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I will be profiling a quality craft brew each week prior to the game, one that fits with the theme for the week. Last week I profiled Stone Brewery and discussed the purpose of this thread. This week, I'm adding alternate brews that fit the same style as the selected beer, but from other breweries. Please don't ‘rec' this post, as I would like them to roll off the front page each week.

My criteria for developing this list is:

A) use a combination of foreign and domestic beers that are generally available this time of year
2) only high quality beer
D) beers from a variety of U.S. regions for domestics
∆) present a variety of styles, with attention to the season, and do both classic styles and offbeat beers
popcorn) in general, bigger beers for bigger games

Let's get into it.

Sept 08 - Savannah State 6:00 p.m.

The Brewery: Lagunitas

Selected Beer: A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

I want to stay on the same brewery theme for the first few games (this fits with our schedule, I think, warm-up games, so I'm covering easy breweries, beers, and styles to profile from the same general region): Lagunitas is another California brewery, out of Petaluma, and is quite popular and rapidly growing. They have a wide variety of beers that are generally creative and very tasty, a recipe for success in the craft industry, and Lagunitas brews tend to be very accessible in terms of distribution and price.

Early September in Tallahassee is still summertime, and American wheat ales are generally refreshing and light (like our opponent), which pair well with summer weather. In reading the comments thread last week, it looks like we have a lot of hop fans, so I selected a hop-forward wheat for you to enjoy while you watch this game. "Sumpin' Sumpin'" means ‘something pleasurable' (let's leave it at that for interpretation here), so this beer is presented with the expectation that this will be a pleasurable game and you will be in great spirits afterward.

Sumpin' Sumpin', like other American wheat beers, doesn't have strong malt flavors, which provides a nice canvas for displaying hop or yeast characteristics in a beer. It pours a pale golden color, and completely clear (no murkiness, which is common in wheat ales), and the wheat adds a light body. This is a hoppy beer, touted by the brewery as a cross between wheat beer and an IPA. You'll taste some citrus fruit, perhaps pineapple, some pine, mild floral notes, and much more bitterness than usually associated with the style. The yeast is subtle here. This beer is also dry, which works well with the hops and lends a sharp note to the finish. This isn't my absolute favorite beer from the brewery, but it will be perfect for a hot afternoon in Tallahassee, as it is crisp, bitter, and refreshing.

Alternate Brews - step it up and go for Lagunitas' A Little Sumpin' Wild, a sister brew with Belgian yeast strains. If you don't go for wheat beers or hops and want to stay light, try Lagunitas' PILS, a light bodied, very palatable pilsner. Otherwise, draw from any of their other beers. The Wilco Tango Foxtrot, an imperial brown ale, may well be your beer of choice this week following the Brandon Jenkins injury news. If you want to go with an American Wheat outside of Lagunitas, and with less intense bitterness, Goose Island 312, Bell's Oberon, and Three Floyd's Gumballhead are all tasty and unique examples.

What I'll (probably) Be Drinking Saturday: A Little Sumpin' Sumpin', Two Brothers Pillar of Salt, Monk's Café Flemish Sour, Clown Shoes (a brewery I might consider for the Clemson game) Brown Angel, and homebrew.

What about you? What are your thoughts on this beer? What are your favorite American wheat beers? What will you drink on Saturday?

Previously reviewed brews:

Sept 01 - Murray State 6:00 p.m. -Stone, Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale