Burger + IPA (India Pale Ale) Style Beers
Of course, right? Burgers are a bit on the heavy side, though, which is why should should sip an IPA as you chomp it. The hops in an IPA act as a digestive (which is why they can upset your stomach if it’s empty). It’s going to help you break down that protein and fat, so you’ll be ready for dessert later.
Hops-heavy IPA-style beers in Australia include Murray’s Spartacus and Moylan’s Hopsickle (both Australian) in addition to Fuller’s Bengal Lancer (British), Sierra Nevada Torped (American).
Pizza + Red Wine
Pizza is perfect for you and your merry group of ruffians on game day. It has a lot of flavour, and so must your drink. It’ll pair nicely with a cabernet sauvignon, a red zinfandel, or a chianti.
Nachos + Mead
Stay with me here. When you order fondue in Switzerland, you’re generally advised to drink white wine. There is a chemical interaction that helps make all the cheese more digestible. You know what else is very cheesy? Nachos, baby. They’re also liable to be spicy. For that reason we recommend a sweet white wine which will help stave off some of the mouth-burn associated with a jalapeño that stowed away on your chip. The only thing is that white wine isn’t very… football, y’know? That’s why I swapped out the white wine for honey wine, a.k.a. mead. It tastes very similar, but it’s much better for berserking. For whatever reason, mead is inherently cool, and you can find it at most liquor stores these days.
Christmas Pudding + Scotch
Dessert! Left overs! Try it with some scotch. For stuff that’s overwhelmingly sweet, a good scotch will have a smokey peat flavour that will really balance things out. The full experience will create a comforting, warm belly feel, which will help relax you during those final, stressful minutes of the game. This is a nice pairing with straight up chocolate, too, and you can also give it a whirl with cognac.
Chips/Pretzels + Ale
Think Smiths, Ruffles, etc. It’s what your brokeass friends are most likely to bring, and it’s a solid performer in the casual munching category. Chips are packed full of salty, intense chemicals flavours that can overwhelm your tastebuds. Drink a light beer with it and you’ll think you’re sipping club soda. Instead go for a full bodied ale. Something darker, with robust flavour. The bitter and salty flavours will complement each other nicely.
Wings + Frozen Margarita
Mmmm hotwings. Dripping with sauce, packed with spice. Aww, a little too much spice, big guy? It’s cool. Whip yourself up a frozen margarita in the blender. The cold will help soothe your burning mouth and the sugar will help neutralize the spice from coming back. Until you eat another wing, that is, then the ride begins anew. A piña colada will work, too, if that’s how you roll, but you are not allowed to put an umbrella in it.
Pork Rinds + Michelada
These American-style chips are hard to find, but the crunch is satisfying. Bonus: greasy film it leaves in your mouth is pure nasty. Cut through it with a Michelada. It’s just a light Mexican beer with lime, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, etc. (here’s a nice recipe). The citrous and bubbles will help cut through the grease and it’s quite refreshing. I actually prefer them to Bloody Marys. Google around, you can definitely get this stuff in Australia.
Beef Jerky + Bourbon
This is for when you’ve hit carb-saturation, but you still want to be eating and drinking. Beef jerky’s flavour has a way of really lingering in your mouth, which gets old after a few minutes. That’s why washing it down with a glass of sweet bourbon is such a treat. The strong flavours of the bourbon will overwhelm the jerky residue, and the higher proof alcohol will help strip the fats out of your mouth. That and it won’t make you much more full than you already were.
Hotdogs + Crap Light Lager
Meat product, sodium, and nitrates, all rolled into a tube. Hot dogs dry you out and leave a super salty taste in your mouth. You should really drink water when you eat them, or you could drink the next best thing: light beer. Or “lite” beer, rather. Hahn Premium, James Boag, Cascade, whatever.
Image credit: Shutterstock/Hannamariah