Going Suds Up: The Best Soccer, The Best Beers

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

As soccer fans in America, you’re almost obligated to spend the upcoming weekend watching Major League Soccer even if it means little for many teams.

After Colorado’s win last week, all playoff spots were taken. A few teams are depending on the results of the final matches to determine who their first playoff opponents will be, and a responsible journalist could tell you what those teams are and who they’re hoping to beat.

Me, I’m a beer-swizzling blogger whose just downed an 11% brew while watching my beloved San Francisco Giants lose to the Philadelphia Phillies, after enduring Napoli’s ugly draw with a team everyone else in the universe can beat (aka Liverpool), and quite frankly I’m just interested in keeping the buzz going, not in doing any sort of responsible research. Because when that buzz wears off, man, I’m going to be grumpy.

So here’s your beer for the weekend, girls and guys: The Lost Abbey’s Judgment Day (San Marcos, CA). Sure, it may have been more apropos for the few weeks leading up to the final day of the MLS season, when a team’s fate hinged upon just one game. But this weekend still signifies the separating of the wheat from the chaff—who gets to go on, and who gets left behind.

Celebrate by getting out your fancy glasses; any of the Belgian Trappist ones will do. The aroma is full with plenty of raisins, fruit, and brown sugar. The flavor is more of the same, with some vanilla and dark fruits thrown in. It finishes with a spicy bitterness—which might be just what some supporters will require this week. It also weighs in at a 10.5% ABV, so if you need to drown your sorrows for a bit, feel free to wallow in this one.

And hey, if you happen to be one of those unfortunate Liverpool fans, you might want to grab an extra for the match against Blackburn. But the Reds have to beat Blackburn, right? At Anfield? Yeah, you really should invest in the second bottle.

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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