Gameday Beers of the Week: Tennessee

Six-pack beer of the week: Ghost River Riverbank Red

Tennessee is one of the worst states in the Union for beer. I know: that sentence is even more true if I put the period after Union. Full stop. One precious, beautiful thing that the Volunteer State has going for it though is Memphis. The capital city of the mid-South has undeniable charms. So if you’re going to consume a Tennessee beer this weekend at least make it a Memphis-brewed beer. I’m not much for red ales or amber ales, but Riverbank Red is a lightly toasty, easy drinking jam that will give you serious fall football weather vibes.

Celebration beer of the week: Blackberry Farm Saison

Brewed on-site at the venerable Blackberry Farm — a gorgeous piece of land that’s equal parts rustic getaway, James Beard award winning restaurant, and, yes, actual farm — their rendition of a classic Wallonian farmhouse ale is an ideal bridge between the area’s agrarian background and its modern drinking sensibilities. It’s dry & thirst-quenching. It’s got a kiss of acid backing up complex Belgian yeast flavors of candied clove, bubblegum, and nectarine. It’s hints of literal dirt flavor will evoke a symbolic connection to the yards of ground dug up by Derrick Henry’s cleats.

Grandpa whiskey of the week: George Dickel #12

With no old-guard historic lagers of note made in the Volunteer State, you should turn to Tennessee sour mash whiskey. Jack Daniel’s is the obvious choice here, and you should avoid it for that reason. George Dickel is also a Tennessee whiskey, and it’s better, and it’s not really any more expensive. What distinguishes true Tennessee whiskey from Kentucky bourbon is that Tennessee whiskey is filtered through lump charcoal, often made on-site at the distillery, from sugar maple wood. By way of metaphor, think of Kenyon Drake popping through the UT defensive line: the touchdown run becomes all the more pure & enjoyable for being run past & through some lumps.

Tennessee beer you can buy in Alabama: Yazoo Sue

You can pick up this brash, big porter pretty much anywhere in the state. It’s brewed with smoked malt. To some of you, this beer will taste like the cigars that fraternity members will light up in celebration of Alabama’s victory this Saturday. To some of you, that is precisely the reason to buy this beer.

Tennessee beer to avoid at all costs: Frio Light

An abomination unto everything our mother’s raised us to be, Frio Light is an industrial pale lager brewed in Memphis, but is marketed entirely towards insecure Texans. Frio means “cold” in Spanish, and there’s river in central Texas named for this word, and I guess all of this is meant to evoke a Tejas version of the Coors Light silver bullet makes-everything-frozen train. But that’s not this beer’s actual marketing imagery. All they do to promote this beer is stick a picture of the state of Texas on the can and sell it super cheap. Frio Light is the ideal beer for when you’re tired of drinking the rainwater that’s been sloshing around in your leather boots, but you want something that tastes pretty similar to that too.