Beer and hockey have long been a match made in heaven. Whether you're cheering for your team at a bustling arena or enjoying the game from the comfort of your home, a cold beer always seems to enhance the experience. Just as each hockey team has its own distinct style and personality, every beer too has its own unique flavour and characteristics. As we are big fans of both hockey and beer, for fun we have decided to compare each one of the NHL hockey teams to a style of beer that we think sounds like them. We should mention, this article is just for fun and we do not wish to offend any beer styles.
NHL team and Beer style
Anaheim Ducks
Weissbier / Hefeweizen
With 12 players under 25 years of age, the Ducks remind us of this German member from the family of wheat beers. This effervescent light-bodied ale is crisp when young and fresh, but also usually comes with a little cloudiness or haze. Weissbier is known for having big flavours like clove and banana up front, and not too much hop in the back end. While spicy forwardness is a big part of this beer, balance and time are most important here, and getting this one just right might require a little more fermenting.
Boston Bruins
Saison
This classic unfiltered beer style is usually a stronger highly attenuated balance of fruity / spicy yeast and grainy malt with a little bitterness and lots of carbonation (gas). While Boston lost a few players and brought in Lindholm, it still has depth, and all the main ingredients needed to put together a tasty season. Like a Saison, depending on how the ingredients are used, the character can change drastically, but if brewed just right, Boston could end up with a pleasant mix of spiciness and a decent alcohol content.
Buffalo Sabres
Home Brew
Any person who makes beer knows, sometimes it's good, sometimes it isn't and sometimes it's downright horrible. Don't get us wrong, Home-brew beer can be very good, but usually you'll find something better elsewhere. It's unfortunate, with expensive ingredients like Dahlin, Power, Byram, Thompson, Cozens and Quinn as an RFA next year, the right pieces are there, but bringing back Ruff to try and brew another batch reminds us of the many times we made beer in our garage and asked ourselves, "Can we get it right the second time?"
Calgary Flames
Non-Alcoholic Beer
Is it beer? It tastes like beer but it doesn't have the same effects. Sure, Conroy made some small changes to the recipe, but the final product seems to be the same year after year in Calgary. Non-Alcoholic beer is light, it lacks flavours and depth and can't keep a foamy top so it goes flat real quick. Sound familiar? On the bright side, the Flames are fermenting serious draft picks in the coming years, so like with most beers, a little more time in the tanks should bring exciting and worthy brews. Just in time for the new brewery!
Carolina Hurricanes
American IPA
Although the Canes lost a lot of depth and a GM, looking at their grain bill shows they continue to have promise. They still have their core ingredients, but after losing some defence, the showcase is definitely on their forwards like hops in an American IPA. This beer is defined by a clean fermentation profile with supporting malt characters that allow a creative range of hop character to shine through. Brind'Amour is a master brewer who just got a big raise, so let's see what he can brew up.
Chicago Blackhawks
English Bitter
The English Bitter is generally very low in alcohol content and carbonation, making it seem a lot weaker than most beers. It can however be identified by some sweetness from one key ingredient, Bedard, errr, we mean caramel malt. Chicago was a revolving door this off-season and added a bit more flavour, but the final product seems to be the same, a big glass full of a rebuilding team with all the taste up front. Given a little more time, and if a few more tweaks are made, especially by adding some depth in the back, this could morph into an entirely different, and much tastier beer.
Colorado Avalanche
American Amber Ale
The American Amber Ale can vary quite a bit from being smooth and balanced to being more aggressively hopped with a higher alcohol content, it all just depends on the ingredients. In this case, will Landeskog and Lehkonen be in the mix, is Rantanen sticking around, is Nichushkin worth it after his suspension ends? The Avs lost 7 players in the offseason and did not really fill those voids. The clock is ticking and if this beer is left in the tank too long, it could start to get weak and lose its flavour.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Fruit Beer
Fruit beer is any brew with fruit added. Depending on what fruit is thrown in, for the most part, you never know how it will turn out until it's done. The fruit should add an extra level of complexity to an already good beer, but too much can unbalance it and make it weak like juice, or worse, sour. Speaking of, safe to assume Laine is moving on and we know Monahan has reunited with former Flame Gaudreau, but, at this stage it's still unclear exactly what kind of flavoured beer the Jackets are going to be making come brew day.
Dallas Stars
Double IPA
Double IPAs combine old world beer with strong American flavour. Despite being intensely assertive, they are considered well rounded and deep while having a higher alcohol content than regular IPA's. Brewers call hops dank, but in this case, we say Stank(oven)! This beer is supported by a balanced character from the malts. With legend Pavelski retiring and a few depth pieces leaving, the Stars now have enough money to sign Harley to be the backbone of many more beers to come. Like the hop flavour in this beer, expect the Stars to stick around.
Detroit Red Wings
Dry Irish Stout
Like the Wings, Irish Stout is a true classic with a long history. This beer has an undeniable pronounced roasted flavour but the balance can vary greatly from smooth and sweet to dry and bitter. As the Yzerplan is bubbling away with no real results as of yet, brew-master Lalonde better hope this batch with some new additions like Tarasenko turns out the way Stevie expects. Similar to Detroit's future, if you hold this stout up to a light, you will see it is not black at all, in fact there is a slight red coming through.
Edmonton Oilers
English Barley Wine
Full-bodied with a velvety, luscious texture that declines with age is the best way to describe this beer, and the Oilers. Barley Wine is defined as a very strong and richly malty beer with a pleasant depth, something recently added this offseason with the signings of Arvidsson and Skinner. Conditioning plays a huge part in how this beer turns out, so if the Oilers expect good things, they need to carefully age this beer all season long for the best effect. Waiting any longer than that can really change what's coming out of the bottle, especially with next year's pending contracts from big names.
Florida Panthers
Eisbock
A very full-bodied beer that is first frozen so that chunks of ice can be removed leaving a concentrated beer with more flavor, higher alcohol content, and less defects. Eisbock is regarded as the strongest beer. It is a full-bodied, rich, and dominant dark lager with good clarity and depth. Sound like the Panthers? With very few changes made to the roster, GM Zito can sit back in the brewery and watch coach Maurice brew his magic. Will they win it all again? Hard to say, but they definitely have a nice drinking cup for the rest of the year.
Los Angeles Kings
Czech Pale Lager (Pilsner)
The Czech Pale Lager is a standard in the beer world. It has all the classic ingredients but unfortunately, never stands out as a popular style. Although it is flavourful and refreshing, it is generally light bodied and quite low in alcohol. It's also not quite deep enough to be considered a premium lager, but, all the pieces are there for a nice smooth balance. Sure it can get the job done, just don't expect anything flashy.
Minnesota Wild
Blonde Ale
Not to be confused with Belgian Blond which is a stronger and more flavourful beer, American Blonde Ale is a pale beer without aggressive flavors. It has a light character, a soft malty aroma, low hop aroma, and a medium low bitterness but the balance generally leans toward the malt (Kaprizov). Typically it is a stronger than an American style lager, but allows for use of many hop styles or the addition of other ingredients like wheat or sugar. With so many variables, it's hard to say what this Blonde Ale will taste like.
Montreal Canadiens
Bière de Garde
This beer translates as 'beer for keeping". That is because it is likely to develop more character as it matures. Often made in pale, amber and dark variants, like the Habs, the paler one lacks much of the depth that the other versions have. Pale styles are usually medium-light in body and have to ability to present a smooth, creamy-silky character. They have normal carbonation and a light hint of spice or sweetness. With Biere Du Garde, the alcohol content can vary, it just depends on which version is being made. Be careful though, when not handled correctly this beer can easily turn stale.
Nashville Predators
Barrel-Aged
When you put a beer into a barrel, it matures and develops into a whole different beer with a new distinctive character. When done correctly, it should compliment and enhance that existing base beer. With the additions of Stamkos, Skjei and Marchesault, it seems Barry Trotz has done just that. With a well rounded roster, like barrel aged beer, you can expect flavours such as vanilla, caramel, toffee, toast, or cocoa character to shine through. While tannins from the wood might increase the body, a tart or acidic characteristic should not be present.
New Jersey Devils
Mixed Culture
When it comes to both the Devils and mixed fermentation beers, there are lots of questions and variables that can affect how everything turns out. The fragile combinations of brewers yeast and wild yeast (Brett or should we say Bratt) and/or lactic acid bacteria remind us of the Devil's injury worries, goal tending questions, leaky defence and their coach that has never been to playoffs. Like mixed culture beer, you never know what you are going to get. It's great when healthy and better when fresh, but if one small thing goes wrong, it can all go sideways in a hurry.
New York Islanders
Kolsch
Is it a lager? Is it an ale? Like the Islanders, Kolsch has a long history. Technically an ale, Kolsch is conditioned at cold temperatures like a lager. It is a light, subtle, weak flavoured, pale beer with a delicate balance and soft finish. Low in malts, low in hops, and has an almost imperceptible sweetness. This beer does not age well at all and can easily oxidize, giving the beer a stale carboard taste if it is not fresh. It is similar to other easy-drinking weaker pale beers such as Cream Ale.
New York Rangers
Sahti
Sahti is a traditional Finnish farmhouse ale that has to be consumed fresh. It does not age well and does not package well, so the time is now. Waiting too long on this one is going to leave the Rangers with a bad taste in their mouths. With only six forwards and three D-men signed into the 25-26 season, the Blueshirts have got to make it happen this year. The Sahti is a sweet, heavy and strong beer that has ingredients not found in other styles and can have an ABV ranging from 6-11%.
Ottawa Senators
Mexican lager
This light, pale, easy drinking brew can be an almost flavourless pale beer or, it can be a more flavourful amber one that pays homage to its predecessor, the Vienna lager. The latter has a pleasant malt complexity in the forefront, with a firm hop that provides a balanced finish. The pale version contains flaked maize which leads to a dryer product. Unfortunately, Ottawa did not do much to change the recipe this off-season, so expect the lighter version of this style.
Philadelphia Flyers
Cream Ale
Despite being called 'Cream Ale', this beer actually contains no cream, so no need to worry about it floating to the top. When it was first made in the 1800's the term was used as a marketing gimmick to stand out. It does however have a bit more flavour than most lagers. It's easy drinking, but a low corn flavour is common. The finish can be all over the place and can vary from somewhat light, dry, and crisp to faintly sweet. The Flyers barely missed playoffs last year, so there is something good brewing there, but, for now, they still remind us of this lawnmower beer.
Pittsburgh Penguins
American lager
Beer contains four main ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. Some malts and hops are more expensive than others, but just because you have them, doesn't guarantee a successful brew. Sure, Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson are all excellent ingredients, but the final product is just a plain old beer/hockey club with nothing really exciting going on. American lagers by definition are pale and light bodied with a very neutral flavour profile.
San Jose Sharks
SMaSH
SMaSH stands for single malt and single hop. In this case, the single malt is Celebrini and the single hop is Smith. Like the Sharks, these beers are intentionally designed to highlight only the individual flavours of each of those two ingredients. You will not find much complexity or any other flavours other than one malt and one hop. That being said, with the right combination there can be some flavour, just don't expect much of it, or any real depth.
Seattle Kraken
Vienna Lager
A moderate-strength lager with a soft, and smooth maltiness. The malt complexity is in the forefront, with a firm enough hop to provide a balanced back end. However, it often has a slight bitterness and always finishes dry. Like the Kraken, with Vienna's there are no real stars stealing the show and it all comes down to each ingredient working in harmony to create balance. Typically this style is less intense than others in the amber category, so expect low gravity, low alcohol, and low carbonation, meaning not much fizz.
St. Louis Blues
Light Lager (Low calorie)
A very pale light-bodied, watered-down nearly flavorless beer. The aroma may be perceived as corn-like, while the flavour presents a neutral palate and the hops are usually not strong enough to detect. These are the kind of beers you can drink all season and not feel any affects. Armstrong brought in some size in the off-season, but a bigger glass is only able to hold more light beer and does nothing to make it taste better. The big brands suggest drinking this in a frosted mug, because the cold masks the not so nice flavour of the rice and corn syrup they add.
Tampa Bay Lightning
English IPA
Like the Lightning, English IPA is a flavourful and generally well balanced beer. Sure, they lost Stamkos and Sergachev, but they are still heavily hopped and may have a better 5v5 with the addition of Guentzel and McDonaugh. Most IPA's contain a few varieties of hops that give it a big forward presence and assertive flavour profile, and with Kucherov, Point and Guentzel slated to start the top line, the Lightning should still be considered pretty strong, well attenuated, and deep with a wide variety of flavour.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Berliner Weisse
Napoleon referred to this style as the Champagne of the North, so like the Leafs, this style has been around forever. Also like the Leafs, Berliner Weisse is a great beer, but it always leaves a sour taste in your mouth and while it has lots of fizz, this beer is also known to have a very dry finish. Sounds like the Leafs so far. This style has more ingredient additions than most and often undergoes a technique called decoction mash where a lot of the flavour comes from only a small portion of the ingredients.
Utah Hockey Club
Hazy IPA
Hazy IPA is one of the newest beer styles (2003). Meaning in the beer-world, it's the new kid, just like Utah. Ok sure, they used to be Arizona, but the Hazy used to be a regular IPA that underwent a few experiments which transformed it into an entirely different beer. Despite their appearance, Hazy beers can be surprisingly delicious and have lots of juice up front, like Utah's plethora of young upcoming stars. These beers require a malt character to support the heavy hops and with their impressive defence that now includes Sergachev, Utah should have a fuller, more restrained balance than the Yotes.
Vancouver Canucks
Italian Pilsner
Italian Pilsners are an underrated and complex style of beer that not many people know about. On one hand they appear to be a regular ole easy drinking Pilsner but on the other, they pack a surprising punch that makes them stand apart from others. A technique called dry-hopping is used to give this style a more prominent hop aroma than other versions, making it more akin to a light beer crossed with an IPA. This unique style is all about balance and after a few recent additions to the roster, the Nuck's now have more depth and flavour than most Pilsners in their class.
Vegas Golden Knights
Raw Ale
Raw Ale is a way of making beer that does not require boiling and therefore, much of the brewing process is not required. Similarly, after letting go of some big names, the Golden Knights have lost a large amount of their production from last year. When a Raw Ale is done right, it can be packed with flavour and body, however, with the Knights currently sitting over the cap, they do not have much room to try and regain what they lost. They still have all the ingredients needed, but they are going to have to seriously tweak the recipe if they want to brew the same beer they have had in the past.
Washington Capitals
Spiced beer
The Caps added a lot of pieces in the offseason and now they have to put them all in the kettle to see what they come up with. As with a spiced beer, distinctive flavors should be noticeable, but they can range in intensity from mild to aggressive and can be light and easy drinking or stronger and more full bodied. The ingredients they added in the offseason might offer a little more complexity, but with Ovechkin going for Gretzky's record, all the focus will be on him, resulting in an unbalanced product that places too much emphasis on one ingredient when the most important part of spiced beer is balance.
Winnipeg Jets
American Wild Ale
In the world of beer judging, there is perhaps no other beer style with a more open interpretation. This brew often uses wild yeast strains or other microbes as opposed to regular brewers yeast. This can create a risky and hard to control environment where one small misstep can make things head in the wrong direction. With Winnipeg's rotating goalies, lack of a coach, seemingly unhappy players, inconsistency and lack of depth, there really doesn't seem to be a recipe here other than to rely on Hellybuyck. Just like playing with wild yeast, with the Jets, you never know what will you get.
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