It’s normal to find a few pints or cans of beer lying around when there’s a game on. Whether you’re a man or a woman, young or old, watching the game intently or browsing Melbourne cup betting on your phone, chances are that you and your friends are having a cold one together. Why is that? What is it about lager and football matches that makes the two a great pairing?
The Effect of Alcohol
Alcohol is known to make a person feel more relaxed and comfortable. Jokes become funnier, good things are better, people become more talkative, and so on. This goes for watching sports as well. Every goal your team scores is that much more exciting. It also makes bad and boring games more tolerable. Why don’t we drink whiskey, then? Or wine?
Well, beer has a relatively low amount of alcohol, especially when compared to spirits. If you are going to enjoy a 90-minute match, you’d best pace yourself. Drinking a little is fine, but you don’t want to get drunk. It also goes well with the pub snacks.
Tradition
It is one of those things you associate with the past. Lads coming together for a pint and watching a bit of footy together is one of those images that we often see in our minds when we talk about tradition. There is also the concept of family tradition. Maybe you had a beer with your dad while you two were watching your favourite team play and want to extend that to your children as well.
It works the other way as well. You can bring back a lot of fond memories through your sense of smell and taste. Having a lager or a stout may remind you of a great time that may or may not be connected to football.
Commercialism
Beer companies rely a lot on tradition and the pairing of beer and football in order to sell more of their product. Think about how many beer adverts you’ve seen where there was just a glass of beer, foaming gloriously, while the UEFA’s Hymne is blasting in the background? Two of the UK teams even had their own brands of lager at one point.
Companies that produce beer want you to associate championships with the gold and the foam of a lager. They want you to feel like a champion while you are drinking it and they want to strengthen the link between beer and football that is already in your mind.
Everyman
Both beer and football are common things loved by most of us. Beer is an affordable alcoholic drink you can enjoy while trying to relax after a long day and football is the most popular sport in the world. It is only natural that the two come together. Given all the different hobbies a person could have, having a lager while watching the World Cup is one of the safer and more affordable ones.
