Football might make you think about Coors Light, Bud Light, or any other light beer that has no has little to no flavor and is best served ice-cold so you can’t taste anything. Fortunately, there are plenty of beers that are sessionable, tasty, and easy to drink, perfect for watching football on Sunday or sipping during a Saturday tailgate.
Here are some of the best beers to drink for football.
11 Best Football Beers
1. Pacifico Clara
Pacifico is my favorite Mexican beer, since it strikes the perfect balance of light, drinkable beer (it’s just 4.4% ABV) while also having enough flavor that it can easily be enjoyed without a lime. It also comes in both cans and bottles, so you can avoid glass if you are tailgating for the game. Pacifico is the perfect beer to enjoy in the sun or with chips and salsa. The beer was practically made to drink for football.
2. Golden Road Mango Cart
Kind of a sleeper pick, Golden Road’s Mango Cart is flavorful without feeling heavy. Made with real mangos, Mango Cart is a 4% ABV wheat beer, so you should be able to enjoy a few without losing focus on the game. This is the only fruit-forward beer I chose for this list, and it’s a great change-of-pace from more generic lagers and IPAs.
3. Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
Firestone Walker consistently brews great beer, and the Pivo Pils is one of the best lagers you can buy nationwide. It’s 5.3% ABV and pulls inspiration from both German and Italian pilsners, so it’s crisp, just a little bready, and has nice citrus notes. Firestone also dry-hops the Pivo Pils, so it has just a little more hop flavor than you might expect from a pilsner, but it gives this beer the perfect balance of hops and malt.
4. Elysian Space Dust IPA
IPAs never go out of style, and Elysian Space Dust IPA is a classic. It’s an 8.2% ABV West Coast IPA, which means yes, it’s very hoppy and yes, it is bitter. I don’t expect that you’ll be opening this during the morning window of NFL games (West Coaster here), but on a colder day when you’re watching some afternoon football with friends, something about Space Dust just hits the spot.
5. Michelob Ultra
Normally, I only like Michelob Ultra when it’s paired with something “athletic” (like hiking or golf). But when it comes to tailgating, you need something that you can sip on over a few hours while preparing to then watch a game for three hours. This requires pacing, and Michelob Ultra is the perfect pacing beer. Make sure somebody at the tailgate has this beer, and you can thank me later.
6. Fat Tire
Fat Tire Ale is brewed by New Belgium and, after a recipe change in 2023, it switched from amber ale to blonde ale, which I think makes it more approachable for warm weather. This is a 5.2% ale that’s bright and balanced, making it pretty easy to drink. This beer has been around for over 30 years, so you’ve probably tried the amber version, and I encourage you to give the newer ale a try.
7. Miller High Life
Not all of my picks for best football beers are craft beers. Miller High Life is the ultimate late-night lager, post-work lager, and watching-football-with-your-friends lager. It’s just 4.6% ABV and probably the cheapest option on this list, and it does a surprisingly good job of being light and accessible while still retaining actual beer flavor. It’s always worth having a six-pack on hand in case someone is coming over to watch the game.
8. Athletic Run Wild IPA
If you’re looking to avoid alcohol but still enjoy beer, Athletic’s Run Wild IPA is my personal favorite NA beer. It’s really incredible how Athletic Brewing was able to completely nail the flavor of an IPA while still keeping the brew non-alcoholic. NA beers have been exploding in popularity, and I’m expecting to see a few non-alcoholic beer commercials during football this year. So, my pick for best non-alcoholic football beer goes to Run Wild IPA.
9. Modelo Especial
Maybe it’s the marketing getting to me (I swear these commercials come up during every game), but Modelo Especial is another great Mexican beer that pairs perfectly with football. Modelo is fresh and balanced, and it comes in those iconic bottles with the foil on top. Commercials will tell you to add a lime, but I like Modelo Especial on its own, or added into a michelada.
10. Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing
Hazy IPAs continue to be popular, mostly because they have a tasty, juicy flavor and are easy to drink. Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing feels like the best sports-related hazy IPA to me (probably because they serve it in stadiums across the West Coast). This is a 6.7% ABV IPA that hits all the juicy notes. I recommend avoiding the stadium prices and buying a six-pack to enjoy with friends while watching college football all day Saturday.
11. Modern Times Orderville
I’m not sure how accessible this beer is nationwide, but Modern Times Orderville became my go-to beer late during the football season last year. Orderville is a 7.2% hazy IPA, which kind of feels like the opposite of what goes well with football. But as the leaves fall and the weather cools, a stiffer beer starts to sound better and better. Give Orderville, or any local IPA from a brewery you trust, a try come October or November.
How I Chose These Beers
This list might feel a little bit all over the place, but that’s by design. When picking the best beer for football, I took into consideration:
- Flavor, since beer should be enjoyed
- Sessionability, since a football game is 3+ hours, and there are two full days of football every weekend, meaning priority went to lower ABV beers
- Availability, since I don’t want to recommend beers you’ll never be able to buy
FAQ
Most football fans drink light beer, since it’s easy to enjoy more than one throughout the game.
IPA can be good for watching football, though they do leave you feeling bloated and heavy. That is why many football fans prefer lighter beers.
Michelob Ultra is the best low-calorie beer for game day. It does a good job of delivering real beer flavor while staying low in calories.
Athletic Brewing’s Run Wild IPA is the best non-alcoholic beer for football, though plenty of breweries are starting to brew delicious NA beers.
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