwarzbier that was one of the originals in the Central New York craft beer scene. It’s now only available in mix packs, in this case, the 12 Beers of Fall mix pack. With it, comes the 1888 Octoberfest which is a solid offering, especially this time of year, their Pumpkin Ale, which isn’t too crazy as far as pumpkins go, and their Honey Pils, which I haven’t tried yet, but when you add honey to a pilsner it’s probably not a bad thing. I do miss the Haus Lager that they had in there last year though... I’m a sucker for a Helles.

Random Beer of the Week - Zywiec Porter

In truly random fashion I’m opting for a Polish Baltic Porter. Actually found it down at Branching Out the other week (they still have some, unless I go get the rest) but it’s an easy drinking porter, that somehow clocks in at 9% ABV. While gameday this week, in the high 80s, won’t be the best idea to throw one of these back, they cellar well and are pretty darn delicious, as is their flagship lager.

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How about you, though? What are you drinking this weekend?