Five Great Football Beers at Hudson River Craft Beer Festival

Two of my favorite events happen simultaneously: the beginning of football season and the Hudson River Craft Beer Festival. So let's combine those into one concept. I've put together a list of the best HRCBF beers to drink during football season.

Keep in mind I do not know for certain that these beers will be available at the Craft Beer Fest, but they do come from breweries that will definitely be there. After all, I don't have a crystal ball. And if I did, I wouldn't be using it to find out what beer I'll be drinking in a week. I'd be using it to find out lottery numbers and who is going to win every football game ever.

Speaking of football, there's nothing more satisfying than enjoying a football game with a great can of beer in your hand. It's possible that having a kid is more satisfying, or achieving career goals or something. But since I don't know anything about those things, the most satisfying thing in the world to me is enjoying a football game with a can of beer in my hand.

So, we're focusing on canned craft beers!

Newburgh Brewing Company Cream Ale - Of course, this one has taken almost no time to become a classic New York beer, which makes sense because cream ales are a classic New York style. There's nothing better than a beer that's sessionable that has some actual flavor to it, which is the perfect description of this one. Plus, the label is literally award-winning. C'mon now, you should already know about this one.

Keegan Ales Bine Climber - This beer is one of my favorite Hudson Valley beers to come out in the past few years; I've been a fan of Keegan Ales for as long as I've been drinking beer and I love being able to bring this delicious, refreshing IPA to tailgates and friends' houses when watching a game. If you want something with a little hoppiness but not enough to turn your palate into the setting of Mad Max: Fury Road, this is your jam.

Flying Dog Underdog Atlantic Lager - A list of sessionable canned beers would not be complete without a good lager, and this one fits the bill for sure. It might not be as crisp as some of the macro lagers, but its flavor is on point without a doubt and it's got enough body to stand up to the autumn weather.

Goose Island 312 - For all my wheat beer people tryna get in on the action, this one is for you. There are a lot of great wheat beers out there, from big ol' malty hefes to super floral witbiers, but this one is on the list for a couple of reasons: first of all, it's got a little cascade hop to it so it cuts through what I find to be burdensome levels of spiciness in some wheat-oriented beers. Second of all, it was one of the first beers from a craft brewery I got into several years ago. So it's a great sessionable and refreshing beer and I have sentimental attachment to it. That's right. It's my list.

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY - For those of you who are familiar with this beer and are wondering if my brain has malfunctioned again for adding such a huge beer to a list that's based mostly around sessionability, hear me out. Football goes deep into the autumn. Football goes into winter. Sometimes you need a big, huge, 10%+ Russian Imperial Stout (and if you're a Jets fan you usually need 10%+ beers starting in October). Shouts to the team at Oskar Blues for hooking all of us up with that very beer... in a can.

So there you have it; that should get you through football season. Got any others I missed? Send over your picks, always looking for more beer ideas. And if you still haven't gotten your tickets for the event, do the following: