Over the last few years, the ACC has slowly allowed taps to flow at several large events and stadiums across the east coast. Several ACC schools sell and serve alcohol, but only Wake Forest allows beer sales at sporting events in North Carolina.There’s a lot of money to be made in beer and wine sales at ACC sporting events, but some schools aren’t allowed to get on board due to state legislation. But that’s not entirely the point of this article.What we aimed to do was look at the future for the ACC and figure out what exactly would be the perfect beer for each program. Sure, some schools like Miami, Syracuse, Louisville and Florida State already have the luxury of beer and wine at games, but they don’t have an official beer.Whether it’s the proximity to the brewery, the name of the beer or a pre-established relationship between the two, we broke down every ACC program’s official brew. Here’s a look at every school’s unique beer with some help from fellow ACC beat writers.Boston College: Samuel Adams Boston LagerNo help needed here. Sam Adams goes together with anything from Boston and the Eagles are no exception. The Boston Lager is a traditional beer with a craft brew quality that fits perfectly with Boston College throughout a freezing cold late football and basketball season. BC fans would likely love to consume a high volume of Boston Lager with their struggles in the two major sports.Clemson: Westbrook Orange BlissLast year, Dabo Swinney helped bring a rare national title to Clemson, so it’s fitting that the program gets an equally rare beer. Westbrook’s Orange Bliss is a strong Imperial Stout that is released late in the fall, which is perfect with the Tigers normally playing late into December or January. Westbrook may be far away from Clemson, but distributes to the entire state.Duke: Fullsteam Rocket ScienceHonestly, Wallace Wade probably has the most quality options of any school in the ACC. With breweries like Ponysaurus, Durty Bull and Bull Durham all in the area, Wallace Wade could have its pick of the litter when it comes to beer sales. But with Fullsteam using yeasts from Duke Gardens to brew their beers, this is an obvious fit for both sides.Florida State: Yuengling LagerIt may not be brewed in Florida or even have Tallahassee roots, but it’s a traditional beer that has plenty of history and dominance in the beer market. As Curt Weiler of Tomahawk Nation described it, “It may not be the best beer out there every night, but it’s well known nationwide, reliable, and makes you feel better about yourself than ordering a lesser beer would.”Georgia Tech: Sweetwater IPABrewed right in the heart of Atlanta, it’s hard not to choose Sweetwater Brewing to pair with Georgia Tech. Available in yellow cans with an intense flavor that is perfect for the humid start to football season or the chilly days of December, the IPA is a perfect brew for Yellow Jackets fans.Louisville: 3rd Turn Gaslight RedThis just makes sense for both sides with 3rd Turn located in Louisville and the Cardinals boasting bright red uniforms. Given that the Gaslight Red ale registers in at 6.2% ABV, tapping one of these bad boys at the Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium would be enough to get through halftime.Miami: Cigar City Jai AlaiThere’s no better brewery in Florida than Cigar City and there’s no more perfect beer for Miami than the Jai Alai. Rated at 99 overall on Ratebeer.com and sold in a green and orange can, Jai Alai is ideal for Hurricanes faithful whether Miami ever returns to the promised land or not.North Carolina: Carolina Brewing Sky Blue Golden AleWell, duh. Brewed in Chapel Hill, Carolina Brewing cans this golden ale in a sky blue can with a silver accent that might remind some UNC fans of those gaudy chrome football helmets from 2016. With this delicious beer sold in Kenan or the Dean Dome, Carolina fans will have another option outside of Chardonnay.NC State: NC State Brewing Chancellor’s Choice IPALook, when a school has a brewery located on campus, it’s impossible to choose another beer. It just so happens that the Sheppard Brewing Lab is concocting a delicious IPA known as the Chancellor’s Choice that has already won an N.C. Brewer’s Cup for the top overall IPA in the state. The only question: Will Wolfpack fans stick around at halftime for this tasty brew?Notre Dame: N/AThe Fighting Irish chose to remain independent from this story. Probably an Irish stout or a golden ale, but no one really cares anymore.Pittsburgh: Victory Prima PilsPittsburgh and Prima Pils go together like peanut butter and jelly (I also love the alliteration here). Widely considered one of the best pilsners in the country as a five-time U.S. Beer Tasting Grand Champion, the Panthers luck out with an official beer that the rest of the conference will envy.Syracuse: Natty Greene’s BuckshotLocated in the heart of Greensboro, N.C., Natty Greene’s Buckshot is perfect for the Orange. With a smooth taste that includes notes of toffee and caramel, Jim Boeheim will fall in love with the beer when he visits in 2020 for the ACC Tournament.Virginia: Devil’s Backbone Vienna LagerBrewed in Roseland, Va., about a 45-minute drive from Charlottesville, Devil’s Backbone has an award-winning amber ale that’s perfect for Hoos faitfhful. As Andrew Ramspacher of The Daily Progress told me, “If there’s anything that UVa people love, it’s their own distinct brand. For example, celebrating shot clock violations and KenPom efficiency ratings.” His first choice, of course, was Zima.Virginia Tech: Bulls & Bones Maroon Effect AleI mean, is there really another choice for the Hokies? Bull & Bones is brewing up the Maroon Effect Ale, a brown ale that includes chocolate and caramel malts to give it a distinctive maroon tint. It’s sure to become a staple in Blacksburg just like “Enter Sandman” at football games.Wake Forest: Foothills HoppyumNow that the Demon Deacons are playing in December again, Hoppyum will be the perfect brew for tailgates throughout the fall and winter. And with Hoppyum sales already allowed inside of BB&T Field, this Winston-Salem staple is already a favorite for Deacs fans.
Un-Official beer for every ACC school
If every ACC school was able to partner with one beer, what would that brew be?
