2016 Gameday Beer-o-the-week - USC 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!"

Before I get to the pick this week, a quick word on last week's.  I had selected Guinness, but, more importantly, a Guinness from Boulder drinking institution Conor O'Neill's, which was scheduled to close for good after last weekend.  That, however, is no longer the case, as the bar looks to re-open today.  This is fantastic news for Boulderites everywhere who love a straight-forward watering hole that knows how to pour a pint of the Black Stuff.  So, if you missed the 'final weekend,' you haven't completely missed your chance to re-connect with the old girl.  Head back to Conor's, and keep heading back, so we don't have to face this scare again.

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In case you missed the revelry on Twitter last night, I hit up opening night of the 2016 Great America Beer Festival.  The annual affair, held down at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, is a right of passage for true beer freaks everywhere, bringing together hundreds of breweries and thousands of beers for consumption and consideration.  It's a fantastic event, and one I cannot recommend enough if you have any interest at all in the world of beer.

While wandering the hall last night, I was looking, specifically, for a beer to feature in this space.  I wanted something accessible to the Colorado market and theoretically comfortable in a tailgate setting. After a handful of 1 oz. pours, I finally found my winner.  Combining my love for all things hops and my appreciation of a good packaging, I settled on Hookiebobb.  That IPA from Crazy Mountain Brewery is this week's beer-o-the-week.

From: Instagram

Just look at that packaging! The full picture, which I posted on Twitter yesterday, is of a part-man, part-bison, part-moose, part-bear legendary creature that is surely my spirit animal incarnate. Hell, with such imagery, they could almost put gut-wrenching swill in the bottle, and I'd still find a way to enjoy it. Luckily, Hookiebobb is far better than that low bar, and is actually something worth your time.

Brewed by Crazy Mountain in Edwards, CO, the brew is a fun blend of hop-forward eccentricity. Floral and resin-pine hop notes all over the place, countered with some peppery-sweet malt behind it. While not the best IPA out there, it's still an interesting, playful attack on a very conventional style.  It comes in bottles or cans, and will set you more than right on a football Saturday, coming it at 6.7% ABV.  You should be able to find some in your local suds shop, should you be so inclined.  Enjoy!


Happy Friday!  Go Buffs, beat the Trojans!