We’re just days away from Super Bowl LX, which means you’re probably scrambling to figure out what your snack table is going to look like when the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots. (That Buffalo chicken dip isn’t going to make itself.) But whether you’re hosting or simply attending, there’s one thing no Super Bowl party is complete without: beer, and plenty of it. Deciding on the perfect beer for such an occasion can be difficult; you want something that’ll appeal to a wide variety of palates and pair well with whatever you’ll be feasting on. It’s gotta be light enough that you can keep tossing them back well into the fourth quarter and still go to work the next day sans hangover, but not too light. Those watered-down macrobrews simply won’t do.
With that in mind, we decided to consult the pros. We asked the brewers behind some of our favorite beers to tell us their ideal beer for a Super Bowl party — other than their own, in the interest of fairness. The results are fascinating: Some opted for crowd-pleasers, while others went with bigger, bolder beers. (And interestingly, three out of 11 wound up selecting a Sierra Nevada beer, though none of them chose the same one.) So before you make that last-minute grocery store run ahead of the Big Game, check out their recommendations below.
Bryan Donaldson, Brewing Innovation Manager at Lagunitas Brewing Company
Summit Brewing Company Extra Pale Ale
Style: English Pale Ale
ABV: 5.1%
I would bring Summit Brewing Company Extra Pale Ale. While most people would go with a lager to aid in widespread appeal, and Summit certainly has plenty of good ones, I want to bring an old classic that also has enough body, malt and hop character to hold up to all the food I know I am going to be eating during the big game. Wings? The malt in this beer will help handle any spice. Cheese dip? The hops will help cut through the richness. You name it, this beer can handle it. And at 5.1% ABV, it is low enough to have a few and still see the entire game.
Wesley Keegan, Founder and Owner at TailGate Brewery
Sierra Nevada Pils
Style: Pilsner
ABV: 4.7%
For a Super Bowl party, assuming I’m not drinking TailGate? I’d grab a Sierra Nevada Pils. It’s lager time in the beer industry, and this one is great. Crisp, bright and incredibly drinkable, with a clean finish that’ll cut through cheesy pizza and spicy wings. It’s that classic, crowd-friendly beer that everyone can approach. I’ve always respected Sierra Nevada for their consistency and quality, and for the way they run their brewery and take care of their people. Running a brewery that offers 100% paid healthcare for almost 300 team members in Tennessee, I know that’s not easy, but it matters.
Rich Buceta, Owner and Creative Director at SingleCut Beersmiths
Peroni Nastro Azzurro
Style: Italian Pale Lager
ABV: 5.1%
A great Super Bowl party beer is Nastro Azzurro by Peroni. Full of flavor, it has a delightful, slight sweetness to the malt, and fresh bottles have a balanced hop bite. It is now brewed domestically, is available practically everywhere in the U.S., and is best drunk straight from the bottle (perfect for the Super Bowl). A no-guilt macro beer!
Christian Holbrook, Technical Brewmaster at New Belgium Brewing Company
Kirkland Signature Helles-Style Lager
Style: Helles Lager
ABV: 4.5%
Bringing beer to a Super Bowl party can be a daunting task. Don’t overthink it. Kirkland Lager (brewed by Deschutes Brewing in Bend, OR) is an easy, sessionable beer that will keep the party going through the whole game. And maybe beyond!
Ryan Guthy, Co-Founder of Wicked Weed Brewing
Cisco Brewers Whale’s Tale Pale Ale
Style: English Pale Ale
ABV: 5.6%
Elysian Jacktail Hazy IPA
Style: Hazy IPA
ABV: 6.1%
For this year’s Super Bowl, I’m excited to enjoy a great beer from each of these iconic craft beer cities. For Seattle, I’ll be cracking open Elysian’s newest release, Jacktail Hazy IPA. For the greater Boston area, I’ll be sharing Cisco’s award-winning Whale’s Tale Pale Ale with family and friends.
The Most Overrated Super Bowl Snacks (and How to Upgrade Them)
This year, ditch the soggy nachos and saccharine meatballs for their elevated cousinsMike Siegel, Senior Innovation Manager at Goose Island Beer Co.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine
Style: American Barleywine
ABV: 9.6%
With the Super Bowl being a special occasion, it calls for a special beer, and I choose “Bigfoot” Barleywine from Sierra Nevada. It comes out in a limited release at the beginning of the year, right before the game, and fresh, it’s very much like an amped-up version of their “Celebration” IPA, higher ABV and way more hops. It’s a true Winter Warmer, and a beer that helped define the style of American Barleywine, essentially a much hoppier version of its English cousin. I have not had the 2026 release yet, so the Super Bowl will make for the perfect occasion to pick some up and share it while watching the game.
Ash Kinart-Short, Technical Brewer at New Belgium Brewing Company
Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils
Style: Pilsner
ABV: 4.7%
Bringing along Mama’s Little Yella Pils from Oskar Blues to watch the big game is always a great crowd pleaser. While most macro lagers are loosely based on a pilsner, craft versions are crisp and flavorful enough to keep your beer nerd friends satisfied and not scare away the fans of domestic beers. Bonus that it is under 5% ABV, so if you’re in the corner sipping beers patiently waiting for Bad Bunny’s halftime show, it won’t sneak up on you.
Jeremy Marshall, Head Brewmaster at Lagunitas Brewing Company
Faction Brewing Pils
Style: Italian Pilsner
ABV: 4.8%
What’s cool about this beer is that it’s actually an Italian Pilsner, which means lightly dry hopped with noble hops like Czech Saaz and German Sapphire, which brings over a distinctly refreshing non-IPA fresh herbal characteristic. I don’t follow American football, so I won’t care who wins or loses, but with a beer like this, everyone wins. I like it so much that I have decided to take a stab at brewing this style later this year, incorporating some different noble hops I like from the U.S., alongside some of the same European hops, to see how that expression changes with all three of them together.
Bryan Selders, R&D Brewing Manager at Dogfish Head
Maine Beer Company Lunch IPA
Style: IPA
ABV: 7.0%
This IPA is everything everyone should be looking for in an IPA: Fresh, pungent hop aroma, firm bitterness and beautiful layers of malty goodness tied together by gorgeous fruity esters. When you show up at the party with six big ol’ fancy bottles of beer, the other guests will think, “Oh, geez! I shouldn’t drink that because it’s too fancy and I don’t want to be ‘that person’ who drinks the fancy beer someone else brought.” They are wrong and they should totally drink one, but I won’t complain if they don’t. I love to share, but I also love drinking this beer, so that leaves more for me!
Jason Perkins, Brewmaster, Allagash Brewing Company
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.6%
I’d have to go with a classic. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale just has a profile that hits all the notes. It has enough flavor and aroma to stand up to the rich food — like wings, chips and dip, etc. — that you’d find at a Super Bowl party. On top of that, you know the quality is going to be there, and it’s, at the end of the day, a very easy-drinking beer.
Meet your guide
More Like This
Every Thursday, our resident experts see to it that you’re up to date on the latest from the world of drinks. Trend reports, bottle reviews, cocktail recipes and more. Sign up for THE SPILL now.
