Our livers have been given the better part of eight months off... okay, who am I kidding? I've been drinking beer this whole time; but Sir Pour on the other hand, he's been laying in wait, biding his time to tell you what you should have on hand Sunday.

Today's offering is an unabashed local affair, and one that's near impossible to find outside a 100 mile radius from Charlotte, but boy is it worth it. With the DNC forcing the Carolina Panthers to leave their stomping grounds it's a good time to pour this one for them.

10 Blocks South- NoDa Brewing Company

The Brewery

The folks at NoDa are the proverbial 'new kids on the block' of the area brew scene. Launched just last year, the NoDa brew pub has found a home in Charlotte, and has become the most welcome new addition to the scene. There is literally nothng they've brewed that I don't like, and today's offering is no exception. I'll leave it up to those who are the experts to tell you more, so head over to CharlotteBeer.com, who have a great piece on NoDa when they launched.

More after the jump

The Brew

As most of you probably know by now, I'm an unabashed hop-head. The bigger, most assertive, and more bitter the beer, the better. I'm an IPA (India Pale Ale) drinker by heart, and as I wait to get my hands on a bottle of Mikkeller's 1000 IBU beer (purportedly the most bitter beer ever brewed), I need other offerings to keep me satisfied.

10 Blocks South is an APA, or 'American Pale Ale', essentially taking the spirit of the IPA, and taking it down a notch. Still heavily hopped, this is a more drinkable beer, and coming in at an uncharacteristically low (at least for Sir Pour) 5.5% ABV, this is something you can drink well into the 3rd quarter (if you can get your hands on it). NoDa's APA is fairly standard for the style, with big citrus notes and those tree-like flavors (pine, resin etc.) it's a great example of the style.

How it relates to the game

The Panthers have been in Tampa since Tuesday, and at this point I'd say they deserve a piece of home. At this point the Buccaneers probably have a pretty bitter taste in their mouth from Cam Newton, and sadly for them it isn't going away anytime soon. So sit back, take a swig, and let the Buc's bitterness wash over you.

Where to buy

Here's the kicker... not even I can get it unless I drive 35 minutes. If you're in the Charlotte area, well, you can pretty much get it anywhere. Venture outside Mecklenburg county and it's significantly more difficult. Check out their listing here for more info.