Super Bowl suds, sacks and snacks

Time to tackle a Super Bowl Sunday edition of Trails.

BEER HERE: Just in time for the big game, Arkansas beer enthusiasts have new brews to imbibe.

Yuengling beer — made by America’s oldest brewery that was established in 1829 in Pottsville, Pa. — is finally available in the state via partnership with five wholesalers. Arkansas became the 21st state to sell the beer Monday when restaurants and bars began serving three of Yuengling’s core products: Traditional Lager, Light Lager and Black & Tan. It soon will be sold in stores.

“No more trips to Memphis” for it, remarked an eager Reddit.com user back in December when Yuengling’s muchanticipated expansion into the Natural State first was announced. Others weren’t drinking the Kool-Aid, as it were, commenting, “Extremely overrated beer” and “It’s just a basic lager. The only reason we ever liked it was because we couldn’t get it.”

Justin Schalow, with wife Jen, owns Hot Springs’ Craft Beer Cellar where they held a Yuengling launch party last week. He explains the appeal: “It’s good beer. … They score very high every year in the craft beer realm. It’s new here. Lots of folks have traveled to the East Coast and talked about it.”

He estimates they sold three times more Yuengling last week than any of their other two dozen draft beers.

Yuengling is causing a lot of buzz.

TEAM SCENE: Not sure which team to root for today? Let’s do some Arkansas math.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ roster includes former Razorback Jason Peters, who’s on the reserve/ injured list.

The New England Patriots’ roster includes former Razorbacks Trey Flowers and Deatrich Wise Jr., with Cody Hollister on the practice squad. Also back on the practice squad (after a brief stint with the Baltimore Ravens) is Jason King of Little Rock, who played for Purdue University.

From an Arkansas perspective, cheering for New England would be the Patriot-ic thing.

SNACK ATTACK: Forget passing yards. Just pass the food!

On Google Trends’ recent map of “America’s Super Bowl Recipes,” identifying “relatively uniquely searched Super Bowl recipes by state,” Arkansans were hungry for “Five Bean Chili.”

Using data from its recipe sites, General Mills’ “Game Day Food Lineup” map reported the most popular and unique game day food traditions by state. Arkansas’ dish: “Queso cheese dip.”

So that’s what’s in our bowls this Super Bowl.