"pittsburgh steelers" news and stories

With the Super Bowl but a week away, it's time to start stocking your fridge with your favorite beer. But instead of reaching for a Bud, opt for a brew hailing from the state of your favorite team.

If you're rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers, try one of these Pennsylvania-based beers:

Troëgs Hopback Amber and Nugget Nectar: If you like your beers with a fragrant hop profile, try these two amber-hued beauties from Harrisburg's best brewery. The caramel-nuanced Hopback is suitable for four quarters of sipping, while the imperial-strength Nugget Nectar (a seasonal released in February) packs a piney, earthy punch that'll hit you like a Troy Polamalu tackle.

Victory Brewing Prima Pils: As a hopeful indicator of the game's outcome, order a case of Downington-based Victory's pitch-perfect pilsner. It's plenty effervescent, with a snappy hop bite that'll keep you coming back from kickoff to the final whistle. Hopefully, Ben Roethlisberger will take a knee in the, yes, victory formation.

Yuengling Lager: If you dig the Steelers' time-honored tradition, try this traditional lager from America's oldest brewery. Since 1829, Pennsylvania's Yuengling has been pumping out this balanced, smooth-drinking amber lager that has a touch of caramel sweetness -- unlike any members of the Steelers, mind you.

Our picks for Green Bay Fans after the jump.

A weekly look at the draft selection at beer-friendly bars across the country.

Last week, in honor of Super Bowl XLIII, we took "What's On Tap" to Tampa Bay. Well, to the winner goes the spoils, so this week we find ourselves in much colder terrain as we travel up north to Steelers' territory to visit Fat Head's Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of this year's NFL World Champions.

Much of the battle in running a top-flight beer bar is dedication: Dedication to knowing your stuff, picking your products, finding the right distributor to make it happen. Some establishments, however, take things to the next level. In the past, I've praised beer bars for keeping a current draft list online. Well, Fat Head's does you one better, publishing a full-on PDF of their latest and greatest, including city of origin, tasting notes, ABV and price! According to a quick call to bar, they reprint and repost their draft list every time they switch out a keg and with the most recent update coming on February 3rd (that's yesterday), I have no reason to doubt they keep things fresh.

Way #2 to score dedication points, the bar boasts not one, but two beers brewed specifically for Fat Head's. Oregon's renowned Rogue Brewery whips up a Fat Head's Ale and Van Steenberge sends Head Trip (a Tripel) all the way from Belgium. I'm pretty sure not many other Pittsburgh bars can say that!

Still, in the end, it all comes down to what you're offering up on tap. After the jump, we'll take a look at Fat Head's hearty draft beer selection, and spread some news about why Cleveland area residents have something to look forward to...

Sarah Gim says Pittsburgh kicks Seattle's butt. OH YEAH? I'll take Pike Place over Polish sausage any day. Here's why:

1. Costco was born right outside of Seattle. You're talking the world's largest* producer of bulk butter, deli counter muffins, five-pound logs of goat cheese, and free samples. Top that, Giant Eagle!
2. Sure, a Polish sausage might beat up an oyster in a fight. But a 10-pound wild salmon would beat up both of y'all. It swims upstream, avoiding bears and dangerous man-made obstacles, just to procreate. Even the most impressive sausage... is just a bunch of ground meat wrapped in pig intestine! Eww!
3. Iron City beer is better than Starbucks coffee... when you're coming home from the swing shift at the steel factory. Those smarty pants at Microsoft and Amazon.com need coffee to wake up in the morning for a hard days' work dominating the universe! Yeah!
4. Seattle's cuisine is influenced by Vietnam. Pittsburgh's cuisine is influenced by Poland. My Communist cuisine is so much better than your post-Communist cuisine!
5. Right, Pike Place Market! They throw seafood there. Do they throw seafood at you in Pittsburgh? I didn't think so.
6. Smoked salmon dip or Heinz ketchup - which would YOU rather dip your chips in? That's what I thought!
7. Let's have a cheese off: I'll take Cougar Gold, you take... umm... American cheese?
8. You think Washington apples are boring? Try a Walla-Walla Sweet onion. Slice one, cook it up reeall slow in butter over medium-low heat, add a 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper, mix with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream in Cuisinart, salt to taste, and wow! Seattle Onion Dip.

* I have no evidence to back up this claim. [Photo Sarah Gilbert]

1. I'd rather eat a pierogi with #7 Ben Roethlisberger (hot!) than salmon with Matt Hasselbeck (not hot!).
2. Steelers are people. Seahawks are...birds. Tweet tweet, little birdies!
3. If they got into a fight, Polish sausage would eat an oyster alive.
4. Black and gold helmet cookies are just so much classier than...what color are the Seahawks? Oh yeah, too many - navy blue, Pacific blue, green and white.
5. I'd rather drink an Iron City Beer than...Starbucks.
6. Pittsburgh was founded in 1758 and the Steelers were born in 1933. Seattle was founded in the 1850s and the Seahawks in 1976. Seattle is such a baby.
7. Pittsburgh has its own language. Wut dem Seahacks got...? Exactly.
8. Sour cream tastes much better with potato pancakes than an apple.