Bicycling USA – July 2019

BY GLORIA LIU

THE

PARKING

LOT BEER

IS ONE OF

CYCLING’S

GREATEST

REWARDS

Technically, cyclists did not

invent drinking beer in the

parking lot. Nor are we the only

people who are known to par-

take, with gusto, out of the back

of a vehicle (skiers, climbers, and

underage teenagers also come to mind). But

I’d argue that no other user group more

universally recognizes the parking lot as

the best place on God’s green earth that

you could possibly drink a beer.

For starters, there’s the immediate grat-

ification. At no other time will that first,

ice-cold sip taste more thirst-quenching

and delicious than right off that last sweet

singletrack descent, or as it cools your

burning throat after the final lap of the

training crit. There’s the fact that it feels

❯❯

1 / FIRESTONE

WALKER L AGER

“Easy to drink

but deceptively

delicious.”

2 / STONE BREW-

ING ENTER NIGHT

PILSNER

“A Metallica

collaboration.

Refreshing but

has teeth.”

3 / DOGFISH HEAD

SLIGHTLY MIGHTY

LO-CAL IPA

“Maximum

flavor, lower

alcohol.”

4 / ALLAGASH

WHITE

“Incredible

wheat beer,

now in cans.”

5 / SIERRA NEVADA

HAZY LITTLE

THING IPA

“A newish,

bold, unfiltered

IPA with mas-

sive fruity hop

flavors.”

OUR BEER

NERD*

SAYS,

DRINK THIS.

*Bicycling Features Director Matt Allyn, coauthor of The Brewer’s Apprentice

30 BICYCLING.COM • ISSUE 5 Photography byTREVOR RAAB