Seattle was one of the key players in starting the microbrew revolution, partly because of its proximity to fresh hops in the nearby Yakima Valley. One of the leaders of that revolution was Elysian Brewing Co., now famous for its creative pumpkin beers and flagship Immortal IPA. Just last week, Elysian announced that Anheuser-Busch bought the company to further expand its craft portfolio. So, for better or worse, you’re likely to start seeing much more from this craft beer forefather.
In fact, Elysian and Boston’s Harpoon Brewing have set up a friendly wager for Super Bowl Sunday: Three kegs of beer from each brewery will be poured in the opposite breweries’ taprooms the week after the big game. The loser will be required to fly the flag of the winning team until the beer is gone.
In keeping with that friendly competitive spirit, let’s break down the roster of these two craft beer cities.
Starting quarterbacks
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Spencer Trappist Ale — Spencer Brewery; Spencer, Massachusetts
Massachusetts is home to the only Trappist brewery in the United States. The monks of St. Joseph’s Abbey brew this Belgian-style “table beer” sustainably and consume the fruits of their labors only on Sunday evenings, which is impeccable timing for the big game.
Sky Hag IPA — Airways Brewing Co.; Kent, Washington
Sky Hag is bitter, loaded with West Coast hops and may not be pretty, but it will get you where you want to go. Airways has a number of delicious brews with air travel themes, like Seat Kicker IPA and Pre Flight Pilsner, because founder and brewer Alex Dittmar was a full-time airline employee before starting the brewery.
