What beer do you drink when watching Arkansas Razorbacks football?

September 13, 2015 8:13 PM

I'm dating someone new, she's originally from southern Arkansas. Next Saturday she's invited me to watch the Razorbacks football game with her and her friends from southern Arkansas. I would like to show up with the appropriate beer but I haven't been able to determine what that might be using the power of google.

The party is in Astoria, Queens, but that morning I'll be in Westchester near this impressive beer store, so it would be awesome if they happen to carry the right beer. If not, I'd also appreciate help figuring out where I can buy the beer in or near Astoria.

posted by palegirl to Food & Drink (18 answers total)

It's pretty much Bud Light and Miller Lite, sorry to say. I do know that there are traditions around bourbon-based punches, particularly flavored with cherry or pomegranate to make them red. But I know there is also a classic cocktail literally called the Arkansas Razorback.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:25 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: There are a bunch of breweries in Northwest Arkansas, which is the home of the Hogs, but I don't know of any that sell their beers out of state. (I don't even know if they can. AR has some pretty antiquated alcohol regulations. Heck, you can't even view a brewery's website without swearing you're 21.) I can enquire further with friends who are still in Fayetteville if necessary...

Otherwise, my advice is to make some Ro-Tel dip and just bring your own favored beer.
posted by wintersweet at 8:31 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yes to Ro-Tel dip!

A lot depends on whether your date is into beer. If not, something simple is probably your best bet. But you could go to Astoria Bier and Cheese and ask for advice.

(Or, ask your date what kind of beer she likes. No one on earth could guess my preferred beer based on the state I'm from).
posted by bunderful at 8:40 PM on September 13, 2015

I don't have an answer, but this is just the cutest thing ever, and I wish you the best of luck in this relationship. That said, from the time I've spent in Arkansas, I'd make a punch and give it an anti-mosquito name, because I swear Arkansas skeeters are the size of hummingbirds.
posted by Ruki at 8:44 PM on September 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

Southern football = variation on a macrobrew. Nice sessionable lager, not bitter, not high alcohol. Half Time guys love to talk beer and will have a dozen suggestions.
posted by MattD at 9:01 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Here is a list of all Arkansas beer producers. I've never seen or heard of any of these at our big beer stores and craft specialty stores here in Ohio so it is probably super doubtful that they have distribution in New York.

If you want to follow MattD's suggestions for a beer of that type that is from that general region, you might try Shiner Bock out of Texas.
posted by mmascolino at 9:13 PM on September 13, 2015

No Shiner Bock, they're playing Texas Tech. I mean, IDK, they might be super serious about it and that could be a disaster. Who knows! Football is a foreign country.

(Congratulations, this is officially more talk about Arkansas football than I ever did when I was an actual U of A student. *dies a little*)
posted by wintersweet at 9:33 PM on September 13, 2015 [4 favorites]

Yeah, no Texas beers! You could play off the mascot and bring Porkslap, which is easily available all over NYC.
posted by superfluousm at 7:04 AM on September 14, 2015

And send her a condolence note today after Saturday's stunning loss.
posted by raisingsand at 9:07 AM on September 14, 2015

As a member of a family with split loyalties (granny was a die hard Texas fan, everyone else calls them Hogs except the one cousin who went to LSU), any beer is fine as long as it is beer. Even Shiner Bock, if that is something you like.

I would suggest keeping it a bit on the bland side, though, just because a lot of people don't care for strongly flavored beers.

My family tends to get mainly mass produced beers (one of Coors, Bud, or Miller) along with something slightly more upmarket like Blue Moon or Shiner Bock, but really end up hitting the whiskey more than anything else by the time halftime rolls around. However, they are not above enjoying a good microbrew, so anything you bring will be totally fine.
posted by wierdo at 9:27 AM on September 14, 2015

Best answer: Dixie! I lived in Fayetteville for eight years. Go Hogs!
posted by mrfuga0 at 5:44 PM on September 14, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your input and encouragement! I think I'm going to go with Dixie lager, which is carried at halftime. It's southern but not from Texas. Hopefully they'll be charmed if I show up with a six pack of Dixie and Ro-Tel dip.

If anyone is still reading this thread, another friend of mine from the south suggested Abita Strawberry, do you guys have any thoughts about that suggestion?
posted by palegirl at 2:09 PM on September 15, 2015

I have two thoughts 1) Abita is a great brewery 2) That beer is god dang sweet. I'd bring it in addition to rather than instead of your lager choice because most people won't want more than one.
posted by superfluousm at 8:36 AM on September 16, 2015

I had a hard time finding Rotel when I lived in New York. It's doable, but thought I'd give a heads up that you might have to try a few stores!
posted by soonertbone at 12:27 PM on September 16, 2015

Response by poster: Oh! That's helpful!
posted by palegirl at 2:38 PM on September 16, 2015

Response by poster: Dixie lager is sold out! The half time guys suggested Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan, so that's what I got!
posted by palegirl at 12:05 PM on September 19, 2015

So how was your contributions received?
posted by mmascolino at 1:38 PM on September 20, 2015

Response by poster: They were surprised and charmed! Success!
posted by palegirl at 6:41 PM on September 24, 2015 [1 favorite]