Found Treasure: Incredible Big Game Beer and Food Pairings

February 11, 2022 – One of the things that made it so hard to see the San Francisco 49ers come up one dropped interception from an incredible run to the Super Bowl was that the team was so likable.

They not only outplayed more talented—and higher seeded—teams, they out-schemed them and outphysical-ed them, with stiff arms and clever play calls to spare. 

My hope was to celebrate a Niner appearance on Super Bowl Sunday by temporarily transforming Edible Monterey Bay into Edible Bay to Bay. 

A potential play call was in place: a pairing of interesting (and classic) beers from the 125-year-old granddaddy of S.F. breweries, Anchor Brewing Company, with great game day foods. 

And we’d turn to Anchor’s own master brewer Tom Riley to do it, quarter by quarter. 

Only the NFC Championship game slipped away and the gutsy Niners were denied an improbable third straight playoff road victory.

But, as Churchill reasoned about Champagne, in victory you deserve beer, in defeat you need it.

So here are some comfort foods from the mind of Riley, with ideal beer accompaniment, spliced with his thoughts and some tasting notes from sipping Anchor with friends during the NFC Championship Game.

By the way: If Anchor Steam is as max San Francisco as beer gets, Riley is as Anchor Steamy as they come. He’s an S.F. native who grew up in the same Potrero Hill neighborhood where Anchor’s current brewhouse has been operating for 40-plus years, and first joined the Anchor team at age 21 on the packaging line. 

That was the summer of 1984, when the Niners were preparing for a season that would end in a Super Bowl win, with John McVay as GM. If you recognize that name, it might be because L.A. Rams Head Coach Sean McVay is his grandson, so even a Niner loss is, in a way, a win.

1st Quarter: Anchor Crisp Pilsner with pub cheese and soft pretzels

One of Anchor’s newest beers—the pilsner debuted in 2021—is also one of my favorite that Anchor’s ever made. Riley’s particularly proud of how its combination of traditional Czech hops and long lagering result is a beer that tastes simple but is anything but to produce. “If you screw something up, the flaws will stand out terribly,” he says.

He likes to give its refreshing and bright profile balance with something “rich, homey and comforting.”

“What’s better than melted cheese and bread?” he asks. “It brings you back to childhood.”

2nd Quarter: Tropical Hazy IPA with lumpia and a sweet chili dipping sauce

Another 2021 debut for Anchor, this hazy stands out for its vibrant aromas and more sessionable body than many in the category. That also speaks to Anchor’s overall angle—they have old-school credibility for pioneering craft beer, but theirs are higher production beers than what you’ll get at craft microbreweries, so a gentler and more widely appealing profile is wise. 

“Hazys can be very aggressive, which some people love, but my whole thing with our hazy was switching up the profile to bring out different flavors,” Riley says. “You can take hops that [tend to express] bitter or piney, but when used in different parts of the process result in mango, lychee and pineapple flavors, all from the hops.” 

Those same tropical flavors are what he wants to bring out with this culinary combo. 

”When I was first asked for a pairing I was scratching my head,” Riley says. “Then I started thinking about Southeast Asian cooking, incorporating sweet fruit, and knew what to plan.”

3rd Quarter:  Anchor Steam Beer with mini-Dungeness crab salad sandwiches on S.F. sourdough bread

This could be a pairing that inspired Tony Bennett to sing “I left my heart in San Francisco.” It stars the since-1896 flagship steam beer whose warmer fermentation brings out the bread ethers in the beer that pair so well with the city’s signature sourdough. 

“I’m from San Francisco, Anchor has been the S.F. brewery since the Gold Rush times, so I had to get this in the lineup,” Riley says. “That’s the standard pairing, perfect now because it’s too rich for 1st or 2nd quarter. ”

“Make that the gold standard pairing—or red-and-gold standard,” Riley adds. 

4th Quarter: Anchor Porter and a warm chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream

Former Anchor owner Fritz Maytag is credited with helping catalyze the craft beer movement for, among other things, introducing the first American pale ale and popularizing previously uncommon practices like dry-hopping. Anchor Porter was one of his most popular inventions, and during the NFC Conference Championship tasting, the runaway favorite of my panel. 

Everybody loved its understated weight and smooth finish; a big syrupy porter this is not.

To close out the game, Riley likes how the bittersweet backbone of the porter counters the brownie. 

“Even though it’s chocolate and chocolate, the porter cleanses the sweetness,” he says. “But it’s beer and gets you ready for more richness.” 

Overtime: Discretion Brewing Bonus Pairings

I was inspired enough by Riley’s thoughts that I touched base with some Monterey Bay area brewers to get their thoughts. 

First up was Rob Genco at Discretion Brewing in Santa Cruz. He consulted with his “family brain trust” and promptly submitted these three ideas with explanatory notes: 

• Dublin Sunburn Irish Red with stuffed potato skins “And why?” he asks. “The salty, crispy skins pair wonderfully with our traditional Irish Red lusciously malty with a wee bit of hops!”

• Shimmer Pils and or Neon Shine Imperial PIlsner with Ceviche and Tortilla Chips The choice between beers, he notes, depends on your pilsner ABV preference. “Blending the tangy, cold ceviche with salty tortilla chips balances the wonderfully crisp and refreshing German-style pilsners that both feature a delicate balanced hoppiness,” Genco says.

• Uncle Dave’s IPA with Marini’s Caramel Corn with Peanuts Genco’s personal favorite of the group closes his gameplan. “The toasted, caramelly coating of Marini’s Caramel Corn with the peanuts are a perfect [counter] for Uncle Dave’s fruity, herbal hop aromas and its unique supporting maltiness,” he says, “Adding that hint of peppery spice from the addition of rye in this beer makes this a perfect match.” 

His final strategic comment: “It requires the least amount of effort—a big plus on game day preparation!”

Double Overtime: Peter B’s Blonde Ale and Nachos 

EMB also turned to Peter B’s Brewpub brewmaster Natalie Mika for her pairing notes, even if she couldn’t name who was in the Super Bowl. 

She has picked a winner, though—by mascot—going for the Cincinnati Bengals because it’s the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac.

Sidenote: I team up with KRML Radio for “Friday Found Treasures” brought to you by Edible Monterey Bay every Friday just after 12 noon; Mika appears for “What’s on Tap” every Thursday at the same time. 

“Listeners hear what’s going on in the brewery that week, different brewing insights,” Mika says. “It’s a fun sciency tidbit.”

For her ideal one-two pairing she keeps it classic, citing an indulgent menu at Peter B’s Brewpub in downtown Monterey built around soaking up both beer and sports.

“It’s just really fitting food for watching a game,” she says. “And I’m not really into sports so it’s the food I think about going to a Super Bowl party.”

She notes the popular hot wings, but goes for the house Macho Nachos with carnitas, refried beans, guacamole, jalapeños, olives, cheese and pico de gallo, paired with a best-selling Blonde Ale.

“I know it seems like a basic pairing, but we have insane nachos,” she says. “You want to lay down a good carb layer to make it to halftime, and the Blonde is refreshing to go with a lot of cheese and fat, giving you something really well-balanced with the carbonation and acidity from the beer.”

Triple Overtime: Mad Pursuit Mo Citra No Problem with Carnitas Quesadilla

Over in the heart of Hollister, community cult hit Mad Pursuit’s co-owner/brewer Alex DeLeon has seen his Niner fandom blossom as he watches games with customers and pours popular small-batch beers. 

“It’s nice to get all the local fans in here,” he says.

This year he even attended his first 49ers game, a win over the (cough cough) Rams in Santa Clara.

The Saturday before the Big Game, which they will be showing, they’ll debut the Mo Citra No Problem Hazy IPA that’s alive with its namesake and Mosaic hops and an apricot-mango fruitiness.

DeLeon likes it best with the house specialty carnitas quesadilla and its Monterey jack and cheddar blend, with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo, toasted to order on the panini grill. 

In other words, touchdown.