When we’re at home, the bar or watching the game in front of the flat-screen we’re fine with dropping a few extra bucks for some bottles of Chimay or Weyerbacher Merry Monks (the latter usually leading to a crazy pantless night). When we’re in a parking lot or some muddy field before a game or concert our road sodas are usually canned and able to be purchased with the change in our sofa cushions. That being said, we still don’t want to drink swill. Give us a few sixers of drinkable beer that will last us a couple of hours and a handful of drinking games. These are our picks for the best tailgate beers:
1. Pabst Blue Ribbon (12/$9.99)
It might not be for tailgating in face-paint before a Raiders game but if you’re cooking up some veggie burgers outside of a (Insert Band Name No One Knows Here) concert, you could do far worse than some PBR. While Pabst Blue Ribbon has sure taken on a hipster stigma as of late, the light, carbonated brew goes down easier than Beast or Natty Lite and is a solid choice at around 10 bucks for a 12-pack. Just make sure to rock your wayfarers and grow out that ironic mustache.
2. Yuengling Lager (12/$9.99)
At similar ABV as PBR (more abbreviations than a 13-year old’s Facebook status), Yuengling is definitely the classier of the two brews. America’s oldest brewery has been churning out this amber classic from Pottsville, Pennsylvania since before prohibition. You might not be shotgunning any cans of this malty, slightly sweet lager but you could easily spend an afternoon in front of a Weber enjoying a few (definition of “a few” varies by your tolerance).
3. Dundee Summer Wheat (6/$4.99)
A wheat beer in a can? You could get shot for such an offense in Germany. Perfect for summer concert season (not late season NFL when you aren’t debating whether or not to wear multiple pairs of socks and a hat with ear-flaps), Dundee Summer Wheat is a nice can of refreshment. If you’re game, this lemony beer would go nicely with some fish off the grill before you go in to see Rihanna not Rihanna.
Photo by @joefoodie
4. Simpler Times Lager (6/$2.99)
If Two-Buck Chuck is the wine that made Trader Joe’s famous as a destination for both tofu and cheap wine then Simpler Times Lager is its sudsy equivalent. You won’t find many cheaper beers out there, heck, you find many cheaper things out there. For the price of a few packs of gum, you can grab six better than average beers (assuming you can handle eating a doughnut cause they’re a bit sweet).
5. Tecate (6/$6.99)
Perhaps our number one choice if we were tailgating at a soccer match in Mexico, Tecate is a beer we’re glad doesn’t have any color-changing mountains on it. The runt brother of Corona, Tecate for us is the beer of the sweaty burger flipper. In a way Tecate is very light on taste so it is neither terrible nor outstanding which is more than you can say for most beers at this price-point. Feel free to add lime, salt and some condensation from your brow.
6. Dale’s Pale Ale (6/$8.99)
Dale’s Pale Ale is not the most affordable canned beer by any means but if you’re looking for something with a little more kick to the nuts and an overall solid drinking experience it’s probably your best bet. At 6.50% ABV you might not last a marathon afternoon chugging session, especially if it’s so cold you can’t tell whether your hands are numb cause you’re blitzkieged or because you forgot gloves, but at least you won’t grimace after every sip. If you like hops and getting a little rowdy, pick up some Dale’s.
7. New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale (12/$15.99)
Kinda like Dale’s Pale Ale, New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale isn’t the cheapest can of beer in the world but if you’re a beer lover who refuses to even remotely slum it, it’s the bee’s knees (or another phrase that means the same thing and sounds way less girly). If you care what other people see you drinking (talking to you guy wearing a button-down instead of a jersey to a tailgate) Fat Tire Amber Ale will give you some parking lot cred. If V8 is the toughest thing to drink in the world, this is the opposite. Oh, and any beer that got its start as the known choice for hardcore mountain bikers sounds good to us!
What’s your choice? Do you go classic with Bud, Coors Light or a six-pack of Miller High Life? Do you enjoy some canned craft brew we’ve never hear of? Let us know!
