Preventing A Football Fail-Gate: Why Every Tailgate Needs Proper Beer And Wine Pairings

CONCORD, Calif., Sept. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On the football field, a good running game needs a strong passing attack, and a blitzing defense requires a strong secondary to be successful.  Off the field, a strong pairing is also essential to the tailgate, even though most weekend grillers inexplicably take a pass on considering what beers and wines will elevate their game-day feast.

Failing to tackle this oversight, tailgaters continue to relegate beverages to the bench, not realizing that the proper beer or wine pairings can be the highlight of the day. The weekend tailgate is unique in that it is typically the most time consuming meal, the most expensive one to put together, and the most social of gatherings for the week.  It's only natural to maximize the experience with proper pairings.

"After spending hours cooking and preparing a great tailgate spread, it's practically criminal to off-handedly say 'we need to buy some beer,' or 'we better get some wine' to wash it all down.  If you're going spend all that time on your spread, you should spend some time on your choice of beverages," says Mike Lee, a BevMo! Bevmoligist.       

Throwing some burgers on the grill and cracking open a cold beer is the easiest way to turn a tailgate into a fail-gate.  To prevent your tailgate from being offensive or incomplete, BevMo! wine and beer experts have teamed up to put together a roster of top flight varietals and promising draft picks to help the typical tailgate hit paydirt.

"Whether it's chili or cheeseburgers, pulled pork or pizza, take the time to complement these classic tailgate offerings with the right beers and wines to make them so much more delicious," says Lee.  "The right style of beer or the ideal wine varietal is the special added ingredient to any dish.  Unfortunately, tailgate chefs too often ignore this essential element."

To assist gridiron grillers, BevMo! wine and beer buyers suggest the following lineup of pairings for traditional tailgate food:

• Pizza – If it's Hawaiian style pizza, try Maui Bikini Blonde Lager, it's from Hawaii and, the sweetness in the malt goes well with the ham and pineapple. It also tones down the acid in the fruit. From the wine side, a Mederfil Lambrusco or the Cline Old Vines Zinfandel play well.
• Southwestern Style Chili – A cold brown ale, such as Big Sky Brewing's Moose Drool, is the perfect partner for this spicy dish because the malt and nuttiness of the beer balances out the spice and thick consistency of the chili. For wines, a "GSM Blend" (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) like the Crooked Path The Wanderer offers a medium-full body to stand up to the chili.
• Buffalo Wings – If they're Asian style, a white ale is ideal. Try an Alaskan White. For wines, opt for a Zinfandel if the wings have a BBQ sauce, or a Riesling if they're spicy. Zychronicity Zinfandel has the right balance of fruit. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Eroica Riesling is dry, yet has the right amount of residual sugar to play with the heat.
• Chips, salsa and guacamole – 21^st Amendment El Sully is the choice for these starters, as the beer has the light malty body with a craft hat-tip to a classic Mexican lager. A crisp white wine, like Silverado Miller Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, cuts through the fat of the avocado well. A Malbec, such as Tapiz, is a good choice if you like red wines.
• Pulled pork sandwiches – A porter style beer will complement the pork with its smoky flavors, and it could go with either a BBQ sauce or a tangy Carolina sauce. Try Black Butte Porter by Deschutes. An overlooked, but excellent, wine choice would be a Rioja from Spain, a Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva.
• Veggies and bacon and cheese dip – An IPA style beer is right at home here, Pizza Port's Dr. Swami's will do the trick. It will cut the fat of the bacon in the cheesy dip and leave your palate clean and wanting more. A Chardonnay or light bodied Pinot Noir work best because they'll balance out the flavors without overpowering the cheese goodness. Two choices: the Encore Chardonnay and Encore Pinot Noir.
• Burger with Blue Cheese – Athenaeum Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is the top choice for a wine pairing. A comparable beer would be the Revision Double IPA. It's hoppy, aggressive, and the right amount of malt.

About BevMo!
BevMo! is the leading alcoholic beverage specialty retailer in the western United States, with nearly 170 stores located throughout California, Arizona and Washington. BevMo! provides a uniquely friendly and welcoming environment for competitively priced alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The retailer also has a wide assortment of complementary products such as specialty foods and snacks, cigars, glassware and related bar and wine accessories. Its friendly and product-knowledgeable team members assist both enthusiasts and first-time buyers of wine, spirits and beer. BevMo!'s philosophy is simple: we help find the "perfect drink for every glass."  For more information, visit http://www.bevmo.com

SOURCE BevMo!