World Cup Beer

Designed by Elizabeth Hait

With the World Cup in full swing (games started early this morning), we wanted to hop on the soccer bandwagon Slashfood-style -- and that means a little something to drink, of course... In this case, we chose beers from around the world. Thirty-two countries, 32 different beers -- one for each country represented in the games -- all hand picked by our beer guru, Josh Bernstein.

Starting next Wednesday, Slashfood is starting it's own little tournament -- the Slashfood 2010 World Cup Beer Bracket. That morning, we'll open up the polls on Facebook and Twitter to see which beer you think should make it to the finals.

After the jump, get a head start on your picks with an in depth look at all 32 beers we'll be using for the tourney. Don't forget, the first round picks two winners from each group. A total of 16 beers will advance.

For complete World Cup Coverage, head over to Fanhouse.
Algeria: Tango Though Islamic tradition forbids alcohol, beer has taken a foothold in this North African nation. The most popular tipple is the light Tango lager.

Argentina: Quilmes Cristal This light, pale-golden lager dominates the country's beer scene.

Australia: Foster's Hoist a hefty can of this Aussie lager when cheering on the footballers from Down Under.

Brazil: Skol Though the caipirinha is Brazil's national drink, the country's most common beer is this clear, bubbly thirst-quenching pilsener.

Cameroon: Castel Packing a surprising jolt of bitterness, Castel is king in Cameroon.

Chile: Cristal Much like Bud Light in America, everywhere you go in Chile you'll find cool, crisp Cristal.

Côte d'Ivoire: Solibra Flag Spéciale Hailing from the West African country (a.k.a. the Ivory Coast), the pale, golden lager has sweetness and serious effervescence.

Denmark: Carlsberg Danes still dig this light, malty lager served by the green bottle.

England: Newcastle Brown Ale For a jolly good British beer, look no further than Newcastle, which has sweet, nutty notes and a hint of caramel.

France: Kronenbourg 1664 If you're not drinking the country's wine, then you're likely glugging this pale, premium lager-France's favorite.

Germany: Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weissbier Do you take your cloudy, summery wheat beer with or without a lemon slice?

Ghana: Star Brewed by Guinness, this smooth lager can beat the heat on a long, hot African afternoon.

Greece: Mythos It's not just a myth: Rich, refreshing pilsener-style Mythos is one of Greece's top tipples.

Honduras: Salva Vida For nearly a century, this Central American nation has been a fan of this clean, crisp brew. (Its name is a mash-up of the first brewers: Salvador and Vincent.)

Italy: Peroni What goes well with spaghetti, meatballs and soccer? A cold bottle of this gently malty Italian lager.

Japan: Sapporo Draft Beer Rice is the secret ingredient to this bubbly, palate-cleansing Japanese brew.

Korea DPR (North Korea): Taedonggang There's a reason North Korea has a bitter, British-style ale: Communist leader Kim Jong-il bought an entire British brewery, relocating the entire factory to North Korea.

Korea Republic (South Korea): Hite The golden lager goes down easy, making Hite a perfect fit for an evening of karaoke or cheering for your favorite football squad.

Mexico: Corona Everybody's favorite beach brew needs no introduction. But I pose one question: Is it any good without lime?

Netherlands: Heineken While Dennis Hopper may have preferred Pabst over Heineken (see: Blue Velvet), you make the call on the Dutch drink of choice.

New Zealand: Steinlager Sharp and dry, with a pronounced bitter bite (hello, hops!), Steinlager is leagues away from the average innocuous Kiwi beer.

Nigeria: Guinness Foreign Extra Stout Unlike the Irish original, this version is brewed with sorghum. The beer is darker, richer, roastier-and more potent too.

Paraguay: Baviera Kick back with a few Baviera, a German-style lager that's best served up ice cold.

Portugal: Super Bock The lightly amped-up lager beer (5.2 percent ABV) has been a favorite in Portugal since 1927.

Serbia: Jelen Pouring a gorgeous golden and boasting flavors of grass and bitter hops, Jelen gives a good name to Eastern European lagers.

Slovakia: Golden Pheasant Pilsener-style Golden Pheasant possesses a clean, grassy nose and a full-bodied flavor of sweet malt and floral hops.

Slovenia: Laško Club The country's largest brewer pumps out this straw-yellow lager that, despite a light sweetness, remains way drinkable.

South Africa: Castle Milk Stout Why milk? That's due to the addition of lactose, which gives the dark and chocolaty stout a creamy sweetness.

Spain: Cruzcampo This dry, aromatic pilsener's mascot is jolly Gambrinus, brewing's patron saint.

Switzerland: Feldschlossen The nation's not just known for watches, chocolate and knives. For drinkers, the light Feldschlossen lager is a delight.

Uruguay: Patricia Around since 1936, the pride of Uruguay is a well-carbonated blonde lager that pours a thick, pillowy head.

United States: Sam Adams Boston Lager If you're a member of U.S. soccer rooters Sam's Army, there's no more appropriate beer to quaff than this smooth, balanced amber lager.