You know football season means tailgating, watch parties, and copious amounts of beer and wings. It can be tempting to reach for the cheapest two-four you can find for marathon tailgating, but just because you’ll be drinking in bulk doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. For some guidance we chatted with Dave Donaldson, Beverage Director at Penn Quarter’s City Tap House, and got his recommendations for what makes a great game day beer.

When selecting a beer for watching the game, there are a couple things to consider. First, you don’t want a bland beer but you also don’t want a flavor-rich beer that will compete with your food spread. It should be tasty but neutral enough that you can drink several without overwhelming your tastebuds. Second, if you are planning on indulging in a few, you’ll want to consider the alcohol by volume as well. It might be tempting to crack open a dark and caramelly porter—especially as the weather gets cooler—but throwing back a few high ABV bottles might floor you by halftime.

With that in mind, Dave recommends a good Session, a term that generally refers to a beer with an ABV of less than 5%, a good balance of malts and hops and a clean finish. Other good options are Altbiers, creamy German lagers with a crisp and less hoppy flavor, or an unfiltered wheat beer, which will be citrusy with a balancing finish of salt. If you really want that toasty fall flavor, most brown ales are safe choices as well at 4-5% ABV.

Since we’re all about supporting local brewers at The Drink Nation, here are Dave’s local recommendations for fans of NFC East teams:

Washington D.C.: Rowdy rye (6.2% ABV) or District Common steam beer (5.1% ABV) from Atlas Brew Works

Baltimore: Humulus Lupulus Rex session ale (3.7% ABV) or Riot Rye pale ale (6.2% ABV) from Monocacy Brewing Co

Philadelphia: Hop Ticket Session IPA (4.5% ABV) or Prima Pils from Victory Brewing Co

New York: Brooklyn Lager (5.2% ABV) or Pilsner (5.1% ABV) from Brooklyn Brewery

Photo via Flickr