Going Suds Up: The Best Beers, The Best Soccer

By Kirsten Schlewitz / Senior West Coast Beer and Aston Villa Correspondent

I’m back! Sorry about last week. Turns out, once I’ve hit the whisky, it’s a bit difficult to form a coherent sentence, so I’ll be sticking with the strong beers while writing my weekly column.

As you know, this week is Los Angeles Galaxy v Red Bull New York week, with days of insults finally culminating in tonight’s match, televised live on ESPN 2 at 10pm CT. Finally, a match perfect for the act of drinking! Now, last week the Galaxy clinched themselves a playoff spot, and New York is close to certain as well, sitting on 41 points. While I confess to owning a “Beat LA” sweatshirt (it works for so many sports) this week I’ll be cheering the Galaxy. The Sounders may be in seventh, but they’ve yet to cement their spot, so any points taken from teams 2-6 are beneficial to Seattle supporters.

And yes, I’m aware that this match has an effect on playoff positions, but as that does not directly benefit my team, I’m putting that to the side. Now, on to the beer. This match is all about the designated player, and let’s face it, the French just can’t brew beer. Even with all the jokes about English ales being warm and flat, the English can do a certain style very well. And beyond that, there are certain beers, from certain breweries, that stand out, no matter how long they’ve been around.

Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout (Yorkshire, England) is one of those. The brew took a hiatus from about 1910 to 1980, which is about the same amount of time that David Beckham was injured, but now it’s back and still just as tasty. A dark, malty beer that’s perfect for either dessert or breakfast, the taste is quite subtle, with chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee. A very smooth beer.

Off partying away from the TV on Friday? Shame on you. Still, your second match is Roma v Inter, at 1:30PM CT on FSC. Put away your misconceptions that Serie A is boring. Serie A, with Chievo and Brescia in the top three, Roma down in 19, and nearly every match featuring some sort of crazy comeback, is the hot league, my friends. So choose the hottest trend in beers: a black IPA. Southern Tier "Inequity" (Lakewood, NY) pours black with a cappuccino- flavored foam. Roasted malts, brown sugar, chocolate, coffee and caramel aromas. Slightly spicy hops in the background. A very balanced beer, with many of the same tastes, as well as chicory and pine flavors.

About Kirsten:

Ever since Brazil caught my eye during the 1994 World Cup I’ve considered myself a soccer fan, but it wasn’t until the summer 2008 that I decided to find a club. I focused on the Premier League and eventually chose Aston Villa. Initially drawn in by the pretty clarets and blues, I found I liked their organization, their owner and their manager. I fell hard and now it’s too late—I can’t give them up. As for MLS, that was easy, as I live in Seattle. I also support Exeter FC, SSC Napoli, FC Koln, Estudiantes Tecos and Tooting & Mitcham FC, all for a variety of reasons including cider, tattoos, scarves, owls, and a soccer player texting while on the pitch. I’m the Managing Editor of SB Nation’s Aston Villa site, 7500 to Holte. I also contribute to Two Footed Tackle.


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