Area businesses serve up their picks for top Super Bowl brews

With time running out before Super Bowl 50 kicks off, millions of people around the country will be rushing the stores to get their chicken wings, chips and dip, brats and – for many fans – the beer.

“It’s huge in beer world,” Aaron Klingenschmidt said of Super Bowl Sunday. Klingenschmidt is co-owner of Main St. Bottle Shop in Rock Hill. “For someone like us, it’s the lead-up to the Super Bowl.”

The Nielsen Company polled about 2,000 Americans who were at least 21 years old, and more than 50 percent said they plan to consume beer during Sunday’s Super Bowl match-up between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos in Santa Clara, Calif.

Klingenschmidt said business at the downtown store has increased since Monday, and he expects more people to drop by to get their suds before Sunday.

“In the craft beer world, there are so many options and so many different styles and flavor profiles,” he said. “If you were going to buy for the masses, your pilsners, your kölsches, your light lagers are going to be the ones that have that mass appeal.”

Klingenschmidt said some good local brews include Irish Honey Ale, which is brewed at Benford Brewing Co. in Lancaster County, and Pre-Game, a session ale by The Unknown Brewing Co. in Charlotte.

Between 80 percent and 90 percent of Main St. Bottle Shop’s selection is from North Carolina and South Carolina, he said. If you’re going to a party, a mix-and-match might be ideal.

“A lot of these parties are going to be everyone bringing something, so you kind of don’t know what’s going to show up,” he said. “You’re better off just bringing beer you like.”

When selecting a game day beer, keep an eye out for the alcohol content, says Troy Bigelow, brewery manager for Full Spectrum Brewing in Fort Mill.

“It’s gonna be a long day, so I wouldn’t do anything real big if you want to see the end of the game,” he said. “Most beers I’ve ever had go well with wings and Sunday football.”

Bigelow suggested their Light Gold Ale to anyone new to craft beer, and their Infrared IPA for those who prefer more hopped brews.

For later in the game when the temperature is cooler, Bigelow suggests their Winter Warmer or Shamrock Stout.

“We buy as much as we can locally,” he said. “Anything that’s special about the beers here, we try to buy it local and make it with the freshest, best quality ingredients.”

Legal Remedy Brewing in Rock Hill is typically open 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays, but custodian Jim Ogburn said they will modify their operations slightly for Super Bowl Sunday and close at 5 p.m.

“Our beers, you can’t sit here and drink for four hours,” he said of the heavy alcohol content in their craft brews.

In advance of the Super Bowl parties Sunday night, though, they’ll be producing some of their most popular food items in bulk, including their smoked brisket, pulled pork, pepper jelly and pimento cheese.

“All of this is hooked to growlers, and we’ll be sending growlers out the door,” he said. “You get a nice pale ale growler, a pound of pulled pork and then take that to wherever you were heading and impress your friends.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Area businesses serve up their picks for top Super Bowl brews."