NCAA Tournament Beer Guide: A local brew for every team. Please read responsibly
By Brian Hamilton and Eamonn Brennan
7h ago
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The NCAA Tournament is a month’s worth of emotional overload. A bright, shining star we can’t help but stare at. It will consume the universe for the next month.
And those who watch along may consume some frosty refreshments. Which brings us to the question we ask every spring: What’s the best beverage to pair with watching every team in the field of 68?
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That’s right: Welcome to The Athletic’s third-annual men’s NCAA Tournament Beer Guide.
For three Marches now, we’ve reached out to local breweries with one question: If you could drink just one of your beers while watching the NCAA Tournament, which would it be? Occasionally, we were able to test the product and provide a mini-review of our own. For journalism.
Some notes on the process:
• The breweries chose the beer. We repeat: THE BREWERIES CHOSE THE BEER. Please direct your ire in the comment section accordingly.
• We’re trying to avoid repeat appearances from 2021 and 2022, but sometimes it happens. And not every brewery responded to us. For these reasons, or others,
your favorite spot may not appear here.
• If we couldn’t reach a brewery to rep a specific entrant, we chose an interesting one nearby and wrote about what we’d like to try. (Those selections you can put on us.)
• Yes, we know two teams lost on Tuesday night in Dayton. But we’re toasting their achievements nonetheless.
And now? Let’s drink to the Madness …
Alabama
The brewery: Black Warrior Brewing Company
The beer: Crimson Ale
This selection is a bit of a hit over the head; of course it’s called “Crimson Ale.” But by all accounts, this is a very strong Irish-style red ale, from a place – owned by three fellow former co-workers at a tire manufacturing plant – that has become a Tuscaloosa go-to since it opened in 2013. The Crimson Ale is “packed with English malts and roasted barley, this ale is bursting with toasted flavors and just a hint of sweetness to the finish,” according to Black Warrior, which sounds as distinctive as Alabama’s pace-and-space style of play.
Arizona
The brewery: Borderlands Brewing
The beer: Horchata Cream Ale
Anytime there’s a beer that sounds like dessert, you have to try it, right? Horchata is always something worth tasting. Here’s what the menu says about the Horchata Cream Ale: “A combination of cinnamon, lactose, and almond in order to recreate the refreshing creamy dream that is a nice big glass of Horchata. Notes of crisp biscuit & churro.”
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They had me at churro. Horchata and churro, two of the best post-dinner treats I’d be looking for in Arizona come together in this beer that is 5.5 percent ABV. And if it’s a hot day in Tucson, this beer is ideal and one I’d definitely want to sample. There’s also the German Chocolate Cake Porter (7.3% ABV) since we’re on a dessert kick at Borderlands.
We’ve been assured Arizona Wilderness’ beers are equally good in front of a television as they are when standing in a stream. (Courtesy Arizona Wilderness)
Arizona State
The brewery: Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
The beer: Don’t F— It Up blonde ale
When explaining why this is the beer of choice, head of marketing Zach Fowle starts with this: “It has the word f– in it.” Full marks there. But there are actually other beverage- and community-related reasons, which in the end are probably better reasons. “It’s made with Sinagua Malt, which is grown and malted in Arizona and enables farmers to switch from high water-use crops like corn and alfalfa to barley, saving millions of gallons of water for the state every year,” Fowle said. “It’s flavored with Rango Honey, made in Tempe by a company that offers job training for adults with Autism.” So, yes. Don’t f– around. Drink this beer.
Arkansas
The brewery: West Mountain Brewing
The beer: Blood Orange IPA
Fayetteville has been a sneaky strong entrant in the previous two iterations of the Beer Guide. There are a lot of well-regarded spots serving good stuff before and after Eric Musselman’s crew takes the floor. There’s even a Fayetteville Ale Trail website if you’re inclined to make a field trip. To change it up this year, we headed to West Mountain, which is a short walk from campus proper. We’re not sure if the Raspberry Stout is available currently, though we’d indulge if we did. Safer to plan to go with the Blood Orange IPA, which at 5.9 percent ABV can be an all-day or all-weekend friend.
Auburn
The brewery: Resting Pulse Brewing Co.
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The beer: Mango Madness sour
A year ago the Tigers entered March with huge expectations, only to be left drowning their sorrows in their pint glasses when Miami ran them out of the arena in the second round. Bruce Pearl’s club is back, as a No. 9 seed with very little external expectation of a deep run. But this is Madness, and this is Mango Madness, which features mango at the front of the palate and a blackberry finish. It’s also within a hair of a 4.0 rating on Untappd.
Baylor
The brewery: Bare Arms Brewing
The beer: Block 5 Rye IPA
Bare Arms’s Jill King has a motto: drink what you like. “I don’t want to send you Waco’s favorite beer,” she said. “I want to send you something you like drinking.” Thus was the prompt of this exercise turned back around on us. We went with the Block 5 Rye IPA, named in honor of the latest version of a SpaceX rocket; a good rye IPA can be hard to come by, but this one is well-reviewed, not least of all by the owner, Kevin Yackley. “Great choice,” King said.
Eamonn’s note: Jill was helpful enough to send out a crawler of Block 5 for me to sample, but unfortunately a shipping delay meant it didn’t arrive by the time I had to travel for NCAA Tournament duties in Sacramento this week. I’ll circle back to this file and update the review as soon as possible. For journalism!
Boise State
The brewery: Lost Grove Brewing
The beer: Robot Squid Hazy IPA
Boise State starts this event as a borderline top 30 team in KenPom.com’s rankings, and its first-round opponent, Northwestern, is not exactly without flaws. And the Broncos made the field of 68 last year, too, so there shouldn’t be many jitters. What we’re saying is, a beer that’s the classic definition of an easy-to-drink hazy – brewed with El Dorado, Citra, Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops, checking in at 5.6 percent ABV and 35 IBU – could be a worthy companion on a Boise State run. “This super juicy, delightfully tropical brew is balanced with a great hop aroma and smooth finish,” Lost Grove’s Haley Robinson said. “It’s dynamic enough to keep you interested and crushable enough to keep you coming back for more.”
Charleston
The brewery: Revelry Brewing Co.
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The beer: Poke the Bear pale ale
This hoppy American pale ale is a flagship offering at Revelry, which offers a super cool rooftop bar that has us realizing we need to do more Charleston basketball stories. Like really dig in. Find out what makes the place tick, and so on. Only way to do that is to be on campus. That’s just good journalism. “This pale ale is perfectly balanced between Northwest Pale malt and classic West Coast hops to provide a snappy, easy drinking beer for a Charleston summer,” Revelry’s Ryan Coker said. Probably works for March, too.
Colgate
The brewery: Bullthistle Brewing Co.
The beer: Embrace the Haze IPA
Not a lot of options within the immediate vicinity of Hamilton, N.Y., so the continued success of Matt Langel’s program is making this more of a challenge year after year. So we head down Highway 128 to Sherburne, a short 11-mile hop, where Bullthistle’s Charlie Anderson recommends the brewery’s well-reviewed New England-style IPA.
Farm to glass IPAs? Yes, please. (Courtesy Hop Culture Farms)
Connecticut
The brewery: Hop Culture Farms
The beer: Juicy in the 860
Hop Culture Farms in Colchester, Connecticut, is more than just a brewery: It’s also a working farm, and in fact it started entirely as a hop farm selling to soap companies and other breweries, before owner and lead brewer Heather Wilson took her home brewing habit and went pro. Now, the beers are flowing, with all hops grown on site, and the farm has become a hub for local events, live music, food trucks and the like. Wilson is also a UConn grad. “We like to say that we take beer from farm to glass, and take pride in the fact that every beer I make has hops grown and cultivated on our farm,” Wilson said. “Juicy in the 860 is one of our flagship New England IPAs. It is unfiltered, pulpy and juicy with notes of passionfruit and mango. As a UConn alum I am honored to be representing the UConn men this year. For me this beer represents the culmination of hard work, tenacity and perseverance that it took to follow our dreams of opening this farm brewery. These are similar characteristics that the UConn men embody when they take it to the court.”
Creighton
The brewery: Lumen Beer Company
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The beer: Over & Back, High Dive
The Over & Back and is a 5.8 percent Hazy IPA packed with citra and cashmere hops. It’s light enough that you can drink several without forgetting who won the game. Or if you’re more dating, there’s The High Dive at 8.5 percent. Either way, both beers are hoppy and tasty, Lumen reports to us.
Drake
The brewery: Confluence Brewing Co.
The beer: Downtown Throwdown American Pale Ale
We are fans of Des Moines here, and especially fans of stopping by Confluence’s taproom whilst in town. This selection happens to be a collaboration with local sports radio station KXNO and will be released on Wednesday, according to taproom manager Mark David — just in time to be consumed all month. Confluence calls it a “medium-hoppy” selection and the 5.6 percent ABV isn’t prohibitive. The description is best left to the brewery: “This highly drinkable pale ale is built on American two-row barley malt with a little English crystal malt. New Zealand Rakau hops score with their trademark fruity flavors and aromas and high-quality bittering properties. An assist from Nelson Sauvin hops rounds out the flavor profile.”
Duke
The brewery: Durty Bull Brewing Company
The beer: Extra Crispy pilsner
Based on how the young Blue Devils are coalescing and performing lately, it might be a longer stay in March than most might’ve expected a few months ago. Best to stick with the 4.5 percent pilsner for the duration. “The perfect beer to enjoy at all hours of a 12-hour hoops marathon,” as taproom manager Andrew Pava puts it. “My go-to beer here at Durty Bull,” sales manager Ryan Bennett says. “It’s dry, infinitely crushable, and yes, incredibly crispy. It’s perfect for kicking back and enjoying a beer or four with friends.”
Fairleigh Dickinson
The brewery: The Alementary
The beer: Sportsball dry-hopped IPA
Sure, the Knights might’ve preferred to leave no doubt by winning the NEC tournament outright. But nobody is complaining about the reclassification technicality that precluded Merrimack from securing the league’s automatic bid, which then went to the other team in the tournament final. And, look, they were Fairleigh close anyway: It was a one-point game. So, yes, stop by this brewery just across the Hackensack River and apologize for nothing. “Sportsball is our homage to the fans, making it the perfect choice for crushing during the tournament,” says “Brewer Nick,” by way of COO Blake Crawford. “This IPA is hopped up with Simcoe and Amarillo for loads of refreshing citrus flavors but only weighs in at 6.2 percent ABV, making it possible to enjoy more than one.”
Hamilton’s tasting notes: “Dry-hopped” has become a bit of a tornado siren for me. Sometimes it’s great. Sometimes it turns a beer into a thick, stomach-distending fruit bomb. Sportsball happily falls into the “great” category. There’s a fantastic balance with those citrus notes and then the dryness at the finish, which reminds me I’m drinking an IPA. Give me at least a hit of that bitterness every time.
Florida Atlantic
The brewery: Barrel of Monks
The beer: Single in Havana blonde ale with guava
Old world meets new world. A Boca Raton brewery specializing in Belgian-style beers and a men’s basketball program returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. The Owls are hot. So, too, is Florida, as Barrel of Monks owner Kevin Abbott notes. So it’s probably a good idea to keep a 4.5 percent ABV ale on hand. “Our pick is a refreshing clean, tropical ale to crush while rooting on the Owls,” Abbott says.
Furman
The brewery: Liability Brewing Co.
The beer: Mortal Wombat IPA
The Paladins are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 40-plus years. The recommended beverage features hoppiness but also flavor notes of orange sherbert, papaya and orange rind. If we might be so bold as to continue the play on the Mortal Kombat video game franchise: FINISH IT. “It really hits all the points of what IPA is nowadays,” head brewer Jared Tuttle says. “Little bitter, little juicy, and drinkable. We use some old-world hops in new world ways bringing notes of mango, melon, and orange citrus. Honestly, I can’t wait to kick back, watch some hoops, and share a few Wombats with my friends.”
Hamilton’s tasting notes: Those orange notes come through loud and clear on the pour. Generally, I am not a fan of overly fruity and hazy IPAs; if I want a glass of orange juice, I’ll drink a glass of orange juice. This is very, very much not that beer. At all. Mildly opaque and there’s absolutely that bite at the end of each taste that I’m looking for. But before that, it’s a seriously smooth sip. There’s even the slightest hit of creaminess that comes and goes quickly – there just to help the beer slide on down before it’s gone, too.
Grand Canyon
The brewery: Greenwood Brewing
The beer: Emera Easy Hazy IPA
With a taproom in downtown Phoenix open since 2019, Greenwood is a brewery with a mission to brew beer inspired by women and empower women in the industry. “I believe people need to encourage each other and share with each other in order to create change in their lives, and craft beer can be a vehicle for culture shift,” is how founder Megan Greenwood puts it. We are happy to support those ideals, and a beer described as “tropical and light” is a nice bonus. “It’s heating up here in Arizona and we want to reach for a cold one with purpose,” head of sales Lisa Greenwood said. “Emera is our activity beer. She has a perfect balanced and delicious citrus flavor with a 3.6 percent ABV that leads you to grab for another (and another) throughout each half.”
Gonzaga
The brewery: Iron Goat Brewing
The beer: Lucky You Czech Pilsner
A place with a cool backstory always works. The building that Iron Gate sits in used to be a school for mechanics in Spokane. Now it’s a place mechanics might show at the end of a shift to relax.
The Iron Goat describes the Lucky You Czech Pilsner as a “crisp and refreshing czech pils” that will end up being one of your favorite beers. Why? The lager has “a subtle floral aroma and a clean, malt flavor, with just a hint of fruitiness. It finishes with a soft, clean, spicy bitterness that invites you back for more.”
It’s 4.8 percent ABV, which makes sense for it to be described as subtle and clean. Not too heavy and something I’d sample while watching Gonzaga.
Going to Houston for the Final Four? Hang out on the 1971 Final Four court and drink a Cougar Paw at 8th Wonder. (Courtesy 8th Wonder)
Houston
The brewery: 8th Wonder
The beer: Cougar Paw
The rest of this bracket will have a hard time matching the snugness of thematic fit here: 8th Wonder, located in Houston not far from the UH campus, was founded by two Houston grads, Ryan Sorotka and Aaron Corsi, who met at school and formed an underground brewing club. Corsi still teaches brewing and distilling at the university. The taproom features the center circle of the court from the 1971 Final Four, which was played at the Astrodome. And the beer is a subtle red ale “designed to enjoy a few while watching the Cougs.” “Humbly, I would say we are the perfect pick for this,” Sorotka said. No argument here.
Howard
The brewery: Right Proper
The beer: Baron Corvo
Howard is in the NCAA Tournament! It’s the first time since 1992, which even for a mid-major that has to win its conference tournament every year is a long time to go without an appearance, but Kenny Blakeney’s gradually more competitive Bison have earned their reward for two years of outlier success. Blakeney was 4-29 in his first year; he’s won 38 games in the past two. Time to raise a toast, then, and what better choice than a brewery most easily accessed off the Howard U stop on the Green Line in D.C. Right Proper’s taproom in Shaw neighbors Howard; it’s one we’ve visited many times, though we’ve never had the well-reviewed Baron Corvo, which sounds like a complex, almost mercurial beer fitting its complicated namesake. (If in doubt, you can’t go wrong with Raised By Wolves, one of the best pale ales anywhere.)
Illinois
The brewery: Blind Pig Brewing
The beer: U of IPA
After a couple years of poking around for the somewhat-less-on-the-nose selections in the greater Champaign area, we go with a mainstay. A warhorse. The downtown brewery with a beer named after the school it represents here. “Our flagship ale uses a blend of four different hops to balance out a malty backbone,” Blind Pig’s Andrew Gravlin says. “The Citra and Galaxy hops lend it a notable juicy citrus aroma.” Want more? Let’s say you’re not someone who can house a lot of 6.8 percent IPAs. Well, there’s now U of IPA Game Day, a session beer checking in 5.3 percent ABV.
Hamilton’s tasting notes: Samples of each version arrived just in the nick of time. That said, I have been to Champaign more than a few times in my life. I have enjoyed Blind Pig’s offerings before. U of IPA is not a mystery to me. It’s probably not a mystery to anyone who has gotten this far in an Illinois blurb. But it was nice to be reminded how easy it is to drink. Meanwhile, the Game Day version doesn’t lose much of the profile despite the lower ABV.
Indiana
The brewery: Upland
The beer: Breaking Away
When Upland Brewing opened in 1998, the idea of a thriving local Bloomington craft beer scene would have seemed as silly as the idea of Indiana being coached by someone not named Bob Knight. Things have changed plenty in Bloomington since. But 2023 feels a bit like the good old days, what with an No. 4-seeded Indiana team playing sound defense, making perimeter shots, and featuring Trayce Jackson-Davis – now one of the program’s all-time greats, and an old-school interior big man par excellence – as its lodestar. There are newer, trendier options in Bloomington (we highlighted Switchyard a year ago) but there is no beating Upland for consistency or familiarity. Breaking Away – a lemon and ginger ale that uses a “locally sourced yeast strain that produces a mild tartness to the finished beer” – is one we haven’t tried, and sounds like the perfect choice for a fresh spring day spent watching Indiana men’s (and women’s!) NCAA Tournament hoops.
Iona
The brewery: 18th Ward
The beer: Tricycle Path
Those readers more familiar with the Brooklyn location and assuming we just picked some random New York brewery – there’s a location in New Rochelle! There is also the Tricycle Path, which 18th Ward describes as “another brew of our favorite style – Italian Pils.” Italian pilsners are profoundly underrated, if you ask us, something we always want to have, regularly overlook, and eventually come back around to, a little bit like high-major programs considering Rick Pitino for a job this spring.
Iowa
The brewery: House Divided Brewery
The beer: Back in Black black IPA
We head north of Iowa City to the town of Ely for a backstory worthy of March Madness. Cal Corrin was a homebrewer for a few years when he and his wife, Lisa, posed for a Christmas card picture bedecked in the colors of their respective alma maters: Cal in Iowa State gear, Lisa in an Iowa Hawkeyes shirt. Hence the name of the nanobrewery. Back in Black is the “brew that will never die” according to the in-house description, with the hoppiness of an IPA mingling with the roastiness of a stout. You can make the trek and get cans and growlers to go, too, no matter where your allegiances lie. “I will still root for the Hawkeyes,” Cal Corrin says, “if they’re not playing my Cyclones.”
Iowa State
The brewery: Alluvial
The beer: Daily Phantasm
“As an ode to Iowa State’s long history with agriculture and bioengineering, we thought we should showcase a more experimental beer,” Alluvial owner Elliot Thompson said, and yes, please, continue: “It bursts with notes of passionfruit, guava, grapefruit, mango, and orange. We’ve also added Phantasm, the powderized dried skins of New Zealand Marlborough sauvignon blanc grapes, to the whirlpool. We then ferment with Omega Labs’ Helio Gazer, a gene edited yeast strain that can take advantage of Phantasm’s abundance of precursor compounds to create highly aromatic thiols.” OK, so this sounds like the kind of thing you actually need a degree in bioengineering to totally grok, but we’re betting it tastes fantastic as a result. And anyway, as a paean to this Iowa State team – compiled from returning players and veteran transfers to form a mixture no one was quite sure would work this well in the first place – it makes plenty of sense.
Kansas
The brewery: 23rd Street Brewery
The beer: Wave the Wheat
I’ve been to Kansas a couple of times. Never thought about wheat, wheat fields or the like. Perhaps that’s why Wave the Wheat caught my eye. It’s one of 23rd Street’s four flagship beers and is described as a “uniquely refreshing wheat ale made from Malted Wheat and German grown Munich malt. The sweet wheat malt flavors and the unfiltered flavor of yeast esters are accompanied by just a touch of Hallertau and Willamette hops.”
It comes with a “light grain, wheat” aroma and a ‘dry, crisp, sweet wheat, low hop” flavor and 5.2 percent ABV. The Rock Chalk Raspberry Wheat stood out on the menu based on its name, too. But I tend not to be a fan of fruits like raspberries in this case.
Kansas State
The brewery: Manhattan Brewing Company
The beer: Tang Party
Tang Party! Guys, it’s called Tang Party. You can probably guess where this is going: Tang Party was very much brewed in honor of first-year Kansas State coach Jerome Tang, and that’s a pretty good indication of the kind of impression Tang has made in year one. Knocking off Kansas in Manhattan, telling the fans who just rushed the court “I told you we were going to get you one court storming, but from here on out, expect to win” – these are the kinds of things that make fans want to run through a brick wall for you. Or, you know, create beer. There’s a double-meaning, too: “This dry hopped tangerine sour has been loaded with tangerines and dry hopped Cascade hops,” says Jake Voegeli, the brewery’s director of sales and marketing, and also a former Kansas State football player. See? Tang Party.
Eamonn’s tasting notes: Good. Really good! Fruit-forward (even juicy IPAs, but especially the intentionally fruity stuff) is not always my thing, and I feel like I can go either way on sours generally, but this is a fantastic balance – you get the tangerine up front, yes, but the lemony sour finish brings it down on the back end, such that you don’t feel like you’re being overwhelmed with tangerine or sweetness. Delicious.
Kennesaw State
The brewery: Burnt Hickory Brewery
The beer: Didjits Blood Orange IPA
Only fitting that Kennesaw State’s remarkable rise – one win in 2019-20 to a No. 14 seed in this NCAA Tournament – is represented by a brewery with ties to the school. Burnt Hickory CEO Brandon Baessler is an alum and still remembers the days when the school offered free concessions to get people into the stands. “There is a lot of pride in this year’s tournament surrounding Kennesaw State this year,” Baessler said. “Our beer is brewed to be the best, and our Didjits is a reflection of that constant need to improve. Coming in at 7% ABV it contains powerful citrus aromatics, blood orange and pine resin with a juicy hoppy finish on the palate. It is both refreshing and crushable… just like Kennesaw State’s opponents.”
Kent State
The brewery: Madcap Brew Co.
The beer: Gold Flash golden ale
Before we get to the beer, a bit of info provided by a colleague from another organization over the weekend: Kent State coach Rob Senderoff is a huge Pearl Jam fan. In another universe, there is an NCAA Tournament Band Bracket, and the entry for the Golden Flashes is a no-brainer. So, too, is the beer choice, as it happens. Madcap drew inspiration from the school’s nickname for its golden ale and sold the beverage at Kent State events pre-pandemic. “Running the risk of sounding cheesy, we would have to say we’re drinking Gold Flash, our Munich Golden Ale,” Madcap’s Kyle Mullen said. “A light, sessionable ale that is low in alcohol. We have such a great relationship with Kent State University, and this is our ode to their athletic program.”
Kentucky
The brewery: Country Boy
The beer: Cougar Bait blonde ale
Now, the name alone is hilarious. It would be even better if the Wildcats were playing a set of Cougars in Round 1 and not the Providence Friars. It’s hard to go wrong with a blonde ale like this that is 4.9 percent ABV if you’re trying out something new, which is why this got the nod over the equally entertaining name Shotgun Wedding (5.5% ABV), vanilla brown ale. These are the Country Boy core brands, started by four friends who love craft beer.
Louisiana
The brewery: Adopted Dog Brewing
The beer: 337 blueberry blonde lager
The only brewery located in Lafayette and less than a month old, in fact. So there’s not a lot of evidence to go on, but owner Ryan Pecot guessed the flagship 337 lager might be the best-seller once business started picking up. And he has been proven right. “It is a very approachable blonde lager that we infuse with blueberries about halfway through the fermentation process,” Pecot says. “It is super light and crushable, which makes it easy to drink while watching any Ragin Cajuns games. We do drop some fresh blueberries in the beer after we pour, which eventually sink to the bottom when finished. Nothing like beer-marinated blueberries to finish off a pint.”
Maryland
The brewery: Streetcar 82
The beer: Just Ridin’ Along
This one is for the local heads; Streetcar 82 doesn’t can any of its beer, so you can only get it in their taproom, which is a converted garage in Hyattsville, Md., just south of College Park. “We’re a true nanobrewery,” co-owner Mark Burke says. He recommends the Just Ridin’ Along, one of their most popular beers (and one soon returning to Streetcar 82’s taproom). It is is an ode to weekly community bike rides near the brewery. “It’s a hybrid of an IPA and a lager,” Burke said, “with loads of citrus from the hops in the crisp beer of a lager.” Good for tournament viewing, good for a post-ride sip, good for watching the tournament all day after a morning bike ride. Insert why not both meme, etc.
Marquette
The brewery: Good City Brewing
The beer: DDH Spare Time
With multiple taprooms throughout the greater Milwaukee area, Good City Brewing aims to be convenient for everyone. And for a program revitalized under Shaka Smart, a No. 2-seed potentially headed on a long run this month we need something crushable and hitting the right notes whether it’s a mid-afternoon tip like that first-round game against Vermont or a late-night game in the Final Four. So let’s go with DDH Spare Time, a 5.4 percent IPA with a juicy, citrusy profile.
Memphis
The brewery: Ghost River Brewing
The beer: Aquamane
The relationship to college basketball here is tenuous, but Memphis Grizzlies star Steven Adams was once a college basketball player, after all, albeit one whose career was brief and only modestly impactful; Adams arrived to one of Jamie Dixon’s very good Pittsburgh teams with a lot of hype, averaged seven points and six rebounds as a freshman, and then peaced out to the NBA, which seemed like a bold decision at the time, but ended up turning into a very lucrative (and very charismatic!) professional career. He even got a beer named in his honor. Anyway, despite all the early recruiting hype, it turns out Penny Hardaway’s teams play with much of the same grit and grind ethos as the best pro Memphis groups, and this 7.2 percent IPA reportedly packs a solid punch.
Miami
The brewery: Epoca Brewing
The beer: Blushblush sour Berliner weisse
Swept the general area and didn’t hear back from multiple breweries themselves, but Epoca seems like a spot that can be none more Miami: Its home base on the north side of the city “marries classic Belgian Taproom aesthetic and South Beach Art Deco motifs. And while there’s a lot of good stuff to choose from, the Blushblush caught our eye, merging raspberry and blackberry and lime coming in at 5.8 percent ABV. That sounds tasty, and it seems like pretty much the exact beer anyone in Miami would consume while watching Miami.
Fritts Lager is here to get the job done this month. (Courtesy Old Nation Brewing)
Michigan State
The brewery: Old Nation Brewing
The beer: Fritts lager
“When sitting down to watch the tournament,” Old Nation chain manager Jonathan Cole said, “I’m not trying to get complicated with my beer choices.” Uncomplicated: An ethos befitting Tom Izzo. A Helles-style lager checking in at 18 IBU with a 5.5 percent ABV is certainly straightforward and capable of enduring … which is also very Izzo-like. “I’m in for the long haul watching games from early afternoons into the evening and reaching for something not too strong or heavy, not too sweet or rich, and not overly dry or bitter,” Cole said. “A great German lager is like a great loaf of bread: You can get nerdy on the yeast, grains, flavor profiles and technique, but in the end when you bite into it you just appreciate that it is delicious.”
Missouri
The brewery: Broadway Brewery
The beer: Flor Blanca
Missouri is not front of mind when one is looking for a Mexican-style lager. That’s why when it was presented it caught my attention. It’s “brewed with flaked corn and a touch of Flor Blanca Mexican sea salt.” That’s just enough midwest flavor to go with a Mexican-style lager that I’d give it a try. When in Missouri, one should try something with a bit of corn to it, right? It’s one of Broadway’s year-round styles. It’s 5.3 percent ABV figures to make it light enough to enjoy while watching the Tigers, especially on a hot day. Seems like an ideal beverage to pair at a watch party with some nachos.
Mississippi State
The brewery: 1817 Brewery
The beer: Helles Belles Welles lager
The Maroon and White are beloved at this spot located a little less than an hour north of Starkville. The cowbells are therefore beloved, too, by Kem Coleman, Jr., 1817’s owner and a Mississippi State grad. “Mississippi State Bulldogs love it, everyone else hates it,” Coleman Jr. says. “Just part of being a Bulldog, I suppose.” So Helles Belles is unleashed in an homage. Coleman Jr. describes it as “crushable with enough crystal malt to be hearty yet smooth,” and at 5 percent ABV it can be a partner all the way through March.
Montana State
The brewery: MAP Brewing Company
The beer: Party! Mexican lager
Love us some Bozeman. The problem is that the rest of the world also figured that out, too, but we imagine it’s good for beer business in this town. We also imagine that because there are a ton of breweries in the area. With views of Glen Lake and the Bridger Mountain Range, MAP is probably worth a visit. And the beer choice will hold up all weekend long. “It’s crisp and easy-drinking, with a hint of honey-like sweetness, a little hint of corn on the aroma, and a nice dry finish,” said MAP’s Loy Maierhauser. “We love it because it goes with pretty much any basketball-watching snack you can think of, and at 5.3% it’s a great beer for when you’ve got a few hours of games to watch.”
Nevada
The brewery: Lead Dog Brewing
The beer: Citra Solo IPA
Well, hey, it’s Nevada! Reno 9-1-FUN, am I right? Not too many people figured we’d see the Wolf Pack in the bracket, and frankly, we didn’t expect we’d be able to locate a brewery at the last moment to rep Steve Alford’s crew. But we’re just blowing up one expectation after another here. Citra Solo is Lead Dog’s flagship beer and comes in six-packs – most of Lead Dog’s selections are the 16-ounce 4-packs – so it’s a good one to share. “Boasting loads of citra hops, you are guaranteed a refreshing sip every time, not one of those extremely bitter IPAs,” is how Lead Dog puts it. Sounds like one that can make it out of the first weekend, even if Nevada doesn’t.
NC State
The brewery: Nickelpoint Brewing Company
The beer: Pacific Plunge West Coast-style IPA
One of the originals in what’s becoming Raleigh’s Brewery District, Nickelpoint had us at “biergarten space outfitted with a giant projector screen to watch sports on.” Not sure there’s a better way to watch the Wolfpack, or just the tournament in general, than playing foosball or ping pong outside while drinking a beer as a massive screen shows basketball games. Hand us a dry-hopped West Coast IPA and leave us be.
Northern Kentucky
The brewery: Wooden Cask Brewing Company
The beer: The Scotsman Scotch ale
We’ll stay on the Kentucky side of the river here, despite the bevy of options across the water in Cincinnati. Wooden Cask is all-in on honoring traditional English pubs, in which case we’ll abide by the mission statement and order The Scotsman. At 30 IBU but packing a potent 8.5 percent ABV, it will get any fan of the Norse where they want to go by the time the matchup with No. 1 seed Houston – gulp – is over.
Northwestern
The brewery: Hubbard’s Cave
The beer: Eyes of March German bock lager
Stay with us here, as we draw a picture from personal experience. If you’re looking for actual in-Evanston options, you’re pretty much down to two: Sketchbook Brewing and Temperance Brewing Co. Both are great. Both have enough variety to please a crowd. If you’re a little more ambitious (and hungry), we recommend the seven-mile trip to Niles, Ill., and a brewery tucked along West Gross Point Road. Hubbard’s Cave is prolific. There is barrel-aged beer. There are hazy IPAs. There are saisons, pilsners, stouts and sours. And lots of choices of all of them, and they’re all good. We only highlight the Eyes of March because, well, duh. There’s also a pleasant outdoor seating area and a kitchen that churns out some pretty good BBQ on-site. Hubbard’s Cave requires a commitment to get there, from just about anywhere, but the effort is rewarded.
Oral Roberts
The brewery: Nothing’s Left Brewing Co.
The beer: Salted Watermelon Crusher fruited gose
It’s not quite summer, and it’s not quite time for beers on the lawn or the lake … but it is the sweetest time of year. So why not go with a fruity option? And for those who are hesitant – and for whatever it’s worth – Salted Watermelon Crusher has a 3.8 rating on Untappd with 900-plus reviews. “Salted Watermelon Crusher is a summer lover’s dream,” co-owner Lacy Richards said. “A light gose packed with watermelon plus a splash of salt makes this the most crushable beer you can find in Oklahoma.”
Penn State
The brewery: Antifragile Brewing Co.
The beer: Gameface American pale ale
We brought in a local expert to point us in the best direction here: Audrey Snyder, The Athletic’s Penn State writer. We’re glad we did. Audrey let us in on a secret. “Antifragile opened in downtown State College about a year ago,” she said, “and it’s the best beer in town.” That’s high praise. We’re therefore guessing both the quality and composition of Gameface make it ideal to consume while watching Jalen Pickett back down another defender into oblivion. “Gameface is a heavily dry hopped hazy pale ale, clocking in 5.6% ABV, making for a perfect gameday crusher,” co-owner John Schaffer said.
Pittsburgh
The brewery: Allegheny City Brewing
The beer: Oceanic IPA
Allegheny City Brewing founder Al Grasso suggested this beer: “It’s a hazy IPA. Very fruit-forward. It’s our most popular beer. The name is because the hops highlighted are from the Oceania region of the world — Galaxy, Motueka, Citra.” At 6.5 percent ABV, it’s good for a short time or a long March run.
Princeton
The brewery: Twin Elephant Brewing Co.
The beer: True Believer American IPA
So here’s the thing: We reached out to Twin Elephant to represent a different New Jersey institution we figured could be in the field. It is not. Geographically speaking, Twin Elephant’s home – Chatham, N.J. – is closer to that institution. But co-owner Tim Besecker was nice enough to help out and this isn’t his fault. Therefore, Princeton is represented by an IPA with label art worked up by a tattoo artist who also plays bass for the punk band Bouncing Souls, who collaborated with Twin Elephant on this beer. Which, in the end, is pretty perfect after all. “This beer has great drinkability for the ABV and bright, rounded fruit notes from the aggressive dry hop,” Besecker said.
Large Drink lager is made for long days watching hoops. (Courtesy Moniker Brewery)
Providence
The brewery: Moniker Brewery
The beer: Lager Drink lager
The Friars are a tricky team, seemingly capable of out-toughing people on their way to the Sweet 16 … but they’ve also lost four of their last five entering the NCAA Tournament. If you’re optimistic, though? Or just want to have a trusty companion for long days of basketball viewing? A crispy corn lager that is sessionable and more or less designed for all-day drinking does the trick. “March Madness, if going well for your team, should be a marathon not a sprint,” co-founder Bryan Benedict said. “So you need a beer that will allow you to make it deep into the tournament with your wits about you. Lager Drink is that beer. This pre-Prohibition corn lager clocks in at 4.8% and will be your nervous companion as the Friars make their run this year.”
Purdue
The brewery: People’s Brewery
The beer: Clean Waters IPA
For two years running, we’ve had a heck of a time getting West Lafayette breweries to respond to us, which is why we’re branching out with our own pick here. People’s Brewery is practically the unofficial brewer of Purdue; it is owned by Purdue grads, and makes both Boiler Gold and Boiler Black Ales in partnership with local farmers and the university, which researched the ingredients. But that would be too easy, too obvious, so we’re going with the Clean Waters IPA, proceeds from which support the conversation of local Indiana waterways. You need water for beer! True story! Anyway, at 4.7 percent, with “pilsner malt, caramalts, melanoidin, and mild malts (which) add subtle flavors,” this would be our first choice at a stop to People’s to watch some ball.
Saint Mary’s
The brewery: Canyon Club Brewery
The beer: Gael Ale
This beer is brewed especially for the school and can only be purchased at Canyon Club and Saint Mary’s sporting events. So what’s better to have for the Gael’s latest tournament appearance? You’re getting an English-style golden ale that’s made with English Malts and hops. This British Isles-style Pale Ale’s 5.4 percent ABV is low but with a “balanced hop profile.”
Canyon Club owner Kevin Hamilton said the Gael Ale is his “obvious choice” for the bracket. Of course it is, it’s the beer of Saint Mary’s.
San Diego State
The brewery: Helix Brewing Co.
The beer: Stoner Moment
Sometimes the name is enough to make you pause, and give something a try. Even if you’re not a fan of IPAs. It sounds like something home-brewed in a frat house. At 7.0 percent ABV, it might not knock you off your feet, but the name and brewing process scream college fun, as Helix describes it:
“Brewed without a written recipe, this hop rotating IPA is packed with 7 different hops including … uh … Stoner Moment.”
Sounds mysterious. I’m not really sure what to expect. Just what might be needed for the NCAA watch party. Helix’s beer list presents a variety of unique options. That doesn’t even begin to get into the Sourworx Beers, a collection of sour beers, if that’s your thing.
When one finds themself in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, indulge in a local Frog Bones. (Courtesy Many Good Things)
Southeast Missouri State
The brewery: Many Good Things Brewing
The beer: Frog Bones Imperial IPA
One of the best parts of this enterprise: researching some of the automatic bid-winners located in the nooks and crannies of college basketball and finding out that a brewery exists there. Such is the case with Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Many Good Things Brewing, which opened in 2021 and is situated about a mile and a half from the Redhawks’ home arena. Our only warning is to not get too ambitious with the consumption of Frog Bones, lest you miss the bulk of March. Heed the words of owners Andrew Stewart and Ray Perez: “Frog Bones is a West-coast style Imperial IPA with an ABV of 8.5% and a staggering 161 IBU. The balance of malt, hops and ABV produces an amazingly smooth and easy-to-drink beer. It’s the favorite of IPA lovers in Southeast Missouri.”
Tennessee
The brewery: Ebony & Ivory Brewing
The beer: Honey Blonde ale
It’s only the second Black-owned brewery in the state of Tennessee and its mission of inclusion and diversity might be useful this month. When you sit next to someone on a barstool or a couch and start to get very angry that their team is beating your team … well, remember everyone can enjoy the madness of it all nevertheless, right? “The Honey Blonde is a 6% ale brewed with raw honey and copious amounts of honey malt,” co-owner Mitchell Russell says. “We feel this beer is light-bodied, crispy, well-rounded, and extremely crushable for courtside sippin’, your favorite barstool or grilling out with your buddies at home. “
TCU
The brewery: Neutral Ground Brewing Company
The beer: 820 Roundabout Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
The Horned Frogs have been almost great under Jamie Dixon, so it is fitting that the choice is named after what head brewer Stan Hudson calls the “traffic-laden almost-loop around the majority of Fort Worth.” TCU very well might eliminate all doubt this month. This will require a couple weekends’ worth of brews, so what Hudson calls a “true pub pint” probably serves you well for the long haul. “The all-UK malt bill brings in flavors of wonderful caramels, toffees, and roasted/toasted nuts that blend to bring a warming flavorful malt body into delightful balance with the spicy and floral notes of the UK Challenger and East Kent Goldings hops,” he says. “Hints of berry and dark fruit sneak through in the esters. The body of this beer does not weigh heavy upon the drinker. It asks for another pull.”
Texas
The brewery: Austin Beerworks
The beer: Pearl Snap
There is, of course, no shortage of brewery options in Austin, and surely no shortage of overly complex, complicated, heavy triple milk stout IPAs (or whatever) that could have emerged from our search. But we’re happy with Austin Beerworks’ more straightforward choice: a classic German-style Pils. “Every bright, clean sip tastes like the very first time,” director of hospitality Kindsey Bernhard says, which is the right sort of vibe on a 12-hour day of watching hoops. It’s also a fitting choice for this particular Texas men’s team, which could have succumbed to the complications of their season but has kept things simple and effective all year long.
Texas A&M
The brewery: KinderHill Brew Lab
The beer: Justice of the Unicorn Italian pilsner
Big school. Small brewery. But some very interesting selections, if you want to swing by and load up on a couple crowlers or growlers to slake your thirst whilst the Aggies are at play. (Or perhaps a bottle of the This is Our Fancy Beer Imperial stout.) But the in-house choice is the Justice of the Unicorn. “It’s a very crisp and refreshing Italian Pilsner that is hot side hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and then dry hopped with Hallertau Blanc,” KinderHill’s Laura Hill says. “These hops lend light floral and white wine notes to the finished beer. We chose this beer in part for it’s lower abv and drinkability, which helps make it the beer we are always reaching for to quench our thirst.”
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
The brewery: Lazy Beach Brewery & Cafe
The beer: Islander Waves Kolsch
Not too many options to choose from in Corpus Christi – one of the more well-regarded spots, Lorelai Brewing, still distributes but closed its taproom in early February – but Islander Waves is a collaboration with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi itself. A percentage of the sales go towards scholarships for the school’s athletes, so if you’re a fan and you can get your hands on this limited-release Kolsch, you’re making yourself and some fortunate Islanders happy.
Texas Southern
The brewery: Under the Radar
The beer: Mid-Frequency IPA
Not far from Texas Southern’s campus in Houston is Under the Radar Brewery, which fits: The SWAC’s most consistently successful program, the one most likely to be in NCAA Tournament brackets more regularly than any other, can be safely said to exist under the radar, too. Mid-Frequency IPA is one of the brewery’s best-reviewed offerings, which aims for a hoppy Pacific Northwest IPA style with American, British and German malts.
UCLA
The brewery: Santa Monica Brew Works
The beer: Head in the Clouds, Juicy Double IPA
From Johnny Wardell of Santa Monica Brew Works: “Head in the Clouds is brewed for California dreamers who seek an elevated beer experience. Soft on the palate and bursting with juicy flavors of passion fruit, mango, and guava. A true blueblood in the Los Angeles beer scene, this Juicy IPA earned a podium finish at the 2019 LA International Beer Competition.”
Head in the Clouds comes in at 8.5 percent ABV. The name accurately describes how Bruins fans will be should their squad makes a deep run in the tournament.
Third Window’s White ale is well regarded by those who judge beers as more than a pasttime. (Courtesy Third Window)
UC-Santa Barbara
The brewery: Third Window Brewing Co.
The beer: White ale
Out of 96 entries in the Belgian-style Witbier category, Third Window’s White took bronze in the 2022 Great American Beer Fest judging. So it’s very good. And at 4.8 percent ABV, it’s also very drinkable. That sounds like a fairly amazing setup for long stretches of basketball watching. “It’s a refreshing Belgian-style witbier brewed with a touch of Santa Barbara-grown citrus — it’s unique to this place,” Third Window founder Kristopher Parker said.
UNC-Asheville
The brewery: DSSOLVR
The beer: Thank You For Existing Kolsch
Ah, UNC-Asheville. How long we’ve yearned for you to earn an NCAA Tournament bid. And, by extension, a spot in this here beer guide. All we’ve ever wanted out of life is to comb through Asheville breweries for good beverages. DSSOLVR opened in 2019 intending for its patrons “to expect the unexpected as we crush our way through the whole spectrum of tastes and flavors.” Unexpected certainly would be the way to describe a UNC-Asheville upset of UCLA … but the beer selection itself is aimed toward a much longer stay in the bracket. “Crisp, delicate and oh-so-drinkable, our Thank You For Existing Kolsch is an absolute crusher and a fan favorite,” DSSOLVR’S Erick Gonzalez said. “It pairs well with just about anything, but especially Bulldog basketball.”
USC
The brewery: Smog City Brewing Co.
The beer: Little Bo Pils pilsner
The Trojans don’t exactly come into this event on a heater. Still, whatever USC does, you’re going to be watching hours of ball. And Smog City’s year-round pilsner is a good beverage to have on hand for that. And, particularly, if you are not alone in your Zen hoops-consuming state. “It’s the perfect easy-to-drink crowd pleaser,” brand and marketing director Aften Lee says. “It’s crisp, well-balanced, and super refreshing, but has a nice little punch to it from the Saaz hops. From the craft beer connoisseur to the domestic beer lover, anyone can find something they love about Little Bo Pils. And at 4.4%, you can enjoy it all day long without getting weighed down.”
Utah State
The brewery: Prodigy Brewing
The beer: 302 Pilsner
Logan, Utah is not exactly overstuffed with breweries, but it is nice to see one thriving just off the quaint small town main street area (literally: Main Street). The first-ever brewpub to open in the Cache Valley recommends its 302 Pilsner for any Aggies-related NCAA Tournament viewing needs. “Our Czech 302 Pilsner is light-bodied, crisp and refreshingly easy to drink,” Prodigy’s Kristen Smith said. “At 4.6%, the beer has a perfect balance of malts and hops that highlight the slight bitterness from the noble Saaz hops.”
VCU
The brewery: Center of the Universe
The beer: STFU!
Two years ago, when VCU last made the NCAA Tournament, we highlighted Center of the Universe’s kolsch offering. This time around, we’re going with something stronger. STFU! is a triple stout aged in bourbon barrels, with chocolate, fig and vanilla notes joining the bourbon in what is undoubtedly a big, bold offering. At 16 percent ABV. So you’re only having one, surely. But it’s really highly rated, and hey … why not?
Vermont
The brewery: Zero Gravity Craft Brewery
The beer: Green State Lager pilsner
Little known fact about The Athletic’s NCAA Tournament Beer Guide: We had a Zero Gravity entry primed for the 2021 tournament … but the Catamounts did not cooperate and grab the automatic bid. No such bad luck this time. John Becker’s crew is in the field for a second straight year, which gives us a chance to revisit one of our favorite Burlington breweries. (From a distance. Sadly.) The Madonna double IPA and the Conehead IPA are longtime favorites, but we can understand throttling it down to the Green State lager. “There really is nothing quite like a crisp, easy-drinking Pilsner beer, featuring noble hops in perfect balance with only the finest Pilsner malt,” Zero Gravity’s Emma Shea said. “What better way to cheer on the Catamounts than with a clean and satisfying lager that is as welcoming as the Green State itself.”
Virginia
The brewery: Starr Hill
The beer: Wahoowa Pale Ale
You can see where we’re going with this. Starr Hill is one of Virginia’s oldest independent breweries, and has remained independent even as other once-proud contemporaries (Devil’s Backbone, we’re looking at you) sold to InBev and had their beers get all weird and extreme for single-use 7-11 purchasing. (Nothing wrong with that, but it’s just weird to see “Devil’s Backbone” beers with some crazy hunting font and 10.5 percent brews for $3 in every gas station in the state, is all.) Late last year, Starr Hill partnered with UVa to produce Wahoowa Pale Ale, which we can report from experience is good, and which – as Charlottesville’s biggest and oldest brewery – probably should have happened earlier.
West Virginia
The brewery: Morgantown Brewing Co.
The beer: Mr. 100 Worldwide
Fun fact: Mr. Worldwide is actually Bob Huggins’s nickname. What’s that? We’re confusing him with Pitbull? Oh. Right. Still, you can understand the mixup. Anyway, Mr. 100 Worldwide is Morgantown Brewing Co.’s traditional hefeweizen, a recommendation we didn’t get a whole lot of in this guide, but which would be a fantastic, simple choice for some hoops – provided you can make your way to the MBC’s taproom, the only place their beer is available. Mr. 100 Worldwide was this brewer’s 100th original beer, an indicator of consistency and longevity Huggins himself could relate to.
Xavier
The brewery: Rhinegeist
The beer: Beer For Humans Easy Hop Ale
Xavier’s excellent first season under Sean Miller means one of the major Cincinnati schools is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a while, giving us a chance to highlight someone in the high-quality Cincy brewing scene. Rhinegeist Brewing was prepared for the moment, with a new 4.5 percent ABV “easy hop ale” that sounds just about perfect for an extended day of NCAA Tournament viewing: “You can start drinking it during those early afternoon tip-offs and keep going right through the final buzzer,” Rhinegeist sensory specialist Tracey Ireland says. “Along with being an easy drinker, this brew also delivers deliciously fruity hop flavors while avoiding the harsh bitterness usually associated with hop-forward styles.” Also, “Rhinegeist” is a cool name. That is all.
Jason Jones contributed to this story.
(Illustration by Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Photos courtesy Manhattan Brewing Company, Smog City Brewing Company)
