Forget Budweiser, This Beer Actually Represents the Sedin Twins

Around Rogers Arena, this week is being referred to as Sedin Week. In addition to the twin Swedes getting their numbers lifted to the rafters on Wednesday night when the Vancouver Canucks take on the Chicago Blackhawks, there will be tributes, articles and interviews paying respect to the two greatest players to ever wear Canucks colours.

One of the most touching displays hit airwaves and social media a couple days ago, courtesy of the American beer brand Budweiser, which also released custom beers for the twins.

I am a tough person and am certainly not weeping once again after seeing that video for the 40th time.

So props to Budweiser for the beautiful video and for (probably) getting a few more fans to purchase the same old beer in a cool new can.

But having an affinity for both hockey and beer (I know, I’m extremely unique), I couldn’t help think if there was a better brew representation for the Sedins somewhere in the craft beer sphere.

After some soul-searching in which I ruled out Swedish beer entirely—the Sedins live here now, let’s keep it Vancouver-based—and thought way too long about how to translate traits like “elite passing” and “quiet but strong leadership” to brown liquid, I’ve come to a conclusion.

The beer that best represents the Sedins is Yellow Dog Brewing’s Chase My Tail Pale Ale.

The pale ale is a somewhat modest fixture in the craft beer landscape. Often ignored for trendy sours or hazy IPAs, pale ales, if done right, are very sessionable while still being interesting. And Yellow Dog’s pale ale is the absolute top of its class.

The Sedins were never considered the most exciting players on or off the ice during their time, but they were among the NHL’s best for a chunk of their careers. And even when they weren’t, they were consistent.

Steady, strong, underappreciated—the Sedins and the pale ale just seem like a natural match. Not to mention that blue and yellow—two classic Canucks colours—feature heavily on the can, or that Chase My Tail is an accurate description of what the Sedins made countless NHL defencemen do night after night.

But hey, whatever you wanna lift up to cheers the Sedins on Wednesday is good with me. Just know that you don’t have to drink Budweiser. 

Yellow Dog Pale Ale
$12.29 for a four-pack at the liquor store