To set the stage for those who are here just to read about beer and don't know much about basketball, the game was significant because the Mavericks' star player, Doncic, set a franchise scoring record with 60 points, while also adding 21 rebounds and 10 assists. In doing so, he became the only NBA player in history to have a 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double.
Oh, and the Mavs erased a nine-point lead in the final 33 seconds of the game to force overtime, and then went on to win.
It was a good time, indeed. Sports is fun. Winning is even funner.
After the big game, Doncic told Bally Sports during an interview that he needed a "recovery beer." Which is how we meet here now. We've got some great ideas on that. And while a brewery in Doncic's native Slovenia offered up a beer for the NBA star, we have some ideas a bit closer to home. We reached out to a few local brewers to get their suggestions and threw in a few of our own based on our independent research.
Feel like a light lager called 60-Point Triple Double should be rolling through a canning line soon though, right?
Sit Down or I'll Sit You Down
by Peticolas Brewing 1301 Pace St.Michael Peticolas of Peticolas Brewing, obviously, recommends his imperial IPA, Sit Down or I'll Sit You Down. Doesn't even need an explanation.
Hydro-Hop Water & Big D IPA
by Lakewood Brewing Company 2302 Executive Drive, GarlandLakewood Brewing co-founder Wim Bens suggests that Doncic start with a Hydro-Hop Water, the company's first non-alcoholic hop water. Just to rehydrate. Then Bens says he should follow that up with a Big D IPA, which is like all things in Dallas, big. From the beer description, "we took the best of East coast and West coast IPAs to make a Double IPA as big as…well, you know." Go big or go home.
El Chingon IPA
by Four Corners Brewing 1311 S. Ervay St. Four Corners in the Cedars neighborhood believes the perfect recovery beer for Luka after a big game is its 7.3% ABV El Chingón IPA, because, Four Corner says, "Luka is puro Chingón!"
Nada IPA & Texas Lager
by Community Beer Company3110 Commonwealth DriveCommunity is also watching out for our superstar by suggesting a zero-proof beer to rehydrate (we recently tried Nada and enjoyed it). It's even an award winner, a major award winner: Nada IPA won a medal at the Great American Beer Festival this year. Follow that up with a Texas Lager, a great everyday drinking beer with just 4% ABV and 98 calories.
The Salty Lady
by Martin House Brewing 2020 Sylvania St., Fort WorthWhile pickle juice is a common recovery drink due to its high salt content, we don't want our star player to, well, have to drink pickle beer. Instead, he should look for Martin House's The Salty Lady, a salty German gose with a bit of tartness. Not pickle tart, just a touch tart. But the salt will help replenish some sodium lost during those long games. And, well, a touch tart is fitting too.
Lemon Lime Quencher
by Turning Point Beer1307 Brown Trail, BedfordChris Zimmerman, who writes about beer for the Observer on occasion, suggests the electrolyte-infused Quencher by Turning Point Beer, which is a sour gose made with actual Gatorade powder.
Fallout
by Manhattan Project Beer Company2215 Sulphur St. Manhattan Project is a small-batch local brewery that offers a classic German hefeweizen, Fallout. It's a light 5.3% ABV, with a light balance of signature banana and clove. It's an all-day easy-drinking, great recovery beer, not too heavy but with enough maltiness so you don't forget where good beer originally came from.
