It’s the most exciting time of the year for football. The first round of the playoffs certainly delivered on that, and the next round is chock-full of great matchups. When you get to spend Saturday and Sunday watching football all day, it’s important to have the perfect gameday grub to keep you fueled through the action and some ice-cold Dogfish Head beers to wash it all down.
With football, food, and beer on our minds, we started to think: what are the best gameday foods, and what Dogfish Head beers would pair well with them? We also decided to assign football positions to each beer – because every snack and beer pairing brings a unique skill set to your football-viewing experience.
Here are our personal favorites:
Blue Hen Pilsner = Running back
This is the workhorse. When you need to gain yardage and kill time, you run the damn ball. Blue Hen is a crisp and refreshing lager that you can drink all day because you know it gets the job done every time.
And when you just need a quick bite of something delicious, there’s nothing more tried and true than a crunchy tortilla chip dunked into a spicy salsa or creamy guacamole. I could chip and dip myself to death – just like a running back eating up yards all day.
120 Minute IPA = Offensive weapon
Picture Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, or whatever the Saints are trying to convince us Taysom Hill is. He’s your Swiss army knife on offense. He can do it all. If you’re a true hophead like me, you want to go all in with an IPA that’ll knock your socks off and is unlike anything else out there.
I’d pair this special beer with a special treat. Picture a giant, warm, soft pretzel dipped into the gooiest beer cheese dip. Heaven. You won’t find beer cheese everywhere (especially if you don’t live in the Midwest), but it’s a must-eat when you can find it. If you’re making beer cheese dip correctly, you want the flavors to be strong, bold, and a little funky in the best possible way.
Citrus Squall = Offensive lineman
This is the heavy lifter. The o-line is known for being big and strong, just like the gusts of citrusy hop and grapefruit aromas that come from Dogfish Head’s new Citrus Squall. The linemen work double duty on run and pass protection, while Citrus Squall combines a double golden ale and a Paloma cocktail for a one-of-a-kind beer experience.
Those bright, tart citrus flavors are blended with just a hint of sweetness and pair perfectly with your heartier football foods like chicken wings or tacos. Trust us. It slaps.
90 Minute IPA = Tight end
The offensive line may be home to some of the heaviest hitters on the gridiron, but you don’t want to overlook another formidable threat in the form of the tight ends that can pack a similarly hefty punch. The same can be said for the 90 Minute IPA, the iconic 9% brew that’s been one of the stars of the Dogfish Head rosters for over 20 years.
The deliciously hoppy and malty 90 Minute IPA pairs extremely well with pulled pork sliders that are the perfect mix of sweet and savory. I mean, what’s better than a generous helping of sweet, tangy, saucy pulled pork between two golden brown buns followed by a sip of ice-cold IPA? The answer is nothing.
60 Minute IPA = Kicker
Kickers tend to be a fairly underappreciated group of players. However, a great kicker can be the difference between Big Game glory and a crushing defeat.
Even the best kickers sometimes get overlooked because they play second fiddle to more prominent positions like the quarterback. You might think the 60 Minute IPA would play second fiddle to the 90 Minute IPA since it’s the sequel, but you’d be dead wrong. There’s a reason this perfectly hoppy and citrusy IPA has become the best-selling beer for Dogfish Head.
That’s also the case with a spicy seven-layer dip, which a lot of people take for granted but should never be ignored. That dish is defined by a combination of salty and tangy flavors that make it an incredibly natural partner for 60 Minute. When you get the chance to try it alongside a tortilla chip stacked with the requisite ingredients, you’ll immediately understand why.
SeaQuench Ale = The versatile slot receiver
Most football fans are likely familiar with the “deceptively athletic” wideouts who’ve been able to carve out a spot for themselves with a skillset that tends to fly under the radar but allows them to step up in some fairly clutch moments to generate a huge play.
In a lineup of beers, sours can be a deceptive choice, but the flavors always deliver. That’s the case with SeaQuench Ale, the incredibly crushable sour that has become one of Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione’s go-to beers since the first batch was unleashed on an unsuspecting world in 2016.
Pair it with a choice like crab cakes or a simple shrimp cocktail – deceptively delicious options that a lot of people wouldn’t consider a gameday go-to. Both offer a bright seafood flavor that’s a natural partner for SeaQuench. After all, the beer was designed specifically to pair perfectly with any seafood dish.
Whatever your choice of game day grub, make sure you enjoy it with an ice-cold Dogfish Head beer.