Friday Beer Post: 2011 Gameday Beer-o-the-week - Oregon Edition

Each week throughout the football season I'm going to suggest a good beer for the ubiquitous pre-game tailgate. Let's be honest, with tailgates it's not always top quality that you're looking for. To steal a phrase from the heinous beer terrorists at Budweiser, you want "drinkability." (or what a real beer connoisseur calls "a session beer") So, be warned, these may not be "the best" beers around. But, in the words of Dave Chappelle as Samuel L. Jackson "IT'LL GET YOU DRUNK!" 

Oregon is one of the few states that can give Colorado a run for its money in the craft brewing industry.  All told there are over 150 craft scattered throughout the Beaver State, many of them amongst the best in the nation.  Widmer, Deschutes, Full Sail, Bend, Hopworks, and BridgePort all make their homes in Oregon.  The best, in my opinion, is Rogue.  Their Dead Guy Ale is one of my personal favorites, and it's my tailgate beer-o-the-week.

Originally from Ashland, Oregon (far southwest corner of the state), Rogue has since jumped north to the costal village of Newport.  They're known for producing some wonderfully flavorful and diverse ales, many of which have garnered world-wide acclaim. 

Dead Guy is theoretically a Maibock, which is a traditional German lager style, brewed with Rogue's proprietary ale yeast strain.  As the style dictates, this is maltier than your typical northwestern ale.  There's hops, to be sure, but the flavor and aromas from Dead Guy are more on the sweet/bready side.  If you don't like an onslaught of hops, which is typical from the region, this is a good beer to grab.

Grab a six-pack, and fortify yourself against the losing.  It's going to be a long Saturday.


Happy Friday! Go Buffs, Beat the Spread (baby steps)!