A lot of beer will be bought and chugged this Super Bowl Sunday.
Most of this beer will be generic: Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller High Life, all those cases that are stacked in the entrances of grocery stores across the US from corporations that spend zillions on advertising (especially during the Super Bowl).
You know these brands well. You’ve passively learned to trust them. It’s the type of beer that you just drink automatically, with little consideration for taste, because it gets the job done and a lot of the time there are no other options.
But why be boring? This is a special day and you can experiment a little bit. Go ahead—tour the world!
When you go on your Super Bowl grocery haul, linger among the freezers a little longer, browse the shelves for a moment, read about some other beer brands.
There’s so much variety in the beer world, and you can’t go wrong with a US craft beer. But make the evening a bit more interesting—go global.
Here’s some beers from around the world that you can probably find in a store near you:
Beerlao (Laos)
From Brendan Walsh, whose Global Citizen interview you can read here:
“It’s Southeast Asia in a bottle, brother. Crisp, bitter and super refreshing. Perfect for a sunset on the Mekong, or with ice sitting on a plastic chair by a dirt road.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, pair with chicken wings.
Kingfisher (India)
From Beer Advocate:
“A nice, refreshing beer that may not wow the IPA hop-head crowd, but delivers a decently crafted lager experience for those seeking a mild, refreshing, malt-forward beer.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, pair with nachos (The spicier the better).
Singha (Thailand)
From Beer Advocate:
“A clear light bodied golden yellow beer with medium carbonation. The aroma is mild with a major part being malt and grains. Has a mild flavor of barley and grain with a modern aftertaste. A great session beer.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, pair with some spicy vegetarian chili.
Sapporo (Japan)
From Beer Advocate:
“A clear gold with a dense, white head that falls off to a ring slowly, this looks great! The nose is rather inoffensive. A mildly sweet, faintly hoppy, lemony character is present with some polished rice. Clean. The palate opens crisp if a bit watery, spritzy, a little lemony, a little earthy. No off-flavors. A little watery on the finish, but still quenching. Among the better pale lagers out there. Solid.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, pair with some avocado rolls.
Radeberger (Germany)
From Beer Advocate:
“Overall this beer is very enjoyable and is very representative of what a German pilsner should taste like.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, pair with some veggies: red peppers, broccoli, carrots, etc.
Estrella (Spain)
From Beer Advocate:
“Taste is very pleasant, bringing up an indescribable berry taste almost. Very crisp finish, with some of the fruitiness sticking around after. This is a very enjoyable lager.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, pair with some nuts.
Modelo (Mexico)
From Beer Advocate:
“This is my favorite light beer to drink with Mexican food. Looks like a good quality light beer. Not much aroma but the taste is good without even coming close to getting in the way of the flavors of whatever Mexican food I choose to eat. Mouthfeel is light with a quick finish. Overall it is nothing special on its own but it's exactly what I want out of this type of beer.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, pair with some chips and guacamole.
Super Bowl Sunday is a time to feast and then dread the fact that you have work the next day. Millions of Americans gather around flat screen TVs in bars and living rooms to gorge themselves, watch commercials, make fun of The Patriots and pray that a blizzard buries the roads Monday morning.
It’s also a time to drink beer. And since the game happens once a year, branch out from your typical beers and try something new.
In fact, start a tradition—from now on make your Super Bowl a bit more global by bringing a beer from abroad into the mix.