EuroBeery 2012: Spain v Italy, Ireland v Croatia

The continuing substitution of beer for football in a Euro 2012 stylee. Because beer's far more important than football. Right?

Group C: Spain v Italy

Think. David Villa. Andoni Zubizarreta. Filippo Inzaghi. Dino Zoff. Beyond the best of the best; players who took the science and art of football and melded it into something sublime.

Do either nation have beers that reach the same level of perfection?

Err....

Often with world-class football, when an unstoppable midfield meets an immovable defence the results are rarely attractive. For the beers, it's more a case of neither side finding the space nor aptitude to stick it to the others. A gruelling first half sees Mahou and Moretti slug it out goal-less; stolid lager is only stolid lager at the end of the day, Brian.

Fresh legs threaten upsets in the second, though. Barca's Moritz shows a yard of pace over the other flabby lagers and sinks the bladder into the onion bag. It's still looking all rather stalematey, mind, until Italy wake up and remember where they left their flair. Pushing del Borgo and Baladin straight up the middle, they craft a brace and edge the lead. Spain make a late surge through with a Fortiverd brew collaboration between Cervesas Marina and UK's Steel City, 'The Grim North', but it inches achingly just wide.

Result: Spain 2 Italy 3


Group C: Ireland v Croatia

It's Estonia v Scotland 1998 at Tallinn's Kadrioru Stadium all over again. Only this time it's the Croats who forget to turn up. Now that isn't really their fault, I've never been to Croatia and never sought out a Croatian beer. Not even one advertised (in hopefully poor translation) as having a 'thick purple red' colour and the 'specific scent and taste of wheat malt'.

So it's looking like an Irish victory by default. But the referee refuses to blow the whistle for Guinness take the honours. Thankfully, Porterhouse comes to the rescue and, for Wrasslers Stout in particular, it's the narrowest of wins.

Result: Ireland 1 Croatia 0


I get the feeling that Croatia are going to be the whipping boys of this group. Whoops.

More tomorrow.







1 comment:

  1. Don't forget the other offerings from Ireland, there is life outside of Diageo

    http://www.beoir.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&catid=7&Itemid=79

    ReplyDelete