Hops throwdown

March is just around the corner, which any college sports fan will tell you means there's a boatload of basketball headed our way. Well, the folks at Great Lakes Brewing News are taking that idea and running down the court with it, sponsoring the National IPA Championship, which kicks off Saturday.

Featuring hops instead of hoops, the contest will see brewers judging 32 American-brewed IPAs against each other in head-to-head pairs, through four rounds leading up to the final March 8 in Atlantic City.

Glancing over the tourney bracket, I see only two of the 32 entrants that I know are available in Calhoun County - the IPA from Massachusetts' Harpoon Brewery, and Flying Dog's Snake Dog IPA. There may be a few others in Alabama if you head toward Birmingham, and even more over the border in Georgia. The only other brew on the list I've sampled is the 60 Minute IPA from Delaware's Dogfish Head - knowing nothing of the others I'd have to put them down as a favorite for the finals.

As any basketball nut knows, March Madness means bracket contests, and the NIPAC is no different. Until noon EST Saturday, you can fill out a bracket online for a chance to win a case of the champion brew, T-shirts, posters and such.