Friday Beer Post: 2012 Gameday Beer-o-the-week - Utah 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!"

It's Utah week.  In theory, this should be hate week, but a combination of the team sucking large amounts of ass, and the program doing everything it can to downplay any potential rivalry with our neighbors to the west, has gutted any potential for hate.  I still don't understand why so many people are against buying into the CU/Utah rivalry, but I'm tired of spitting into the wind.  Fine, go chase USC's tail for three decades, see where that gets you. 

Me?  I'll always be down with hating a bright red horde, regardless of whether it comes from the east or the west.  Nothing will change that.

As for the beer pick, Utah week will always carry the honorary selection of Wasatch Brewery's Polygamy Porter.  As I mentioned last year, I think the name alone deserves the selection.  Indeed, why have just one?

However, since I try to avoid repeat selections at all cost, the real gameday beer-o-the-week is Stone's Ruination IPA.

A serious double-IPA from a brewery who understands what hops should be used for, Ruination has long been one of my favorite beers.  It's fantastically hoppy from start to finish, and is a celebration of both the floral/sweet and resinous/bitter sides of hop flavor and aroma.  There's been many a time when, stunted by the abundance of choice when cruising my local beer aisles, I just say "fuck it, I'm getting a Ruination."  If you consider yourself a hop-head, you need to try this beer.

Great as it is, I'm not picking Ruination for it's quality.  It's being tabbed in honor of the ruinous 2012 football season, in all of it's train-wreck glory.  There may or may not be better days ahead, but at least we can all be thankful that this steaming pile of shit for a season has now run it's course.  Fuck you 2012, and good riddance.


Happy Thanksgiving!  Go Buffs, beat Air Force!