Michigan Football: Beer Drinking Man’s Guide to the Minnesota Game
Michigan football takes on the Minnesota Golden Gophers this weekend on Halloween night. For many of us, this’ll be the last chance to enjoy fall weather and fall beverages, so let’s take advantage. It’s cider time.
Minnesota looked impressive in its Week 1 matchup against 5th-ranked TCU, but has more or less disappointed since. Michigan, of course, is coming off one of the most wrenching defeats in recent memory but is still a 13.5-point favorite on the road.
Michigan Wolverines
Looking at the offensive stats for this game really puts how good the Michigan defense has been this year. Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner has played at just about the same exact level as Jake Rudock. Minnesota running back Rodney Smith has played almost to the same level as De’Veon Smith. Each team’s leading receiver has essentially the same stats.
In the end, Michigan is not great on offense and Minnesota is bad, but there’s not as much of a gap as a two-touchdown spread would have you believe. The difference is the defense, so get ready for some flaming wreckage when the Minnesota offense is on the field. It’s going to be a matchup of one very good defense against one bad offense and one “eh” offense against an “eh” defense.
What I’m saying is this is gonna be a slow, probably one-sided game..
Normally for a plodding, likely blowout with a 7 p.m. kick time I would recommend something dark and strong, but seeing as how Saturday is Halloween, there’s a good chance that by then most of us will either have had a few or will be preparing to have a few later.
Thus, North Peak’s Nomad should be a good game beer this week.
North Peak is a solid independent brewery in Traverse City, Michigan that makes good beer. North Peak also makes outstanding cider.
The problem I run into with most ciders is that they’re too sweet, syrupy and heavy for me to really enjoy. Not so with Nomad.
This is a clean, bright, effervescent beverage. As apple season winds down and the cold continues to creep in, cider season—at least for me—turns into dark, heavy beer season.
This may be the last great chance to enjoy a light cider with the temperature outside over 45 degrees, so why not take advantage?
North Peak only uses locally grown Michigan apples (the best in the country, suck it Washington), and you can really tell with Nomad. The apple flavor is strong throughout, but it varies enough to keep things interesting.
There is a tart and pleasantly refreshing apple flavor in the front end, and that gradually develops into a more full bodied sweetness by the time you reach the aftertaste. (That’s the benefit of using multiple varieties of real, locally apples.)
The most impressive thing about Nomad, though, is the balance between the natural fruit flavor and its dryness.
This is a hard line to straddle for most ciders: either it ends up being too dry and sacrifices flavor, or it’s not dry enough and ends up tasting like apple syrup. Nomad is just dry enough for my taste, and not only does it have a strong and varied apple presence, but also a nice arrangement of complimentary flavors.
Hints of citrus supplement the dryness while also countering but not overpowering the lingering sweetness, lending the cider a surprisingly clean finish. Whatever type of apple allows for that sweetness also provides hints of vanilla and caramel. It’s fall in a bottle.
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Finally, at 6% ABV, it’ll keep you from staggering out the door to a Halloween party after the game or passing out at halftime from early day sugar and/or alcohol consumption.