How can we make the United States fall in love with soccer? Buy your friends a beer and watch as a lifelong love affair with the beautiful game begins.
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South Africa 2010. No matter where you were in the world, when American soccer fans saw Landon Donovan's strike hit the back of the net, beer went errrrrvrywhere. The pubs erupted with World Cup joy. Lucky for us we don't have to wait four years for an equalizing moment. Major League Soccer is jam-packed with amazing strikes, goals, headers, and golazos. Every week there are goals that make you leap out of your seat. Since great goals often come from the most unlikely of places you're often not prepared when that beer of yours goes tumbling over in that moment of goal-scoring ecstasy.
In the spirit of these unforgettable moments, we at the Free Beer Movement offer you a fitting pairing to replace that spilt pint. Each week we bring you a carefully selected beer to go perfectly with the best scoring moments MLS has to offer. Enjoy responsibly.
Goal of the Week Ten: Luis Gil – Real Salt Lake
Major League Soccer fans awarded Real Salt Lake's Luis Gil the 2013 Goal of the Week Award for week #10. The RSL midfielder headed home his second goal of the year; this time against the Vancouver Whitecaps. In this goal sequence the ball only touches three RSL players start to finish. It begins on the home endline with GK Nick Rimando blasting a goal kck forward across the pitch. As the whole RSL offense bombs forward, Joao Plata catches the ball as it slows outside the Whitecaps’ 18 yard box. He sends in the cross to a fleet-footed Luis Gil who is crashing the box like a bull in a china shop. Gil heads the ball into the net with his last bit of energy before rolling to the ground from a collision with Joe Cannon.
This teenager is stacked to the gills with talent. In his honor (and your soggy socks) we at the Free Beer Movement recommend you replace your "Spilt Pint" with a Ballast Point brew. Ballast Point Brewing Co (San Diego, CA) originates from Southern California, much like our young, goal-scoring prodigy. All of their beverages are fantastic, but the "Wahoo" Wheat Beer is the recommendation this week. Summer is quickly approaching, so it is time to start transitioning your taste buds to the refreshing flavors of hefeweizens (as well as other summery beer categories). We like “Wahoo” because it succinctly summarizes the end to end sprinting motion of Gil’s bombing header and subsequent spiral to the turf.
Ballast Point is available across the country at better beer stores and bars. Pick one up today.
Until the next one… cheers to good beer and good goals!
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
D.C. United, in collaboration with DC Brau Brewing Company announced that DC Brau will brew a limited edition D.C. United specific beer. While the beer is currently without a name, D.C. United fans have the opportunity to name the new brew. Fans can submit their suggestions at "Brand the Brew" on the United website.
The special DC Brau craft beer, a golden ale, is crafted specifically for D.C. United and its fans to enjoy. One thousand gallons of the beer will be produced and will be made available exclusively at participating D.C. United official bar partners and at the DC Brau Brewing Company.
“My motivation for making this particular beer with D.C. United came from a willingness to make an ale that all soccer fans can enjoy,” said DC Brau President and Head Brewer Jeff Hancock. “United fans drink all kinds of different beer, and with this particular ale I wanted it to reach a broad spectrum of palettes from those who drink everything from light lagers to hoppy pale ales. There's a little something for everybody in this Golden Ale!”
The D.C. United “Brand the Brew” contest launched yesterday, and will run until May 29. The final list of fan suggestions will be given to a panel of D.C. United players to choose the winning name to appear on beer. The winner will receive a field-side D.C. United gameday experience for two and bragging rights for naming the new D.C. United and DC Brau beer. The brew is planned to become available for order on June 11.
“The unifying factor between D.C. United and DC Brau is the same element that connects both of us to our fans,” said DC Brau CEO Brandon Skall. “Pride: Pride in what we produce, pride in our city and pride in ourselves!”
“Anyone who walks through the Lot 8 tailgate will undoubtedly see DC Brau’s distinctive silver cans and Capitol Dome logo in the hands of our most ardent fans,” said D.C. United Marketing Manager Andrew Minucci. “The quality of their product is what our fans demand and we are excited to quench their thirst by combining the beer they crave with the team they love.”
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
At the Free Beer Movement we aren't content with just helping "build American soccer one beer at a time". We're also focused on doing more with our organization.
That means using the power of suds for social change.
On Wednesday, May 29th we're hosting "Good Brews, Social Change" (link to RSVP on Facebook) in FBM HQ's Austin, Texas at Hops and Grain Craft Brewery. Hops and Grain is one of Austin's best breweries and they've got a World Beer Cup Gold Medal to prove it (for their flagship "Alt-eration" a German alt beer).
"Good Brews, Social Change" is being held to benefit the Homeless World Cup, a global organization that serves over 250,000 players in over 70 countries. The founder of the Homeless World Cup, Mel Young, is in Austin to be the keynote speaker at the North American Society for Sport Management and before that speech we're hosting him at Hops and Grain for a meet-and-greet.
From 5pm to 9pm a $20 donation will get you in the door, a Hops and Grain pint glass (for you to keep), and five pours of any of their great beers on tap.
Plus you get to mingle with us.... and Mel, too.
And don't worry we'll have the U.S. men's game versus Belgium on somewhere, too.
We hope you'll join us for our first philianthropic effort (minus all the soccer and beer Kickstarter projects we've funded!) and use the power of beer and soccer for even more good.
It’s not the Champions League final. It’s not even the most exciting match on tap this week. Yet the Europa League final means midweek soccer and the chance to drink beers in the afternoon, so there’s no reason to miss Wednesday’s game. Besides, there’s something strangely compelling about the match between Chelsea and Benfica.
First of all, it’s not every year that last season’s Champions League winners crash out of the group stages and wind up in the Europa League final. Most managers would’ve crawled into a corner to lick their injured pride, but Rafa Benitez outfitted Fernando Torres in a Zorro mask and went charging through Thursday nights. Something about his superhero costume perked Zorres right up, and the Blues cruised through courtesy of his goals – although, it must be said, Chelsea was quite generous about allowing their opponents back into every match.
Then there’s Benfica, who haven’t lifted a European trophy in 51 years. They last won the European Cup in 1962, with Bela Guttmann at the helm. But after beating Real Madrid, the Hungarian demanded a pay raise. When Benfica refused, Guttmann left, but not before cursing the club, claiming they’d never boast of European glory again. Interestingly enough, Benfica have made it to a European final six times since Guttmann’s pronouncement – will this seventh time finally see them break the curse?
Of course, we all know what’s most important about the Europa League final: the beer you choose to sip while watching. With the match taking place in Amsterdam, you might be tempted to grab a Heineken. Resist this urge. There’s really nothing that sets Heineken apart from Budweiser or Coors, except that it comes in a prettier bottle. You can do better.
For the best Dutch beer, you’ll need to find La Trappe, which has almost certainly been written about on this site before – but it’s pretty close to perfection, so I make no apologies. La Trappe used to be called Koningshoeven in the U.S., but the brewery realized absolutely no one outside of Holland could pronounce the beer, and made the smart decision to use La Trappe. Koningshoeven actually brews eight beers (try Isid’or if you get the chance) but usually the only one you can find in the States is the quadrupel.
Prior to sitting down to write this column, I had no idea that the “quad” style was modeled on the La Trappe Quad. It’s the prototype, and while other brewers can gussy theirs up with added fruits or oaked barrels, they’ve yet to make a simple quadrupel as flawless as this one. Be sure you pour it into your Trappist glass – come on, we’re all beer snobs here, and you know you’ve got one – and don’t be worried when there’s little or no head. Instead, take a big whiff. Mmmm…caramel apples. Sure, you can fancy up that description with “Belgian yeast” or “spiced dark fruits,” but really, it’s caramel apples.
Now, time to taste. Despite a 10% ABV, the alcohol in this quad isn’t at all overwhelming. The taste has some of that caramel you’ve been smelling, along with raisins and plums. It’s not too sweet though, ending on a slightly bitter note and leaving a bit of an alcohol burn behind.
About Kirsten
I may be a law student at Lewis and Clark, but soccer is my true love, with beer coming in a distant second. That's not to say I don't love beer--I've tasted over a thousand different brews, am a bit obsessed with my "33 Beers" notebooks, and love my Untappd app. Living in Portland, Oregon, I attend quite a few festivals and tastings, and am able to argue passionately about the merits of Cascade hops vs. Chinook.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
South Africa 2010. No matter where you were in the world, when American soccer fans saw Landon Donovan's strike hit the back of the net, beer went errrrrvrywhere. The pubs erupted with World Cup joy. Lucky for us we don't have to wait four years for an equalizing moment. Major League Soccer is jam-packed with amazing strikes, goals, headers, and golazos. Every week there are goals that make you leap out of your seat. Since great goals often come from the most unlikely of places you're often not prepared when that beer of yours goes tumbling over in that moment of goal-scoring ecstasy.
In the spirit of these unforgettable moments, we at the Free Beer Movement offer you a fitting pairing to replace that spilt pint. Each week we bring you a carefully selected beer to go perfectly with the best scoring moments MLS has to offer. Enjoy responsibly.
The play originated with a free kick in the attacking half against the New York Red Bulls. The ball was played in to the mixer from distance, and Luis Robles whiffed the punch clearance. The ball fell to a red foot and was instantly passed out of the box to an eager Osorio. The rookie side stepped an on-rushing NYRB defender to give him a tiny bit of breathing room to let loose a precision strike to thread the gap between (a slightly recovered) Robles and the crossbar.
In honor of this goal and your floor-beer now seeping into the carpet, we here at the Free Beer Movement recommend you replace your spilt pint with the best of the best Canadian flavors. Founders Brewing Company’s “Canadian Breakfast Stout” (Grand Rapids, Michigan), or CBS for short. This brew has topped the international tasting charts with some of the highest ratings found on the interwebs. It drips of maple and bourbon, having been aged in each before being put out to the masses. If you are lucky enough to snag a bottle, savor it as you would Osorio’s wondrous effort. Cheers!
For just $44 you can get two tickets and two FREE BEERS for next Wednesday's (May 8th, 7pm ET) match against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Houston Dynamo.
That's a great deal, and in the spirit of the FBM philosophy.
Even better, though? We're giving away two of the FBM-esque packages for Wednesday's game.
Yup, that's FREE BEER and FREE TICKETS for you and a friend! Why not make it an epic FBM night and bring a newbie and show 'em what American soccer is all about?
Entering the contest is simple. Just tweet at us the following:
"Hey @FreeBeerMovemnt... I want free tickets and free beer from @DCUnited! #FBMDC"
Want a second chance to enter? Like us on Facebook and comment on the D.C. United ticket post.
It's that simple!
A great contest, great American soccer, and a chance to practice the Free Beer Movement in action!
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
South Africa 2010. No matter where you were in the world, when American soccer fans saw Landon Donovan's strike hit the back of the net, beer went errrrrvrywhere. The pubs erupted with World Cup joy. Lucky for us we don't have to wait four years for an equalizing moment. Major League Soccer is jam-packed with amazing strikes, goals, headers, and golazos. Every week there are goals that make you leap out of your seat. Since great goals often come from the most unlikely of places you're often not prepared when that beer of yours goes tumbling over in that moment of goal-scoring ecstasy.
In the spirit of these unforgettable moments, we at the Free Beer Movement offer you a fitting pairing to replace that spilt pint. Each week we bring you a carefully selected beer to go perfectly with the best scoring moments MLS has to offer. Enjoy responsibly.
Goal of the Week #8: Javier Morales – Real Salt Lake
Javier Morales nets a rare headed goal for this eighth edition of the 2013 Major League Soccer "Goal of the Week" Award. The play starts on a failed counter attack from Chivas USA. Morales takes off with the give-away when Eric Avila slips at the centerline. Three short passes sets the ball at the feet of Álvaro Saborío who sends in the cross. Morales, who never stops running during this play, loses his mark at that exact moment to head the ball past Dan Kennedy for the eventual game-winner and lone goal of the match.
This is only the Real Salt Lake midfielder’s third headed goal in his career. In his honor, we at the Free Beer Movement recommend you replace your spilt pint with a superior beverage from local Salt Lake City outfit: Epic Brewing. The beer of choice comes from Epic’s “Elevated Series” of brews because no regular everyday drink is worthy of Morales’ constant effort for RSL. The Argentine has been a near constant presence for the team, creating positive impact every season since joining MLS in 2007. We’re having a bit of fun this week suggesting that the “Brainless" Belgian-Style Golden Ale represents Javier’s latest award in a whimsical way. This is a pairing that is ironic in the sense that Javier is an incredibly intelligent athlete with some of the best vision and positioning awareness in the league. However, the distinction is literal since he almost never scores a headed goal (his physical brain-cage) theretofore… an oft brainless striker.
In the world of modern football, certain matches are labeled “derbies” and played with as much – often even more – venom as those that involve cross-town rivals. There are different types of these fake derbies. Some take the form of a regional rivalry, such as the Revierderby between Schalke and Dortmund, or the Derby du Rhône, between ASSE and Lyon. Then there are the derbies between clubs that traditionally lead the league, including the Derby della Italia featuring Juventus and Inter Milan, or everyone’s favorite match, when Barcelona and Real Madrid play out El Clasico.
But even in the post-globalization era, in which we’re all watching the same match at the same time and making the same pithy comments on Twitter, there’s something more compelling about an intra-city derby. Sure, you can mock your friends long-distance when, for example, LA Galaxy and DC United meet. It’s likely that Manchester United and Chelsea supporters wind up working in the same office, even outside of England. Yet spending a weekend treating your neighbor, who came over just yesterday to share a six-pack, like he’s your greatest enemy…well, that’s the magic of a real derby.
This weekend brings a couple good derby matches. The first, on Saturday, is El Derbi Madrileño. Atlético Madrid are just three points back of rivals Real. Sure, it doesn’t really matter which side gets second and which gets third, but the point here is pride, people. And if Atlético get those three points in a derby, so much the better.
Then on Sunday, we have the Derby della Mole, played between Torino and Juventus. Sadly, this match is very near meaningless: if Juve win and Napoli lose, Juventus will clinch the scudetto. Torino, fresh out of Serie B, are simply happy to be almost safe from relegation. But if il granata manage to delay the victory parades through Turin, Torino will have to consider their season a success.
This weekend’s derbies call for a different sort of direction than I had you take during #RivalryWeek, when you were encouraged to find beer from the opposing city and give it a taste. Intra-city derbies should be all about the strong ales, as a touch of tipsiness is essential when thinking up the clever one-liners necessary to sink the opposition.
Belgian beers are often the best to choose when seeking this particular style. They might be a bit expensive, but since they taste great and you’ll drink less of them, it’s worth paying a little extra. Standard Belgians come in dubbels, tripels and quadrupels. The quads usually weigh in around 10%, but the best ones manage not to overpower the palate with heavy alcohol tastes. One of the bests is a Rochefort 10, a trappist beer that’s fairly easy to track down. The Rochefort has a fantastic aroma of dark fruits, mostly plum and raisin. The taste balances the fruits with chocolate and caramel malts, but with a slightly bitter finish, it manages not to be too sweet.
If you’re looking to buy a six-pack you can share with your non-enemy neighbors, give New Belgium Brewing Co.'s Trippel(Fort Collins, CO) a try. Often New Belgium standards are a bit boring, but, as could be assumed from the name of the brewery, they’ve managed to create a solid tripel. There’s nothing flashy about this one, but it stays true to the style, with candy-sugar aromas and plenty of caramel malts in the taste. It’s spiced with coriander, which keeps the sweetness from being overpowering.
Finally, if you love derbies as much as I do, be sure to check out two of the most heated, coming up in the next couple weeks. In Istanbul, expect to pay a high premium if you need to purchase a flare around May 11, when Fenerbahçe hosts Galatasaray. Just a few days later, on May 17, Belgrade batters down the hatches as Partizan and Red Star meet in a match that could very well determine which side will grab the title.
About Kirsten
I may be a law student at Lewis and Clark, but soccer is my true love, with beer coming in a distant second. That's not to say I don't love beer--I've tasted over a thousand different brews, am a bit obsessed with my "33 Beers" notebooks, and love my Untappd app. Living in Portland, Oregon, I attend quite a few festivals and tastings, and am able to argue passionately about the merits of Cascade hops vs. Chinook.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Emerald City Supporters members, Seattle Sounders player Roger Levesque, and Sounders announcer Ross Fletcher taste test Redhook Brewing Company's No Equal" Amber Lager (made for the Emerald City Supporters SG)) and Widmer Brother's Brewing Company's "Green & Gold" Kolsch (made for the Timbers Army SG).
Think they might have been a little biased?
Now we've tried both "No Equal" and "Green & Gold" and while the Sounders are having fun and games with propping up te ECS beer and burning of the TA beer they're both very well-crafted brews.
Beer Advocate and Rate Beer both give solid ratings for ECS' amber while the TA kolsch doesn't have enough ratings to aggregate a score yet on either BA or RB they early reviews are just as positive as their Cascadia competitor.
We've always stressed at the Free Beer Movement that its completely fine to hate your opponent for those 90 minutes on the field just as long as you can share a brew before or after the match.
Both "No Equal" and "Green & Gold" should be brews that either a Sounders fan or Timbers fan can share, and appreciate, when their beer is in the others' glass
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
South Africa 2010. No matter where you were in the world, when American soccer fans saw Landon Donovan's strike hit the back of the net, beer went errrrrvrywhere. The pubs erupted with World Cup joy. Lucky for us we don't have to wait four years for an equalizing moment. Major League Soccer is jam-packed with amazing strikes, goals, headers, and golazos. Every week there are goals that make you leap out of your seat. Since great goals often come from the most unlikely of places you're often not prepared when that beer of yours goes tumbling over in that moment of goal-scoring ecstasy.
In the spirit of these unforgettable moments, we at the Free Beer Movement offer you a fitting pairing to replace that spilt pint. Each week we bring you a carefully selected beer to go perfectly with the best scoring moments MLS has to offer. Enjoy responsibly.
Goal of the Week No. 6: Ryan Johnson – Portland Timbers
Ryan Johnson of the Portland Timbers runs away with the 2013 Goal of the Week Award for week six. Toronto’s Darel Russell was expected to be the favorite during voting; however MLSSoccer.com reports that a late surge in voting swept the result for Johnson on the last day of the poll.
The sequence began with Darlington Nagbe picking the ball off of a Houston Dynamo player in the orange half of the field. Nagbe plays a give-and-go with Rodney Wallace and then another with Kalif Alhassan to free up ample space in the center circle. With Dynamo defenders trying to adjust to the developing threat, Nagbe sends a perfectly weighted pass to the quickly advancing Ryan Johnson to beat the offside trap. Johnson moves in on goal and quite easily defeats the keeper and onrushing orange to net the ball.
In honor of the winning goal, the FBM recommends you replace your empty glass with a local Portland pint of Cascade Brewing’s Spring IPA. The winter must have seemed especially long for Portland Timbers fans, having to wait until week five of the 2013 season for a win. However, spring and victory are here now, and the Timbers faithful can rejoice with a fitting seasonal brew! The beer menu description:
This spring IPA is a hop showcase. Floral and citrus aromas from the Amarillo, then tropical lemon and lime notes from the Motueka combine with the herbal and lemony Sorachi- Ace hops to get you in the mood. A bright hop spice bite on the palate from the Brewers gold and Amarillo blends with biscuity malts, leading to a sublime, multifaceted refreshing IPA that is built to awe, not shock
Cascade Brewing operates two brewpubs: the Cascade Brewing Barrel House east of the river near downtown and Art Larrance’s Raccoon Lodge & Brew Pub in Raleigh Hills, OR (southwest of the city center). If you aren’t local to the Pacific Northwest, you can also mail order brews through the website to be delivered by your friendly neighborhood UPS guy.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
We don't get to do this often enough, but when a soccer-specific beer lands at FBM HQ we can't help but bust out the ol' camera and snap a few pictures. A brewery that's interested in supporting local soccer deserves a photo essay to honor their commitment to the American game.
In the U.S., the soccer season has barely begun. But over in Europe, most countries are 6-8 weeks away from the end of the season – and the title race has more or less been decided in each of the big leagues. Of course, we all know that Bayern Munich grabbed the Bundesliga title last weekend. Barcelona, naturally, are running away from it in Spain, 13 points above Real Madrid. Manchester United are 12 above rivals City. France and Italy are closer, with Paris Saint-Germain 7 points above Marseille and Juventus leading Napoli by 9 points.
So barring any last-minute meltdowns, Europe’s top clubs are ready to receive their crowns. That means it’s time to look at the bottom, where all the action is. If you’re a fan of a club hovering close to the relegation zone, the end of the season is terrifying (I should know; I’m an Aston Villa supporter). But if your club is safe, it’s often rather fun to predict which sides are going down – and if you’re feeling really evil, cheer them on as they head to the lower leagues.
There are at least two serious relegation six-pointers this weekend: On Saturday, Pescara, who are dead last in Serie A, host Siena, who are out of the drop only because they have a better head-to-head against Palermo. Then on Monday, Celta Vigo visit Mallorca, with both sides sitting dead last in the La Liga table. And if you feel you just can’t let Sunday pass by without the tension that comes with trying to avoid the drop, head to Newcastle, where it’s possible that a win in the Tyne-Wear Derby could see the Toon push their rivals Sunderland down to the point of no return.
So what sort of beer do you drink while cheering on the possibility of making an entire fanbase break down in sobs? Well, if you’re watching the Derby, it should be Newcastle Brown Ale, of course. But that’s just too easy for this column, which is meant to expand your beer-drinking horizons and challenge your taste buds. With quite a few weeks left before the drops are decided, it’s probably best to go with something on the lower end of the ABV scale, lest a strong beer gets to your head and you start doing relegation sums incorrectly. And with spring finally upon us, a lighter, sessionable beer is a fine choice, perfect for enjoying the (hopefully) sunny days.
Now I know not all of you will be able to find beers from Full Sail Brewing, but I did check and they distribute in most states. If you’re one of the unfortunate ones, take what I said about the style, go out and be creative. The reason I’m recommending Full Sail is because they make a special point of doing session beers – they have a lager, a black lager and even a holiday red lager. The point they’re trying to make with the sessions is that a beer can be crisp and refreshing without being boring. Ok, the lager is fairly standard, with mild hops and medium sweetness. If you’re looking for something more interesting, go with the black. It’s actually a Schwarzbier, so it’s heavier on the chocolaty malts, but it also has enough citrus hops to make it light and balanced.
About Kirsten
I may be a law student at Lewis and Clark, but soccer is my true love, with beer coming in a distant second. That's not to say I don't love beer--I've tasted over a thousand different brews, am a bit obsessed with my "33 Beers" notebooks, and love my Untappd app. Living in Portland, Oregon, I attend quite a few festivals and tastings, and am able to argue passionately about the merits of Cascade hops vs. Chinook.
As for the soccer, I'm the cofounder of SB Nation's Aston Villa site, 7500 to Holte, as well as the editor of SB Nation Italy. Want more? Follow me on Twitter!
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
South Africa 2010. No matter where you were in the world, when American soccer fans saw Landon Donovan's strike hit the back of the net, beer went errrrrvrywhere. The pubs erupted with World Cup joy. Lucky for us we don't have to wait four years for an equalizing moment. Major League Soccer is jam-packed with amazing strikes, goals, headers, and golazos. Every week there are goals that make you leap out of your seat. Since great goals often come from the most unlikely of places you're often not prepared when that beer of yours goes tumbling over in that moment of goal-scoring ecstasy.
In the spirit of these unforgettable moments, we at the Free Beer Movement offer you a fitting pairing to replace that spilt pint. Each week we bring you a carefully selected beer to go perfectly with the best scoring moments MLS has to offer. Enjoy responsibly.
Goal of the Week No. 5: Thierry Henry – New York Red Bulls
Thierry Henry, in vintage gunner form, wins the 2013 Goal of the Week Award for week five. This airborne Red Bull effort is a feast for the eyes en français. The assist is delivered by fellow Frenchman Peguy Luyindula. He receives a lobbed ball from the halfway line, quickly settling it before lobbing it over two Philadelphia defenders to Henry. Titi catches the ball with his right thigh then sends the ball to the far post with his left foot before Zac MacMath has time to react.
After mopping up your spilt drink, we recommend you replenish your glass with a beer from "The French Connection" collection properly befitting Henry’s game-winning goal. Stillwater Artisanal Ales of Baltimore, Maryland, paired up with three different French craft breweries to produce three different collaboration brews. We recommend you try the Ambrée. Hand crafted in the traditional French style of a bière de garde, this ale will refine with age, much like Thierry.
The trio of beers is imported to the United States by 12 Percent Imports. Find 33cl (330ml / 11.3 fl oz) bottles in better beer stores throughout their distribution territory.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
South Africa 2010. No matter where you were in the world, when American soccer fans saw Landon Donovan's strike hit the back of the net, beer went errrrrvrywhere. The pubs erupted with World Cup joy. Lucky for us we don't have to wait four years for an equalizing moment. Major League Soccer is jam-packed with amazing strikes, goals, headers, and golazos. Every week there are goals that make you leap out of your seat. Since great goals often come from the most unlikely of places you're often not prepared when that beer of yours goes tumbling over in that moment of goal-scoring ecstasy.
In the spirit of these unforgettable moments, we at the Free Beer Movement offer you a fitting pairing to replace that spilt pint. Each week we bring you a carefully selected beer to go perfectly with the best scoring moments MLS has to offer. Enjoy responsibly.
By Brian Wachholz / Senior Beer Rag Correspondent
Goal of the Week No. 4: Chris Wondolowski – San Jose Earthquakes
In no real surprise, Chris Wondolowski takes home the fourth installment of the 2013 Goal of the Week Award in MLS for his excellent bomb against the Seattle Sounders. Wondo’s strikes truly are a thing of exquisite beauty, and so this week we are pairing his long range effort with a beer from 8th Wonder Brewery. This brewery makes its magic in Wondolowski’s old stomping grounds of Houston, Texas. He is quite familiar with the city, having spent 2006-2009 with the Dynamo.
8th Wonder’s altbier, called "Alternate Universe", pairs with Wondo’s strike better than peanut butter with jelly. Even in an alternate universe, Chris would be putting the hurt on opposing goalkeepers with his wonder-strikes. This beer exists by itself somewhere between a light beer and a dark beer much like Wondolowski exists in an invisible plane hidden between the midfield and opposition defenders. That is, until he is ready to pounce.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
Soccer newbies demand you buy them a beer.
This Sunday is "National Beer Day," the unofficial holiday in which Americans celebrate the return of delicious beer and spirits to the nation's bars and stores with the end of Prohibition in 1933.
Millions of Americans lined up at their local bars, pubs, and taverns ("New Beer's Eve") awaiting this moment when at twelve midnight they could drink again without fear of their suds confiscated or their speak-easys shut down. Happy days were here again. (In fact, 4,207 liquor licenses were issued in Milwaukee alone on April 7th!)
To celebrate the resurrection of beer drinking in the United States we are encouraging each American soccer fan to exercise that Constitutional right to drink beer and do it this weekend at a soccer game with a soccer newbie.
Celebrate "National Beer Day" by making this weekend "National Free Beer Movement Weekend".
Without the repeal of the 18th Amendment we wouldn't have delicious, delicious beer. And without said beer we wouldn't have the greatest motivator in the world to build American soccer.
This weekend when you're attending a Major League Soccer game or a North American Soccer League game or a USL PRO game or any live game... bring a friend. When you're watching English Premier League match Saturday and Sunday mornings.... bring a co-worker. When you're pulling up a seat to any soccer game that's live on on TV anywhere in this great nation or from anywhere in the world.... save a seat for a family member.
All of these people, in all of these situations, are potential soccer fans and they just need the proper setting, the proper education, and the proper brew, all provided by you, for them to be exposed to the wonderful world of soccer.
This is the perfect weekend to participate. All across Europe there are matches that will make-or-break title contenders and games that will decide the survival of other clubs. And, of course, in our domestic league, the love of our life, the MLS season (and the NASL is kicking off) is in full swing. First Kick has come and gone, but the newness of the season is still alive. Every team is still alive and optimism still reigns supreme.
There are tailgates galore to grab a brew, bars abound ready to fill your pint, and fridges fully stocked to host a gang so why not bring a few new fresh faces along and expose them to the beautiful game?
We want your to share your beers and buds with us. Share the beers you're drinking across the country and the friends that you're introducing soccer to with us.
Tweet or Facebook us with your photos of FBM in action this weekend, National Free Beer Movement Weekend 2013.
Cheers!
Historical Note: For many beer nerds, December 5th is the ultimate Prohibition-ending holiday called "Repeal Day" in honor of the final necessary 2/3rds of states (Utah, of all places) ratifying the 21st Amendment. For the Free Beer Movement we're going with this day to honor when President Franklin D. Rooesvelt signed Cullin-Harrison Act became law, official ending the failed Prohibition experiment and allowing beer and other alcohol to flow freely again. Also, since this date falls during the MLS season it makes even more sense.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
It's probably no surprise that many American soccer fans are not only lovers of beer, but lovers of homebrewed beer. It should also come as no surprise that many Major League Soccer supporters groups host their own home brew competitions each year. The one that the Portland Timber's supporters, the Timber's Army has put on, officially or unofficially, since 2009 in certainly one of the more high-profile ones. In years past local craft brewers have made small batches of each winner's beer in several categories.
Beginning last year the Timber's beer sponsor Widmer Brother's Brewing Company, stepped forward to help judge and then brew the winner of one of the categories. For any home brewer going from nano-batches to a major breweries industrial brewing system would be quite the experience.
Just last month Widmer Brother's released "Green & Gold" Kolsch the creation of Timber's Army long-time member Abram Goldman-Armstrong. We had a chance to speak with Abe by phone to ask him about his history with TA, Portland as a beer and soccer town, and, of course, his winning brew.
Goldman-Armstrong in front of his own visage. Photo Credit: OregonLive.com
Free Beer Movement: What’s your history with soccer in Portland and the Timbers Army?
Abe: I started out going to my first Timbers match in 1988 with my parents. It was a Timbers reunion match. When the Timber came back in 2001 I got season tickets in section 107 and, yeah, I’ve been a part of it ever since. I’ve been actively involved in the organization since.
With MLS moving in we kinda got a little more organized and put together the Independent Supporters Trust know as the 107st. I was on the interim board of that and then I was elected to the initial board and the re-elected to the most recent board.
Along with that I edit and publish “The Whipsaw”, the Timbers Army fan-zine, now in our fourth year of that.
I’m involved in all different aspects. It’s definitely a major focus in my life.
FBM: What does it mean to be to be a supporter of the Timbers and what does it means to support a local club? What is it like to have live, local soccer in Portland week-in-and-week-out?
Abe: It’s really fantastic. The atmosphere at a Timbers match can’t really be matched in North America. Having a local team is really key. Going to a pub watching World Cup is fantastic or even if you have a good crowd watching EPL or other foreign matches, but soccer support here in Cascadia has really brought it to the next level.
When you go to a match here in Cascadia, whether you’re in Portland, Seattle, or Vancouver you’re going to find it’s more that a spectator sport. You’re there, you’re participating. We’ve always tried really hard in the Timbers Army to be engaging and engage the team. We’re willing the team to win and that’s really a key part of a local team.
You can be passionate about soccer, but you miss out on that day-to-day, when you go to a match, that shared energy. You just have to lose yourself to the crowd. You’re all there and it’s really pretty amazing.
FBM: How long have you been home brewing? What is it about having local craft beer with your local team?
Abe: I’ve been home brewing since I was 17 years old so about 17 years in total now. It’s really a big part of my life. I also write about beer. I’m really engaged in the brewing community here.
Beer is really interwoven into the Timbers Army here. I probably say hi to fifteen different brewers at a Timbers game. We live and breathe beer here as much as we live and breathe soccer. We have more breweries than any other city in the world. It really is a part of our fabric in Oregon. I think that’s something that’s a natural fit. Beer and watching soccer go hand-in-hand.
The whole beer community is really passionate about Timbers. And the Timbers Army is passionate about beer. It works out pretty well.
On our bus trip to Seattle we had about 20 different breweries sponsoring each bus. So each bus has its own Oregon brewery on it. Small, independent, local breweries that are really passionate about the team and willing to donate kegs. It’s not just that we’ve got beer on the bus, but it’s “we got local beer on the bus and here’s the brewer sitting on the bus going to the game and yelling at the referee with us for the full ninety minutes”.
I think we’re really lucky here in Cascadia to have a really vibrant brewing culture. It makes it that much more of a community to have local craft beer. And we have local craft beer in the stadium, too. Something that’s really important to who we are and how we operate.
FBM: Discuss the Timbers Army home brew contest and how long Widmer’s been a part of it.
Abe: 2013 will be our four year for the Timbers Army Home Brew Competition. It started as a fairly informal affair and actually home brewing competitions were outlawed for a year so because of some weird law. So in 2010 we didn’t have any judging and we said, “well we’re going to all show up and tailgate” and did that. We decided to just go ahead and that just had a people’s choice award.
In 2011 we had a more formal competition again. All the beers were judged blind by a range of judges, some of them nationally ranked. We partnered with a couple of local breweries that year. The Lompoc brewed the winner, and the runner-up was brewed by by McMenamins, and the third place winner was brewed by Hop Works. That year I placed third with a Northwest-style Red Ale.
Anyhow in 2012 we had the competition again at Lompoc and Widmer had approach us to brew the winner. We basically split the competition in half. There was the “Full 90” which Widmer was going to brew; something that you could drink for a full match, something that was under 6 percent alcohol and something that wasn’t going to blow your face off with hops. It was a good fit.
Lompac brewed the winner of the “Pride of Cascadia” category which included IPAs, Cascadian Dark Ales, Imperial IPAs, and Northwest Red Ales.
In the “Full 90” category there was some pretty stiff competition, but the judges (Widmer sent down four of their brewers to help out) settled on a kolsch that I had brewed. And that’s how that all came about here.
FBM: Why did you decide to go with a kolsch? Tell us a little about the ingredients you used. Describe the taste and the flavor and how it best represents your passion for the Timbers and your passion for craft beer.
Abe: Kolsch, as you probably know, is a style that originate in Cologne, Germany. It's a top fermented beer. It's an ale, but generally brewed with all pilsner malts. Very light. Very, very pale ale. So pale you wouldn't call it a pale. It's very golden-straw in color. It's basically like a lager except for the yeast strain that is used. It's a style that I really fell in love with when I went to Cologne during the 2006 World Cup. I went around to a few of the local brewpubs and it (the kolsch style) really made an impression on me. It's a style that I've been pretty much brewing every summer since then.
It's a style that is pretty different than the stuff I normally brew, but it's worked its way into my rotation of beers that I brew. In this case I used a different yeast strain that I have never used before, a "kolsch-two" from White Labs here in Mount Hood. I used an organic pilsner malt from British Columbia and I used Hallertaur hops that I grew in my own backyard.
It ended up being the palest and brightest beer I ever brewed. I was really happy with it.
I was really honored that it won.
FBM: Being at Widmer, was that kind of a Willy Wonka experience for you?
Abe: It was pretty interesting. I brew on a ten-gallon system at home and even Widmer's test batches were brewed using a ten barrel-system so 310 gallons, but they stepped it up to their 250-barrel brew house and that's 7,750 gallons for one batch.
It was pretty unreal. I've been brewing for seventeen years and that was brewing more beer in one batch that I had in my entire life.
It was a good experience. I think I learned a lot about the practicalities of brewing on that kind of system. You can't do exactly what you want when it comes to availability of ingredients.
When I had to scale up the batch to brew at Widmer we had to make a number of changes; we obviously couldn't use the hops I grew from home (they ended up using Alchemy, Mt. Hood, and Hallertaur hops), the yeast strain I used was only seasonally available, and we ended up using Widmer's base two-row malt. We brewed three test batches before the big batch at the brewery and none of those were quite right. It was great to see that when we brewed it on the big system is was much closer to the original beer that the previous attempts.
That was pretty exciting.
VIDEO - Abram talks about his winning beer:
Note: All other photos courtesy of Widmer Brother's Brewing press release.
Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed - 0 comments
The United States men's national team walks into Estadio Azteca tonight with a huge momentum boost from Friday's "snow-pocalypse" match against Costa Rica.
You were probably looking for a beer to drink during with the last game and we failed you because we were too busy tailgating in Denver to order our team of monkeys to bang one out on the ol' typewriter. You can have this one though... it's still cold.
When one thinks of Mexico and beer they're stuck with very few choices that don't conjure up images of college spring break "Save Water, Drink Beer" Coronas on the beach and the inevitable hangover that accompanies indulging in such things. A beer like that is certainly to be avoided not only because it's terrible (unless buried in a michelada) and, well, it's Mexican and this is exactly the wrong time to be supporting Mexico.
So why not try and beat the Mexicans at their own game? Tonight when you're tuning into another late Michael Orzco Fiscal winner you should be holding onto Ska Brewing Company's "Mexican Logger" lager. It's craft in a can and it kicks Corona, Dos XX, Pacifico, or other light lager right in the can.
Additionally it's from Durango, Colorado. Colorado. USMNT fans have some happy memories of that place if my short-term memory serves me right. Granted it's a six hour jaunt to Denver and the site of Friday's whitewash of the Ticos, but they're all buried in the same snow up there so it should be just as inspiring.
A bit of saaz hops to top it all off and a Mexican caricature that looks more like the Landon Donovan lottery commercial "Mexican" that any El Tri fan I've ever met and there's your Ska "Mexican Logger" and our brew recommendation for this crucial Hex match.
And something, something about chopping down Mexico.
It’s #RivalryWeek! Are you excited yet? Have you started hash-tagging every tweet? Are you adding –Scum to the first syllable of your team’s rival city? And if you’re a Columbus supporter, do you just feel left out of this week’s action, or are you busy trying to figure out ways to mock San Jose?
Hey "Port-Scum" fans! While you're here in Seattle may I recommend some of our delicious local brews? I'll buy you one after the match!
Actually, the side that has it worst this week is the Vancouver Whitecaps. They’re already often left out of the Cascadia Cup rivalry, with Portland and Seattle much more interested in one another than the ‘Caps. Then they try to join in on Canada rivalries, and Montreal and Toronto just look down their noses. Take a rest, Vancouver – you’ve earned it.
I’ve spent the week thinking about rival beers and all I can think about is the big players: Budweiser vs Coors vs Miller. Heineken vs Stella Artois. Sapporo vs Asahi. And then I realized: it’s because craft beers don’t like to wage war on one another. Even here in Portland, which has more microbrews than I could visit in a year, the brewers tend to build one another up rather than insult and dismiss the competition. Every brewery is concerned about making the best beer possible rather than worrying about what the brewer down the block is adding to his hops and malts.
I could go off on some deep tangent about how MLS is still a young league and this means the sides should promote and encourage one another rather than engaging in petty rivalries. But don’t worry – that’s not my plan. I like #RivalryWeek. One of the best parts of sports is being able to get fired up about the opposition – letting all reason and sense take a backseat, and coming up with some great one-liners (by the way, that reference about the –Scum? Not a good one-liner. Get better, soccer fans). Don’t get me wrong – I’m not advocating going out and taking a swing at a visitor wearing the opposing team’s colors. But having some good trash talk at the ready is essential to fandom.
Unfortunately, that sort of rivalry doesn’t transfer very well to choosing a beer. We need cities like Austin and San Diego to get clubs if we really want to launch a collaboration rivalry week between beer and MLS. So instead, leave the rivalry in the stadium and try to embrace the concept I talked about above: that there’s not really a competition in craft brewing, but instead a place for anyone that wants to join in. Some breweries focus on West-Coast IPAs. Some try to bring a Germanic flavor to the States. Others want to make the best Belgian Ale in their neighborhood. And we all get to benefit.
This weekend try and embrace your rival's beers because as much as you're going to hate their colors there's no good reason to deny their delicious brews. So are you a Fire supporter headed to Kansas City? Stop by Boulevard Brewing before you cross over from Missouri, and give one of their wheats a try. A Revs fan heading to Philadelphia? Turns out that’s one of the best beer cities in the US. Victory Brewing’s less than 30 miles from PPL Park. You’ve also got Philadelphia Brewing, currently offering a beer called “Fleur de Lehigh”, which includes ginger, lemon grass, and rhubarb. Please, go try this for me.
And, of course, how can we leave #RivarlyWeek without touching on Portland visiting Seattle? One of the most hotly contested rivalries in MLS also features two cities filled with fantastic beer. As a Sounders fan living in Portland, I know that of which I speak. Timbers supporters, avoid Pyramid and make your way to Elysian (if they’ll let you in!) There’s a branch right across from CenturyLink Field, and they offer some of the best beers in town. If there’s anything available featuring chili and chocolate, get your hands on that. If not, Avatar Jasmine, which is always on tap, is one of the best IPAs I’ve ever tasted.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a Sounders sticker to scrape off my car, before anyone decides it’s funny to cover it with a Timbers one (again).
About Kirsten
I may be a law student at Lewis and Clark, but soccer is my true love, with beer coming in a distant second. That's not to say I don't love beer--I've tasted over a thousand different brews, am a bit obsessed with my "33 Beers" notebooks, and love my Untappd app. Living in Portland, Oregon, I attend quite a few festivals and tastings, and am able to argue passionately about the merits of Cascade hops vs. Chinook.
There is no doubt that SKC has hefty expectations in 2013 after coming off another fantastic year in 2012.
Last season included winning the East for the second straight year, but most notably the 2012 Open Cup, at home, in front of a sellout crowd. In what will be remembered as one of the best moments in Kansas City sports, SKC took the liberty of de-throning Seattle controversially via penalties, but destiny was with the home team on that starry October night. #PaintTheWall.
Kansas City lost two big-time players in Kei Kamara and Roger Espinoza to the English Premier League, but the addition of Claudio Bieler & Benny Feilhaber will be a welcome sight for the KC faithful. Bieler has two goals in two games to start the season.
If we had to compare SKC to one local beer, it would undoubtably be the Boulevard Chocolate Ale. The highly anticipated release of the Chocolate Ale could very well be symbolic of SKC's season as well. Very high expectations, little return on your investment. Boulevard had a large recall of the Chocolate Ale last year and offered a full refund for anyone who discovered "flavors and aromas not intended by our brewers, attributes not detected prior to the January release of the beer." This hasn't dimmed Boulevard's reputation or Chocolate Ale enthuisasts who continue to support their hometown brewery and their unique one-off beer.
Same could be said for SKC, who have looked very questionable out of the gate in its' two first games. We associate losing to Toronto FC with violently vomitting bad beer. This team/beer could be classified as hit and miss.. You never know what you're going to get. Only time will tell.
One thing is for sure, the KC Cauldron and local brew-lovers will be behind their city (and their brewery) until the end of time.
First of all, it’s not every year that last season’s Champions League winners crash out of the group stages and wind up in the Europa League final. Most managers would’ve crawled into a corner to lick their injured pride, but Rafa Benitez outfitted Fernando Torres in a Zorro mask and went charging through Thursday nights. Something about his superhero costume perked Zorres right up, and the Blues cruised through courtesy of his goals – although, it must be said, Chelsea was quite generous about allowing their opponents back into every match.
In the world of modern football, certain matches are labeled “derbies” and played with as much – often even more – venom as those that involve cross-town rivals. There are different types of these fake derbies. Some take the form of a regional rivalry, such as the Revierderby between Schalke and Dortmund, or the Derby du Rhône, between ASSE and Lyon. Then there are the derbies between clubs that traditionally lead the league, including the Derby della Italia featuring Juventus and Inter Milan, or everyone’s favorite match, when Barcelona and Real Madrid play out El Clasico.
If you’re looking to buy a six-pack you can share with your non-enemy neighbors, give 
In the U.S., the soccer season has barely begun. But over in Europe, most countries are 6-8 weeks away from the end of the season – and the title race has more or less been decided in each of the big leagues. Of course, we all know that Bayern Munich grabbed the Bundesliga title last weekend. Barcelona, naturally, are running away from it in Spain, 13 points above Real Madrid. Manchester United are 12 above rivals City. France and Italy are closer, with Paris Saint-Germain 7 points above Marseille and Juventus leading Napoli by 9 points.
Celebrate "National Beer Day" by making this weekend "National Free Beer Movement Weekend".
The whole beer community is really passionate about Timbers. And the Timbers Army is passionate about beer. It works out pretty well.
FBM: Why did you decide to go with a kolsch? Tell us a little about the ingredients you used. Describe the taste and the flavor and how it best represents your passion for the Timbers and your passion for craft beer.
There is no doubt that SKC has hefty expectations in 2013 after coming off another fantastic year in 2012.