The Big game. The Main Event. The Show. The Season Finale of Sports. The Concluding Game of Professional Football in the United States. The Super Bowl. Everyone is going to watch it, and our team is in it. Will Peyton keep this streak alive or will the Sheriff drop the first snap? Will it be (Von) Miller Time again or will Cam Newton dab on the Broncos D? Questions like these can only be answered on Sunday, but the most important questions, like, where should I watch the game? What flavor of beer is going to go with my wings and pizza? Guacamole, queso dip or both? Should I shotgun a beer every time Peyton throws a touchdown? If I’ve never dabbed before, should I dab every time Cam dabs? These questions can be answered today.
Where to watch
Hands down the best place to watch the game is a house with a big-screen TV. You can eat whatever food you want, get plenty buzzed and hang out with friends, all without driving. Second to that, I’d put El Rancho at the top of the list. All the beer you can drink, bring in whatever food you want and there will be plenty of rowdy Denver fans in the room. If you can get a spot to sit, I’d also suggest BREW Pub & Kitchen, Steamworks or Carver’s. They all offer great beer, great food and plenty of TVs for the game.
Pizza
When it comes to pizza in Durango, for my money, you have four choices: Diorios South Pizzaria, Home Slice, J-Bos and The Container at Ska Brewing World Headquarters. DSP serves big, New York-style pizza that can feed a lot of people, and most importantly, they deliver. Home Slice is a local favorite with two locations, one of which has a full bar and TVs for watching the game, and again, they deliver. J-Bos, also an amazing place to watch the game, serves some of my favorite food in town. Everything on their menu is available for delivery, and I’ve not had anything that’s disappointed, so maybe order one of everything? Last and certainly not least, is The Container. I’m a little biased as a Ska employee, but I think they have the best brick-oven pizza in town, and you can pick up some beer while you’re there.
Wings
Cuckoo’s. That’s it. They’re the best wings. Go to Cuckoo’s. Watch the game there, too, if there’s a seat.
The beer
Best flavor of beer to go with the Broncos? Get your Orange and Blue on with a case of Euphoria and case of Modus Mandarina. Best beer to go with the Panthers? Nothing. Because the Panthers are from North Carolina and the beer there is terrible (just kidding, they make good beer there, but you can’t get any of it here; my co-worker, Dave Strahman, a longtime North Carolina brewery worker, suggests Black Angel by Wicked Weed, a bourbon barrel-aged cherry sour).
Dips
Guacamole or queso? Yes. You should definitely have lots of dip. My favorite guacamole follows this recipe:
4 avocados, gently mashed
2 diced roma tomatoes
1 finely chopped and deveined jalapeño (the white part all the seeds are connected to is the vein, which is hotter than the rest of the pepper)
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Games
Shotgunning a beer when Peyton throws a touchdown is a task I could definitely keep up with. I’ll have plenty of PBR on hand for this. Dab every time Cam Newton does his dab dance? This isn’t something I’d recommend for anyone but an experienced dabber, unless the game gets out of hand going Carolina’s way, then just get baked into oblivion to escape the pain of defeat. But we don’t have to worry about that, we got this.
Robert Alan Wendeborn puts the bubbles in the beer at Ska Brewing Co. His first book of poetry, The Blank Target, was published this past spring by The Lettered Streets Press and is available at Maria’s Bookshop. [email protected]
