Let’s face it: Most beer connoisseurs don’t have high expectations when it comes to finding decent drinks at a sports stadium. As with music concerts, you mostly end up drinking out of a plastic cup or can, and we all know there is quite the added expense for your purchase compared to your local bar. Of course, it varies from venue to venue. In terms of cost, the cheapest beers at NFL games can be bought at Paycor Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals (under $7!), whereas the Commanders Field brews are considered the most expensive at over $16.
We don’t know yet who’ll be playing the big game on February 8, and looking at the Super Bowl betting odds, we can say it is wide open, but we do know that it will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, which is the home of the San Francisco 49ers. What that means is that fans will have to pay a hefty price (49ers beer prices are the 29th highest out of 32 NFL teams). Typically, a beer costs about 14 bucks during a 49ers game, although it varies by beer. However, we should expect some price rises for the Super Bowl itself.
For anyone lucky enough to get a ticket or afford to buy one, we have the beer list below:
Domestic / Premium Staples
Bud Light (American Light Lager)
Michelob Ultra (Light Lager)
Stella Artois (Belgian-Style Lager / Euro Lager)
Craft & Familiar “Gateway” Options
Golden Road Mango Cart (Fruit Wheat Ale)
Golden Road Hop Hazy IPA (Hazy IPA)
Golden Road Faithful Blonde (Blonde Ale)
Goose Island 312 (Wheat Ale)
Goose Island IPA (American IPA)
Goose Island Honkers Ale (English-Style Bitter / Amber Ale)
Shock Top (Belgian-Style Wheat)
Specialty / Imports / Alternatives
Kirin Ichiban (Japanese Lager)
Leffe Blonde (Belgian Blonde Ale)
Bud Light Lime (Flavoured Light Lager)
Consensus on Levi’s Stadium Beers
We don’t want to give pricing because, as mentioned, they are likely to shoot up for the event as vendors cash in on the big occasion. Yet, looking at the list in terms of selection, it’s not bad. Golden Road and Goose Island are fairly well-regarded, and Leffe is always a dependable favorite. You’re obviously going to have the big names like Bud and Michelob at a football stadium, but there is certainly enough there for the discerning beer drinker to have something pleasant to sip on.
It does, of course, vary by patrons’ tastes, but we did a bit of a look around different forums to find what is regarded as the best NFL stadium for beer, and unfortunately for this year’s Super Bowl attendees, Levi’s Stadium was rarely near the top. Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots) was widely cited as one of the best for craft beer drinkers, as was Soldier Field in Chicago. Again, though, that’s a matter of opinion. One thing is clear, though: nearly every venue across the league has improved its selections in recent years, making the games much more palatable for real beer fans.
