I know there has to be some kind of science behind it: in dire times, we as humans instinctively revert back to our comfort zones and find solace in familiar experiences.

Morale was low after Syracuse’s early elimination from the NCAA tournament. I knew that I had to keep watching the tournament, but I couldn’t stomach the fact that our beloved basketball team was no longer involved — until I gravitated toward the familiar comforts of beer and wings.

Yuengling is arguably the beer that I have drunk the most. It’s a Northeastern mainstay, flavorful but still versatile to drink in almost any situation. I felt that it would be too easy to write about the classic Yuengling Lager, though, which is why I ventured out on a limb and bought myself Yuengling Bock.

Even the design of Yuengling Bock’s label is a throwback. It is intentionally retro, and this appealed to my yearning for nostalgia while I watched the UConn vs. Kentucky national championship game on Monday.

The taste of the Yuengling Bock was also comforting. It wasn’t exotic by any means, but this was probably a good thing considering my emotional vulnerability, watching teams other than SU fight for the national title.

The Bock was lightly carbonated and tasted pretty similar to the malty Yuengling Lager, but it had subtle hints of a clove-like spice that distinguished it from its more popular beer relative.

It’s almost impossible to go wrong pairing beer with chicken wings, but the Yuengling Bock matched particularly well with my half-dozen hot and half-dozen garlic butter wings.

Something about the familiarity of a cold beer, like the Yuengling Bock, and hot wings made watching the NCAA championship game a little more bearable. Maybe it’s built into our DNA — which could be why sports bars don’t seem to be hurting for business in any college town across the nation.

Published on April 10, 2014 at 1:00 am

Contact Tom: tsharkey@syr.edu