A tailgate lives or dies on the food and the beer, and the two have to work together. You are cooking brats and burgers in a parking lot, laying out wings, nachos and pretzels, and keeping a mixed crowd happy for hours before kickoff. That calls for cans that travel well and a beer for every snack on the table.
Below are eight beers matched to the food you actually eat at a tailgate, each one tasted and rated for the site. There is an amber lager for the whole spread, a pale ale for the wings, a big IPA for loaded nachos, a crushable can for the crowd and a stout for when the weather turns cold. Every pick links to its full review and you can grab a case in a couple of taps.
Tailgate Beer and Snack Pairings at a Glance
| Beer | Style | Our rating | Best snack match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuengling Traditional Lager | American Amber Lager | 4.1/5 | Best all-rounder with pretzels and chips |
| Samuel Adams Boston Lager | Vienna Amber Lager | 4.0/5 | Best with brats and sausages |
| Sierra Nevada Pale Ale | Pale Ale | 4.3/5 | Best with buffalo wings |
| Bell’s Two Hearted | IPA | 4.8/5 | Best with loaded nachos |
| Modelo Especial | Mexican Lager | 4.0/5 | Best with tacos and chips and guac |
| Coors Banquet | American Lager | 3.8/5 | Best cheap, crushable can |
| Guinness Draught | Stout | 4.5/5 | Best for a cold-weather game and chili |
| Blue Moon Belgian White | Witbier | 4.0/5 | Best with soft pretzels and mustard |
A good tailgate beer travels in a can, drinks easy over a long afternoon and has a snack it was born to sit next to. Match the beer to the food and every plate tastes better.
Yuengling Traditional Lager
The great American tailgate lager. More malt, colour and character than any macro at the price, so it stands up to salty snacks without getting boring over a long afternoon. If you want one beer for the whole lot, start here. Read the full Yuengling Traditional Lager review.
- More flavour than a macro at the same price
- Amber malt handles pretzels, chips and dips
- Easy value by the case
- Regional, so not always easy to find out west
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
A rich, malty, well-hopped craft lager that was built for grilled sausage. The caramel malt matches a charred brat and the hop backbone cuts the fat, so every bite lands. The tailgate upgrade for anyone bored of light lager. Read the full Samuel Adams Boston Lager review.
- Malty backbone matches grilled brats
- Enough hops to cut through fatty sausage
- Widely available craft staple
- A step up in price from macro cases
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Wings and hops are a classic for a reason. The piney, citrusy bite of this benchmark pale ale slices straight through hot sauce and fried skin, then resets your palate for the next drum. Keep a six-pack near the wing tray. Read the full Sierra Nevada Pale Ale review.
- Bright hops cut hot sauce and grease
- A dependable benchmark that always delivers
- Great with wings, dogs and fried snacks
- Bitterness can be a step too far for lager drinkers
Bell’s Two Hearted
When the snack table gets loud, this answers back. Huge Centennial citrus and pine stand up to jalapenos, melted cheese and spicy ground beef on a plate of loaded nachos, and it stays smooth for a 7 percent IPA. Our highest-rated beer. Read the full Bell’s Two Hearted review.
- Massive citrus-pine flavour matches spice and cheese
- Smooth and balanced for a strong IPA
- Our top-scoring beer
- 7 percent adds up across a long tailgate
- Too bold for macro-lager fans
Modelo Especial
The crowd-pleaser that pairs with the whole taco spread. Clean, crisp and lightly bready, Modelo suits tacos, chips and guacamole and barely needs the lime. Hand it to anyone at the tailgate and nobody complains. Read the full Modelo Especial review.
- Crisp and clean with Mexican snacks
- A safe pick everyone already knows
- Great value by the case
- Not much complexity on its own
Coors Banquet
The honest tailgate workhorse. More malt and backbone than the light macros, cold and crushable, and cheap enough to buy in bulk for a crowd. When it is game day and you just need cans of cold beer that go down easy, this is it. Read the full Coors Banquet review.
- More backbone than a light macro
- Crushable and cheap by the case
- The no-fuss can for a big crowd
- Plain flavour
- Has to be ice cold to shine
Guinness Draught
When the season turns and there is a pot of chili on the tailgate stove, reach for a stout. Guinness’s roast and light coffee notes match slow-cooked chili and warm you up, and at 4.2 percent you can sip it through a long, cold game. Read the full Guinness Draught review.
- Roast notes pair with chili and cold weather
- Silky smooth nitro body
- Low 4.2 percent for a full afternoon
- Feels heavy on a hot early-season day
Blue Moon Belgian White
The lighter option for the snack side of the table. Orange peel and coriander play nicely with a warm soft pretzel and grainy mustard, and the smooth wheat body suits guests who find hops too much. An easy sell to almost anyone. Read the full Blue Moon Belgian White review.
- Citrus and spice suit pretzels and lighter bites
- Smooth, approachable wheat body
- Wins over non-beer-drinkers
- Leans sweet for some palates
- Better with the orange slice
The Gear That Makes Tailgating Easier
The beer and snacks are sorted. These three are the difference between a smooth tailgate and a scramble, and they all pack into the trunk.
Tailgate Beer FAQ
What is the best beer for a tailgate?
For one beer that suits a whole crowd and a table of snacks, a flavourful amber lager like Yuengling or a crisp Mexican lager like Modelo is the safe call. Keep a hoppy pale ale on hand for the wings and a cheap crushable can like Coors Banquet for volume.
What beer goes with buffalo wings?
A hoppy pale ale or IPA. The piney, citrusy bite of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Bell’s Two Hearted cuts through hot sauce and fried skin and resets your palate between wings.
What beer should I bring for a cold-weather game?
Switch to something with more body. A roasty stout like Guinness Draught pairs with chili and warms you up, and its low 4.2 percent ABV means you can drink it through a long, cold game.
How much beer do I need for a tailgate?
Plan for about two drinks per person in the first hour and one per hour after. For a four-hour tailgate with eight people, that is roughly two to three cases, plus a lighter option for anyone pacing themselves.
