No one will deny that beer and sports have a certain kinship. Baseball has a team literally named after beer: the Milwaukee Brewers. The Super Bowl often feels like it’s one giant beer advertisement. Even golf has its John Daly. But beer and curling? That sport where you slide those giant stones along a stretch of ice? With its strange brooms and weird pushing postures, Americans haven’t necessarily been quick to (ahem) warm up to the cold weather sport (that apparently comes from Scotland, by the way). But curling may have finally caught its big American break… it’s got its own beer.
This month, the Nebraska Brewing Company will be releasing Sliding Stones Scotch Ale – a beer inspired by Omaha’s Aksarben Curling Club, according to Omaha.com. The club has plenty of reasons to toast a brew coming up. Founded in 1958, Aksarben will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next year. But before that, next month, Omaha’s Baxter Arena, where the club does its curling, will host the U.S. Olympic trails to help determine which Americans will compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Beyond the fact that Americans like their beers cold and curlers compete on ice, the Aksarben Curling Club’s Derek Rau told the local KPTM News that grabbing beers is part of the curlers culture. “A lot of curlers after they get done will go out and get a beer with the people they just got done curling with,” he explained. “It’s a very social sport; it’s a social atmosphere.”
As for the beer itself, Nebraska Brewing describes it as “an exploration into a style we’ve often overlooked. Occupying a space between traditional Scottish Export and Wee Heavy, this beer has plenty of rich malt flavor but isn’t so strong that you can’t keep your stones sliding in the right direction.” An initial batch was apparently served last month and, if beer rating app Untappd is any indication, this curling beer is a winner. Sounds like it’s time to invest in one of those curling brooms!
Source: Read Full Article