What are you drinking while you watch the NCAA Basketball Tournament? Just for fun, we've matched up a Sweet 16 of tasty American craft beers in a mock tournament. From local Atlanta ales to lagers and wheat beers from the East and West, they're all winners. But based on ratings from the two biggest beer geek Web sites —- RateBeer (www.ratebeer.com) and Beer Advocate (www.beeradvocate.com) —- plus a bit of kibitzing and coin flipping, we picked the best of the brews.

SWEET 16

EAST

1. SWEETWATER 420 EXTRA PALE ALE

Sweetwater Brewing Co., Atlanta

2. TERRAPIN RYE PALE ALE

Terrapin Beer Co., Athens

WINNER

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3. DOGFISH HEAD 60 MINUTE IPA

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del.

WINNER

4. HIGHLAND GAELIC ALE

Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, N.C.

—-

5. ATLANTA RED BRICK BLONDE

Atlanta Brewing Co.

6. VICTORY PRIMA PILS

Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, Pa.

WINNER

—-

7. BROOKLYN LAGER

Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, N.Y.

8. ALLAGASH WHITE

Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine

WINNER

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WEST

1. SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, Calif.

WINNER

2. OSKAR BLUES DALE'S PALE ALE

Oskar Blues Brewery, Lyons, Colo.

—-

3. ANCHOR STEAM

Anchor Brewing Co., San Francisco

4. ROGUE DEAD GUY

Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore.

WINNER

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5. GREAT DIVIDE TITAN IPA

Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver

WINNER

6. FLYING DOG OLD SCRATCH AMBER LAGER

Flying Dog Brewery, Denver

—-

7. NORTH COAST RED SEAL ALE

North Coast Brewing Co., Mendocino, Calif.

WINNER

8. AVERY WHITE RASCAL

Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, Colo.

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ELITE EIGHT

TERRAPIN RYE PALE ALE

Rye is the spicy special ingredient in this very well-balanced but hoppy American pale ale.

DOGFISH HEAD 60 MINUTE IPA

A session India Pale Ale (IPA), with pronounced —- but not overpowering —- citrusy hop presence.

WINNER

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VICTORY PRIMA PILS

A classy quencher, and a prime example of how good a well-made, fresh pilsner can be.

WINNER

ALLAGASH WHITE

A light, refreshing interpretation of a traditional Belgian wheat beer, flavored with orange and spice.

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SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE

A pioneering American craft brew, with fragrant hops and a bright, spicy flavor.

WINNER

ROGUE DEAD GUY

A Northwestern ale maker's take on German-style Maibock, with a rich, chocolaty malt aroma and flavor.

—-

GREAT DIVIDE TITAN IPA

Pine and citrus aromas abound among malty sweetness in this Colorado hop head favorite.

WINNER

NORTH COAST RED SEAL ALE

A copper-red pale ale with a full-bodied malt presence and a spicy finish.

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FINAL FOUR

DOGFISH HEAD 60 MINUTE IPA

RateBeer rating 3.76

Beer Advocate rating: 4.07

VICTORY PRIMA PILS

RateBeer rating: 3.61

Beer Advocate rating: 4.04

WINNER

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SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE

RateBeer rating: 3.61

Beer Advocate rating: 4.05

GREAT DIVIDE TITAN IPA

RateBeer rating: 3.81

Beer Advocate rating: 4.20

WINNER

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FINALS

VICTORY PRIMA PILS

Look for Prima Pils and Titan in six-packs at your local beverage store. And in bottles and on draft at your favorite bar, including Brick Store Pub in Decatur and Taco Mac locations around metro Atlanta.

GREAT DIVIDE TITAN IPA

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CHAMPION

VICTORY PRIMA PILS

Its pale gold color may conjure images of mass-produced lagers. But its charms are much more sublime. And plenty of hops give it an herbal quality that balances the smooth malt flavor and dry finish. A real winner for sipping on a sunny spring afternoon.

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Hometown contenders

> SWEETWATER 420 EXTRA PALE ALE

Crisp, easy-drinking pale ale that has become one of the most popular craft brews in Atlanta.

RateBeer rating: 3.36

Beer Advocate rating: 3.75

> ATLANTA RED BRICK BLONDE

A recent gold medal winner, with an approachable, malt-oriented flavor and light hop finish.

RateBeer rating: 2.69

Beer Advocate rating: 3.38

The ratings:

Both RateBeer and Beer Advocate ratings are averages of 1.0 to 5.0 scales with 5.0 as the highest.

>Would you pick another champ? Vote for your favorite beer at www.eveningedge.com.