Beers For The River, The Bench And The Boat
As with most people, I like to indulge in a beer on the river and as well as at the tying bench. There are definitely beers that are my go to’s and I grab almost every time for each occasion.
One of my favorite beers for the river or being on the boat is the Upslope Craft Lager. Upslope is a Boulder, CO based brewery that is very conservation minded and environmentally friendly. This company went as far as installing solar panels that the brewery runs off of. So why would their Craft Lager be a good river beer? Upslope has partnered with Trout Unlimited (TU) to create 1% for rivers campaign. For each sale of craft lager 1% will go to local TU chapters. That’s an easy sale for any fisherman. And with an ABV of only 4.8 this beer is not going to jack your shorts up if you drink more than two. I like to enjoy this beer on the boat or on the bank. No matter the beer, always use cans and not glass while on the river.
After a long day of guiding I like to sit down at the vice with a couple of beers and twist up some bugs. Now, when I am tying, I need to keep my wits about me, so I like to keep it simple. I usually end up with a Colorado Kool-Aid (Coors Original) because of the drink-ability and alcohol content. I can drink a couple beers and not feel guilty about it and make sure I get my work done on the vice.
If I am embarking on a week long river trip, my attitude might change a bit. I tend to look for quantity over quality. I am going to find a cheap beer in a suitcase style box. Something with 24-30 beers under $20. On an a 5-6 day expedition nobody wants to run out of beer!
Some honorable mentions with fishing in mind
Eddyline Boater Beer Pilsner ABV 4.5. This is a great clean and crisp beer.
First Cast IPA ABV 6% This is one of my favorite IPA’s because of the hints of grapefruit and pine and of course the name.