Lotte Peplow, Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador, looks at how best to combine World Cup football with US craft beer
Photographs: Brewers Association
Beer and football go together like VAR and arguments, so with the World Cup kicking off in North America this month, there’s no better time to explore the wonderful world of US craft beer while cheering on your favourite team.
First played in 1930, the World Cup has grown into the planet’s biggest sporting spectacle. The 2022 tournament attracted an estimated 5 billion with 1.5 billion people watching the final alone. Now, with an expanded 48 teams in the competition, that figure looks set to climb even higher.
And what better way to support the lads than by enjoying an American craft beer, brewed in one of the US states hosting the home nations’ matches and now available here in the UK? Here’s what to expect:
Boston
Scotland v Haiti on 14th June
Scotland v Morrocco on 19th June
England v Ghana on 23rd June
Brewery and beer
Samuel Adams Boston Lager (5% ABV), an iconic German-style lager combining caramel malt sweetness and spicy hop bitterness, first brewed in 1984. Or Sam Adams Cherry Wheat (5.3% ABV), an American wheat ale brewed with Michigan cherries that’s crisp, fruity, and light on the palate, yet full of surprising depth and flavour. The cherries contribute a tart fruit character, while a touch of honey adds a slight sweetness. For non-beer lovers, there’s Twist Tea, the original ‘hard’ (alcoholic) iced tea from Boston Beer Co at 5% ABV.
Miami
Scotland v Brazil on 24th June
Brewery
3 Sons Brewing from Dania Beach, just up from Miami, which occasionally sends sought-after, highly rated imperial stouts, barrel-aged imperial stouts and pastry stouts to the UK. The opposite of a sessionable light lager, these beers are best shared with friends while watching the action.
New York/New Jersey
England v Panama on 27th June
Brewery
Equilibrium, Middletown, New York. A brewery that uses scientific principles to balance drinkability and flavour. Brews a range of styles — IPAs, sours, barrel-aged stouts etc, and can be found in the UK occasionally.
Sierra Nevada’s original beer, Pale Ale, made in California
The host nation play their first game on 13th June in Los Angeles. California is a hotbed of American craft brewing and is home to many iconic breweries, most notably Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, whose newly-launched Summerfest is perfect for cheering on the team. It’s a refreshing, traditional-style lager with a delicate but complex balance of malt, with spicy, floral hops giving significant hop aroma and bite. At 5% ABV, Summerfest is crisp and sessionable, radiating Californian sunshine.
For non-football fans, raise a glass to the dad in your life on Father’s Day, 21st June. Or better still, take him to the pub and buy him a beer!
Other American craft breweries available in the UK include Allagash Brewing Co, Deschutes Brewery, Revolution Brewing Co, and Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
Back on home ground
A raft of super-high quality American craft beers will be showcased at London Craft Beer Festival, on 17th and 18th July, in Southwark Park in London. Approximately 60 American craft beers will be air-freighted over from the States thanks to the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association that represents the small and independent American craft brewer, along with brewery representatives themselves. Available for tasting will be a range of superb beers, from the latest in lager creativity and lighter styles to big, bold barrel-aged imperial stouts. More details to be announced shortly.
US craft beer in the UK
The UK is an important export market for American craft beer, accounting for 8.2% of all exports and ranks as the third largest market globally. American craft beer is available through selected bars, pubs, and dining venues, as well as bottle shops, off-licences, and supermarkets, and online from Athletic Brewing, Brew Export, Beer Merchants, Cask International, Cave Direct, Distant Lands, Hop the Pond, and Sierra Nevada UK.
About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers, and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,600-plus US breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organises events including the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, Craft Brewers Conference, and BrewExpo America, and American Craft Beer Week. The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine, and Brewers Publications is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the US. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association and the free Brew Guru mobile app. Follow the Brewers Association on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About the author
Lotte Peplow is the American craft beer ambassador for Europe for the Brewers Association and is based in London. She is a certified cicerone, BDI-accredited beer sommelier, beer writer, author, beer communicator, international beer judge, homebrewer, and beer lover.
