This Tuesday, March 1 isn’t just your average Tuesday in the United States, it’s Super Tuesday! Like leap year, Super Tuesday comes every four years during the presidential election season. But, what makes it such a super day? It is the day of the presidential election cycle when the largest number of states hold their primary elections. It is usually a defining day, helping to narrow the field and sometimes determines who the Republican and Democratic nominees will be.
In 2016, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia voters will head to the polls, along with Alaska Republicans and American Samoa Democrats.
There will be winners, and there will be losers, but no matter if you are looking to hoist a glass in victory or drown your sorrows in defeat there is a place for you to enjoy a delicious beer. In fact, there are more than 1,000 different craft breweries in the participating states.
So if you live or campaign in one of these states you might not be a winner, but you can drink one. Odds are, there’s a craft brewery with a Great American Beer Festival medal that you can enjoy after the polls close.
Alaska
“You Betcha,” Alaska has made quite the impact on politics, and there is no denying that their beer has also made a significant impression on the lower 49 states. Alaska’s Senior Senator Lisa Murkowski is such a staunch supporter of the craft brewing industry that she is a co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus. She’s personally visited HooDoo Brewing Co., Kodiak Island Brewery, Haines Brewing Co., Alaskan Brewing Co., Baranof Island Brewing Co. and Denali Brewing Co. to name a few.
We recommend trying a beer from any of those fine establishments—maybe you’ll get lucky and run into the Senator. Or, if you can get your hands on it, 49th State Brewing Co.’s gold medal winning Smoked Marzen.
Colorado
You’ll see from the chart below that number of delegates and number of breweries tend to go hand in hand except for a few outliers. One, in particular, is the lovely state of Colorado. Colorado is known to be bipartisan; it isn’t a red state or a blue state, but with more than 235 craft breweries they are definitely a brew state. Even current Governor John Hickenlooper, one of the founders of Wynkoop Brewing, was a former brewer!
If you are looking for a beer to show your American pride, enjoy a Fresh Hop Superpower IPA from Comrade Brewing Co., or celebrate the beauty of Colorado with a Rocky Mountain IPA from Fort Collins Brewery. No matter which of Colorado’s breweries you enjoy, be on your best behavior, that friendly brewer might be a future POTUS.
Number of Delegates Compared to Number of Breweries
Minnesota
If you are looking for great beer in Minnesota, you are sure to be a winner. Representative Erik Paulson, the lead sponsor of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform, wants you to know that “Minnesota is home to more than 70 craft breweries that produce hoppy IPAs, malty stouts and refreshing pilseners—it’s hard to go wrong with any of them.”
I suggest Bemidji Brewing’s silver medal Double Porter, which has “aggressive American hops.” Or, if you are upset that your preferred candidate lost, anything by Surly Brewing Co. in Minneapolis should help brighten your mood.
Vermont
A Senator from Vermont has been creating quite the stir in the primaries the past few months, but Vermont’s craft breweries have been doing that for years. If you are in the Green Mountain State, you might have the opportunity to try some beers as hard to get as Super Delegates.
Try the sometimes difficult to find Heady Topper (double IPA) by The Alchemist, or compare the line at your local polling place to the line to get a Dorothy (dry-hopped farmstead pale ale) at Hill Farmstead Brewery. Another great bet is the silver medal winning Bohemian Pilsner from Von Trapp Brewing (yes, those Von Trapps) in Stowe.
Virginia
Swing state Virginia is never a loser. Aside from correctly voting for the future president in the past four elections, it is the home of Port City Brewing Co., the 2015 Small Brewer of the year at the Great American Beer Festival. Perhaps the next presidential elect will enjoy an Heir Apparent (chili beer) from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. If you want to wash off the stench of defeat or relax after a grueling election, what better beer to do it with than the gold medal winning Shower Beer (Czech-style pilsener) from Champion Brewing Co. in Charlottesville.
There are many more excellent places to drink, far too many to write about here. To find more breweries in all the Super Tuesday states, use CraftBeer.com’s brewery locator.
If you can’t make it to any of the breweries mentioned here, no need to worry, Craftbeer.com has you covered with the 51 best beer bars in America.
No matter where you are this Tuesday remember to engage in your right to enjoy a delicious beer!
CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.
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