A Song of Ice Cold Beer: Game of Thrones Craft Beer Pairings

In advance of the season 6 premiere of Game of Thrones, we sit back on our non-iron thrones and ponder what beers some of the major characters on HBO’s perennial powerhouse would enjoy.

(Disclaimer: I tried to only include characters found in season five of the show, but The Hound is just too awesome. Also, mild spoilers follow.)

(Second Disclaimer: This was written prior to the final episode of season 5, so events from that episode are not mentioned.)

Jon Snow – Snow Blind Doppelbock – Jon Snow, Eddard Stark’s bastard son, has turned into one of the most recognizable and popular characters on the show. Played to perfection by Kit Harington, Jon Snow is one of the few characters who consistently has to do a lot of fighting. Whether it be against white walkers, wights, wildlings or ornery Crows, Jon has been forced to slay many men (some of them undead).

While Jon has a lot on his plate as the newly elected Lord Commander, he needs to unwind sometimes too. With Starr Hill Brewery's Snow Blind Doppelbock, he can. Dank, toffee-like aromas and flavors swirl through the glass like the heavy snows that fall north of the wall.

Jon is in a position of power in a place where his illegitimacy means nothing. While he sips this warming 7.4 percent ABV brew, he might even start to believe that one day he will sit on the Iron Throne. But before he can ponder these thoughts seriously, the words of his wildling lover Ygritte return unwarranted from deep within his mind… “You know nothing, Jon Snow!”

Tyrion Lannister – Epic Brewing The Imp – While all of the acting in GoT is exemplary, Peter Dinklage’s portrayal of Tyrion Lannister has been both immensely popular and critically acclaimed. Tyrion’s eminently quotable lines are often the highlight of scenes in which he is present.

If Tyrion is good at talking, then he is even better at drinking. Epic Brewing Company’s The Imp is a generously dry-hopped Session IPA. Not only does the beer share a name with Tyrion’s pejorative nickname, this light alcohol brew (4.7% ABV) would be an excellent tipple to start a night of Tyrionesque debauchery.

Just look both ways before urinating off a balcony, lest the next entry on our list kidnaps you… (similar to what happened to Tyrion earlier this season).

Jorah Mormont – Yards Brawler – With rakish good looks, an authoritative voice and nearly peerless swordsmanship skills, Jorah Mormont is one of the best advisors Queen Daenerys could ask for.

Jorah kidnapped Tyrion in order to return to Daenerys’s good graces and they had a few wonderful “Odd Couple” scenes early this season, but Jorah was deeply troubled over Daenerys’s dismissal of him and once he was rebuffed (again) after bringing Tyrion to her side, Jorah turned to the newly reopened fighting pits to show his devotion to her.

Yards Brewing Company’s Brawler, a self-penned “Pugilist Style Ale” encapsulates Jorah’s rough-and-ready yet decidedly suave style of swashbuckling. He might be an intelligent advisor and an excellent swordsman, but he can still crack skulls if the need arises.

Daenerys Targaryen – Gulden Draak Ale – The Mother of Dragons is another character who has been with the show since the first episode. She is also regarded by many characters as the best choice for ruling Westeros.

She has walked through fire in order to hatch dragon eggs, and the subsequent hatchlings were the first dragons that had been seen for hundreds of years.

Dany has been known to be judgmental, harsh and pragmatic but she is also warm, loyal and just.

As the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys would be perfectly suited to the fabled Gulden Draak Ale. A strong Belgian ale, this delectable brew from Brouwerij Van Steenberge would satiate her desire for power, or at least powerful beverages, and set her on the path for regal rule over the Seven Kingdoms.

Jaime Lannister – Lion Stout – The symbol of House Lannister is a lion. What better way to celebrate Jaime Lannister, the exquisitely handsome figurehead of the fabled Lannister clan than with a beer that features the selfsame beast?

This Sri Lankan Tropical Stout features chocolate and coffee notes all backed by a foundation of dark roasted barley. A noble brew, Lion Stout will certainly help the Lannister Lion steel himself for whatever comes next for him (though nothing can grow his hand back).