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Super Bowl Beers

Face it, nothing says Super Bowl refreshment quite like a cold brewski. Traditionalists may squawk that it oughta be a pop-top, but this year we're reaching past the watery suds for some all-American microbrews. Widely available nowadays, they are good for more than putting out salsa fires. Here, five simple rules to follow when pairing beers with Bowl-game fare:

• With spicy or acidic dishes (like Steak Taquitos), pour a lighter-bodied brew. Look for a crisp beer that leaves a fresh aftertaste. Nothing cloying.

   

• Pair rich or meaty foods (like Beef Carbonnade) with a darker, more malty beer.

   

• With most foods, avoid extremely or artificially flavored concoctions. Raspberry-flavored wheat beers, hoppy India Pale Ales, or roasty stouts can overwhelm the flavor of your pièce de résistance.

   

• Microbrews in general may be too filling for some people to drink through several hours. A perfect solution is one of the imported light beers, such as the popular Amstel Light. These imports have the satisfying flavor of beer, but an extremely light body (and fewer calories), quenching your thirst until the final touchdown.

   

• For the drivers and others who want to share the fun but not the hard stuff, offer one of the flavorful imported nonalcoholic brews on the market — Kaliber or Clausthaler, for example. These brands are distributed, respectively, by Guinness and Labatt, and should be available wherever their other labels are sold.

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