By Maryse Chevriere
TheDailyMeal.com
There are people who go to football games to watch the game, and then there are people who go to pig out on some good grub, drink beer, and get caught up in the excitement of being among the fans.
 |
| Slideshow: Eight Great NFL Stadiums For Beer Fanatics |
Of course, these days, there are those that straddle both categories — who devote their attention to the plays and what's going down on the field, but who also want a truly great beer to whet their whistle (lest they need to yell indignantly at the ref for a bad call). Outside of the stadium, the attention to good food and drink has always been quite clear, what with tailgating fare achieving legendary status in many places. But inside a great deal of stadiums now too the game has really been stepped up — especially when it comes to the beer selection.
Forget the big-name macrobrews -- at places like the San Francisco 49ers' Candlestick Park and the Washington Redskins' FedEx Field, the focus is on microbrews and providing a sizable selection of bottle and draft beers.
Inspired by Esquire's 2010 "NFL Stadium Food Power Rankings," we decided to take a look at the football teams whose stadiums have beer programs that are truly worth rooting for. You have to figure at least that with a good beer in hand, both victory and defeat are easy to swallow (well, kind of).
Heinz Field
Steelers: Cheering Steelers fans can keep their throats from going hoarse by guzzling locally brewed Penn Pilsner and Iron City.
MetLife Stadium
Giants, Jets: Taps at this young stadium feature Stella Artois, Sam Adams, Hoegaarden, Guinness and hometown favorite Brooklyn Brewery's Brooklyn Lager.
Bank of America Stadium
Panthers: Given that nearby Asheville, N.C., has been called an American craft beer hot spot by experts like Joshua M. Bernstein, it's not too surprising that Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium plays host to a number of top-notch local brews. Panther fans can sample craft beers from Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (the flagship Copper is particularly popular), Skull Coast (the hopped-up Maelstrom IPA is a great option for bitter brew fans), Foothills Brewing, LoneRider Brewery and SweetWater Brewery.
Lambeau Field
Packers: It should come as little surprise that Wisconsin-brewed Leinenkugel ("Leinies" for those that know it well) fills the taps here, helping keep Cheeseheads in high spirits. But beyond that, fans can also enjoy beers like Johnny "Blood" Red and Railyard Ale from Green Bay-based Titletown Brewing Company.
Click here for TheDailyMeal.com's complete slideshow of great NFL stadiums for beer fanatics.
More from TheDailyMeal.com:
-- Best Athlete-Endorsed Sports & Energy Drinks
-- 20 Best Bars For Beer Drinkers
-- How Your Beer Koozie Says What You Can't
-- 12 Bars With Ridiculous Names
Related Stories On ThePostGame:
-- The Death Of The Beer Line
-- Salute To Beer Swigged By Our Sports-Loving Dads And Granddads
-- Beer As Performance Enhancer?
