The Rugby World Cup starts TOMORROW (Friday)!!! Honestly, I've been inexplicably excited for months - to the point where the mere mention of a odd-shaped balls makes me all giddy inside (hhhmmmm....)
Obviously, where rugby is concerned, generally there is beer, and LOTS of it. I will be tucking away plenty of Guinness or Heineken tomorrow night, purely because thats all you can get in Twickenham... Oh, did I forget to mention... I've got tickets.
Keen not to rub it in too much, here's what you should be drinking this World Cup, to show your support for your chosen country!
England
Beavertown - Neck Oil (£2.80, Honest Brew)
If you were asked to name an English band, chances are that Led Zeppelin would feature somewhere high on that list (hopefully). So, that automatically means that the brewery owned by the son of Robert Plant is therefore very English?
Maybe not, but they do make amazing lovely beer, and this sessionable strength IPA is perfect for starting early and finishing late singing 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' at the top of your lungs, embracing strangers with ketchup from that burger you inhaled at half time all down your brand new England jersey.
Scotland
Brewdog - Punk IPA (£2.50, Sainsbury's)
Scottish are moody about not being very good - I'm not talking about the beer here. Unfortunately Scotland has slumped to 10th place in the world rankings in recent years.
Luckily, there is salvation in beer, and at 5.6% you're likely to forget everything else about Scotland in six or seven pints' time...
Ireland
Guinness (£3.50 for 4, Tesco)
The ONLY beer synonymous with rugby, Guinness is as much a part of game day as Rucks, Scrums & Mauls (well, maybe not for the players).
BTW, if you didn't know those rugby words you should probably look them up...NOW!
Wales
Tiny Rebel - Full Nelson (£2.40, Honest Brew)
Quite an apt name for a beer to drink with Rugby, this particular brew is described as a Maori Pale Ale.
So, a Welsh beer has an All Black in a headlock? Should be interesting...
USA
Brooklyn Lager (currently £9.99 for six at Majestic)
Yes, the Yanks are in the RUGBY World Cup - and they're not wearing massive shoulder pads and helmets.
Should you find yourself watching them against Scotland, Samoa or South Africa, grab a Brooklyn and wish them luck - heck, if they manage to fight off those teams, it might give us a better chance when it comes to the knockout stages - should England get that far...
Canada
Molson Canadian (unfortunately only available from Tesco in Ireland at the moment - 17 euros per 20.)
Whats more Canadian than a beer with Maple syrup in it. Absolutely nothing, thats what.
And it sounds like a mighty fine combination. I want to get me a couple of these and cheer them on against France.
South Africa
Castle Lager (£1.50, The Savanna - also in some Majestic stores)
I remember sinking a fair few of these at the Bok Bar near Leicester Square a couple of years ago while watching England play South Africa.
Needless to say I was one of the least popular people in that bar at the time, especially as we went on to win... Grab a couple and some Biltong, and try not to mention that other famous South African sportsman...
Japan
Kirin Ichiban (£.179, Ocado - and other supermarkets)
The Japanese have gone big on Rugby. They love it!
So get some Kirin Ichiban in (you can get it from most good off-licences or supermarkets), kick back and enjoy.
Australia
Fosters (currently 2 packs of 15 for £18, Sainsbury's)
Unfortunately, the most commercially available Australian beer in the UK, is also one of the worst.
Should you find yourself cheering on the Aussies, the best you can do if you've got a couple of cans of this lying around is pretend you are those guys from the adverts.
New Zealand
Tuatara Pilsner (£2.90, Honest Brew)
Anything from Tuatara, Garage Project, Parrot Dog or Yeastie Boys is worth tracking down!
There are some amazing Craft Beers coming out of New Zealand at the moment, and some incredible Rugby. Coincidence? Just keep the cheering to a minimum, the All Blacks will need no encouragement...
France
Kronenberg 1664 (£4.49 for 4, Tesco)
Let's just hope we don't have to support the French.
I can't bear the thought of a World Cup where France are literally the last team worth supporting.
Italy
Peroni (currently on offer at Waitrose for £19 per 18 bottles!)
Crisp and clean, unlike the Italians.
Dirtier than a rugby players' underwear after a game, the Italians don't mind getting their boots' studs on other players' body parts in the name of trying to win*...
I, for one, can't wait for an excuse for a few beers and a home Rugby World Cup. It's a once in a lifetime, and, even if you don't enjoy Rugby, get behind your home nation and support our country! Altogether now... 'Ssswwiiinnnggg Looowww.....'
*These views are Adam's, and certainly not represented by the rest of the Vinspire team, haha! Particularly not our part-Italian editor... In fact, all of these views should be taken for the light-hearted banter they were intended to be.
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