Why Do Watching Sports and Drinking Beer Pair So Well Together?

Watching sports and drinking beer? The match that has always gone together. But that relationship received a bit of a blowback in February. The Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United Kingdom confirmed there would be no alcohol allowed when the country hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2034. 

While there are much bigger ethical concerns surrounding Saudi Arabia hosting a major international event, the lack of alcohol is a tangible concern. Will it be possible to enjoy the world’s biggest soccer tournament without drinking a few beers throughout the day?

This discussion reminds us of the fact that drinking beer and watching sports go together like peanut butter and jelly. They’re a perfect, iconic combination. We are so used to that standard pairing that we never really take a moment to think about why that is. 

Here are some of the primary reasons why drinking beer and watching sports pair so well together. As a plus, we’ll go over some recommendations for the best types of beers to enjoy while watching sports. 

Relaxation

Watching sports can be incredibly stressful for die-hard fans. There’s an emotional connection that can make it feel like the team is letting you down personally when they play badly. Drinking beer helps sports fans relax and enjoy the game for what it is.  

Community and Camaraderie

Watching sports stands as one of the best activities for growing both community bonds and friendships while beer consumption acts as its catalyst. Sporting events create natural connections between people because watching the same team supports social interactions inside stadiums, parking lots, and sports establishments. Sports viewing along with beer consumption enables you to find new friendships while improving existing bonds with people.

Drinking beer in shared pitchers or with cans serves as a bonding tool that negates social tension while forming friendships between people. The bonding process after consuming beer requires team connection, but the process becomes unusually difficult when someone supports an opposing team.

Sports Betting 

Betting goes along with sports nearly as well as drinking beer does. Drinking beer and betting might not be the best combination, but when both are done in moderation, they increase the fun of watching the sporting event you’re betting on.

What’s the big risk of betting while drinking and watching a game? The bets can be impulsive, especially with the new popularity of in-game betting. Odds calculators like the one offered by AskGamblers make it easier to place smarter bets. That mitigates the risk when you’re out at a sports bar having a few beers while watching the game. 

Sponsorships

The big brands behind both beer and sports understand the relationship between the two — and fuel it further by working together. Brewery sponsorships are common for sports teams, arenas, and major sports events. Seeing the brand’s logo all over the uniforms, marketing, or even the field gives an extra little nudge to drink one of their products. 

Some of the Beers We Feel Pair Best with a Day of Watching Sports

Lager

Of course, the first beer on our list is a classic lager. This crisp and refreshing beer style typically has a low enough ABV you can drink a few throughout the game without getting too drunk. Lager gets a lot of bad press because most of the boring, weak beers that line convenience store fridges and sit on tap in every bar are lagers. 

This is unfortunate because there is so much more to the style beyond the bland offerings of PBR, Coors, and Budweiser. Craft lagers and traditional lagers brewed by European breweries have the same refreshing lightness coupled with a beautiful crisp flavor. Czech pilsners are perhaps the pinnacle of lagers and are a perfect choice for a long summer day of watching sports.

Guinness

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Guinness. One of the most recognizable dark beers in the world, Guinness is a soft, rich stout still brewed in Dublin. While many will swear that a pint of Guinness never tastes as good as it does in Ireland, improvements in canning, transportation, and the brand’s Nitrosurge cans have made it come pretty close. 

Despite the color and depth of flavor, Guinness isn’t a truly heavy beer. This can make it a great choice for watching a game in the evening, especially for sports with fall and winter seasons. The brewery’s long-standing relationship with the Six Nations also makes it the perfect beer to drink while watching rugby.

Session West Coast IPA

Session is a relatively new term to describe beers in the United States, but it’s been a key word in British beer culture since the early days of modern brewing. A session beer is a lower ABV beer that’s “sessionable”. You can sit and drink them for an extended period without getting too drunk and — possibly more important — without getting bored. 

A good West Coast IPA with a low ABV is a perfect session beer. Light enough that you can still follow the second game of the day, but with enough flavor to keep your tastebuds entertained. The hop profile of good West Coast IPA doesn’t need a heavy alcohol kick behind it to stay drinkable. 

Milkshake IPA, Fruited Gose, Pastry Stout

At the end of the day, the best beer to drink while watching sports is the one you enjoy drinking. Fruited beers, lactose beers, and complicated dessert beers all get a lot of flak from purists — but don’t let limited thinking ruin your enjoyment. 

Of course not every sports bar is going to have a cinnamon bun pastry stout on tap (or even canned in the fridge) so these beers can’t always be your go-to choice when out watching the game. 

The Timeless Bond Between Beer and Sports

Beer and sports go together for many reasons and it’s hard to imagine a world where they aren’t always paired up. We build camaraderie more easily when we’re rooting for the same team and having a beer or two helps us relax. From tailgates and sports bars to stadiums, craft beer bars, and our homes, the pairing of sports and beer is iconic.