Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
Super Bowl 57 wasn’t just a wonderful opportunity to talk with players on Radio Row and watch the game that decided football’s newest world champion. It was also the backdrop for Arizona’s local culture, some great food and a full week of chances to drink the Grand Canyon State’s finest beverages.
This manifested in a few different ways, ranging from bottle shop four-packs to fresh pours at media events so over the top they could only be connected to the Super Bowl. In that spirit, I’m gonna run down all the spirits we got to try in our whirlwind week in Phoenix. They range from juicy pale ales to Emmitt Smith’s preferred tequila.
The Shop Church Music Juicy IPA
It pours thick with a medium, creamy head. There’s a lot of orange involved here — like you’re pouring a pulpy glass of juice. There’s no actual pulp or anything like that in the beer of course, but that’s the gist. Lots of citrus floats off the top and it’s really juicy.
First sip bears this out. A little hops, a lot of orange and maybe some lemon, pineapple and peach in there? The bitterness hangs on toward the end, clinging to that raft of thick, almost chewy fruit. That creaminess persists even as the glass warms up, remaining tasty and drinkable throughout.
Here’s what our producer Evan, self described as “not a beer guy,” had to say about it:
It smells like orange. Oh, it’s not bad. Reminds me of — I hate the aftertaste of IPAs, bitterness is disgusting — but this reminds me more of Shock Top. I don’t hate this.
Grade: A-
Mother Road Tower Station IPA and LumberYard Railhead Red
An out-of-the-way stand at the Tuesday night media reception provided our first — and only — traditional IPA of the night. Mother Road was in from Flagstaff to hit us with a standard, hop-forward beer that delicately balanced bitterness and flavor. The end result was a refreshing, crisp beer that didn’t linger on your taste buds like the aforementioned hazies.
It was clean, trading off pine-y bitters with a little bit of fruit. Your mileage with it may vary depending on your tolerance for traditional IPAs, but for me it was a tasty example of a classic style done right.
Next up was LumberYard’s Railhead Red. Amber ales aren’t typically my jam, but I can appreciate a good one. That’s where Railhead Red landed — a malty, roasted caramel beer that exists between the lightness of a lager and the heaviness of a porter.
Grades:
Mother Road Tower Station IPA: B+
Lumberyard Railhead Red: B
Wren House Brewing Arizona Star Pale Ale
There’s a little more floral/herb-ness to this than the Church Music, which gives it a different profile even though the two beers are working in the same space. It’s more complex but remains an easy drinker, a laid-back sipper you can take down gulps at a time in a pinch. As it warms up a little bit of the background malt rises up, helping to emphasize the “APA” label on the can.
Ultimately it’s another great beer from a state that really does juicy, creamy pale ales well. Wren House was a must-try coming into this trip. It didn’t disappoint.
Grade: A-
Herradura Tequila Ultra Anejo
That tequila made its way back to the FTW house for some off-the-clock samples. I’m not a tequila guy but judging by the bottle this was the Herradura Tequila Ultra Anejo, which retails at about three times the price of the basic model.
It went down smooth as an unchilled shot and probably would have been even better over ice. Unfortunately that’s about as deep as my analysis goes, but I’m pretty sure I saw Evan, who called tequila his “Gatorade” in multiple instances last week, spooning the bottle at some point. So, there you go.
Grade: B+? A-? I dunno man, it was good.
Rise Nitro oat milk cold brew coffee and Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon
This isn’t anything that was being offered up at an event or restaurant or even two Arizona-specific things. It was simply the happy marriage of two things on hand at the AirBnB. It was solid!
Grade: B
Teller Grapefruit Hibiscus Vodka Lemonade Cocktail
Anyway, I didn’t drink any of these but Evan did. Let’s go to the tape:
Grade: “if you like it you gotta drink it twice.”
Notes Candle specialty Citrus & Fresh Blend cocktail
It was a cocktail (not pictured) inspired by a candle (is pictured) that came in a bag and tasted as such. Of course I drank the whole thing.
Grade: C-
