Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Previously, we’ve folded these in to our betting guides, whether that’s been for the NFL slate or a bizarrely successful run through the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
Professional sports used to be beer’s domain. Miller Lite cemented this by making legends like John Madden and Red Auerbach its spokesmen back in the 1980s.
But lately, wine has eaten into that market share. Lebron James loves it so much he’d previously fit visits to Napa Valley into the Cavaliers’ West Coast road trips. Former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe’s second act is as a celebrated vintner in his home state of Washington. More and more, American pro sports’ relationships with fermented grapes has grown beyond bottles of Korbel champagne soaking championship locker rooms.
