Take Me Out to the Beer Game

An American past time

Opening day in Major League Baseball has come and gone for most MLB teams, and will be coming up this week for the rest. Around this time last year, I wrote how encouraging it was that many of the professional baseball stadiums were starting to offer craft beer in addition to all that corn-based, industrial, flavorless, yellow, fizzy pseudo-beer to their thirsty patrons. Now, in 2014, I’m ready to declare it… Baseball is officially a craft beer drinker’s sport!

Yeah, that’s right… I said it.

Take, for example, the local team in my neck of the woods… the Washington Nationals. The Nats have welcomed an invasion of local craft-brewed deliciousness into Nats Park this year, which will feature beers from Atlas Brew Works, 3 Stars Brewing, DC Brau, Mad Fox Brewing Company and Port City Brewing Company. The beers will be sold from four local beer carts scattered throughout the stadium, each with four tap handles on it.

Apparently, the folks from Nats Park held a draft a few weeks back with the brewers from these five breweries to determine whose beer would be available in which location in the stadium during which home stand throughout the 2014 season. The plan is that all five breweries will change out their offerings for every individual home stand – meaning different beers every time you go (unless you go to multiple games during the same series). They even came up with a plan to ensure that not all five show up with an IPA at the same time.

Beer, here!

You also have many options at the Red Porch (the restaurant behind left field) that include beers from Flying Dog, Starr Hill, Dogfish Head, Allagash, New Belgium, Terrapin and Foothills. There are also craft beer floats – icecream and beer together – available made with Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Stout and Boulevard Dark Truth Stout. The Red Porch also offers two cask beers of locally made excellence on Firkin Fridays.

Clearly, opportunities abound in Washington, D.C. - but what about the rest of baseball?

Here is a list of 12 stadiums (other than Nats Park) who are leading the way with good beer in their stadiums this year. This is probably not an exhaustive list, and there is a high probability that teams and stadiums are missing off of this list. Based on the limited (infinite) data available on the interwebs, the best ballparks in America for craft beer are (in no particular order)…

Progressive Field – Cleveland, Ohio – The Indians’ home field features plenty of New Belgium and Great Lakes Brewing Company beers to offset the presence of that hipsterish garbage known as PBR. Plus, they reduced the price of concessions this year, so… bonus!

Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, California – The Dodgers have seen a dramatic improvement this year. They are now incorporating two local craft beers - Golden Road Brewing and Fireman's Brew - along with other craft breweries into their mix.

Coors Field – Denver, Colorado – It might say “big beer” on the front door, but there are plenty of good beer options inside. Local beers that are not made by Coors are served up at stands all around the stadium. Rockies fans can enjoy brews from Colorado’s own New Belgium, Breckenridge, Oskar Blues, and Odells breweries as well as Samuel Adams. Coors has also been running their own small brewery called the SandLot within the stadium, where they brew Blue Moon and its many varieties – but with all that great beer available in the rest of the stadium, why even bother?

I wonder if I could drink this beer while sliding down that slide... challenge accepted

Miller Park – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Another stadium that says “big beer” on the door, but features delicious locally made craft beer on the inside. Brewers fans are treated to local brews from Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee Brewing Company, Sprecher Brewery, Horny Goat Brewing Company, and the popular New Glarus, a brewery with a cult following both regionally and across the country.

Citi Field – New York, New York – The Mets have managed to draw some local brews to their stadium, including Sixpoint, Blue Point, Brooklyn Brewery, and Brewery Ommegang. There are also other craft brewers from around the country, such as Abita.

Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan - Michigan hosts some amazing breweries and can indulge in an impressive list of beers. Beers from breweries like Bell’s Brewery, New Holland Brewing Company, Founders Brewing Co., Arbor Brewing Co., Atwater Brewery, Arcadia Ales, and Motor City Brewing Works are served on draft or in bottles all around the stadium.

A beer garden at the Padres stadium? That's just not fair!

Petco Park, San Diego, California – Considering San Diego is one of the biggest beer cities in America, it comes as no surprise that Padres fans are spoiled. Petco serves up an impressive list of California’s most delicious beers from a bunch of brewing companies, including Stone, Green Flash, Ballast Point, Karl Strauss, AleSmith, Pyramid, Anderson Valley, Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada, and Knee Deep Brewing. Alaskan Brewing, Rogue, Kona Brewing, and Widmer Brothers are also served there.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland - The Orioles have tapped into local breweries to find beers their fans will love. Tap lines pour the likes of Heavy Seas Beer, Evolution Craft Brewing Co., Flying Dog Brewery, and Baltimore-Washington Beer Works. Beers from nearby Delaware, like Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Fordham Brewing Co., and Old Dominion Brewing Co. are also sold here. The park even has an on-site brewpub called Dempsey’s House Brews.

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – The Pirates stadium has really good beer from Pennsylvania’s own Church Brew Works, Victory Brewing, East End Brewing, Penn Brewing, Tröegs Brewing, and Erie Brewing. Add to that Harpoon Brewery, Samuel Adams, Brooklyn Brewery, Dogfish Head Brewing, 21st Amendment Brewery, Flying Dog Brewing, Heavy Seas Beer, Lagunitas Brewing, Stone Brewing, Bell’s Brewery, and Anchor Brewing from other places and you're in for a good time, win or lose.

"What can I say? I love craft beer!"

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Phillies fans drink beer from Tröegs Brewing, Victory Brewing, Sly Fox, Yards Brewery, Prism Brewing, and Philadelphia Brewing. The list continues with several out-of-state breweries, like Flying Fish, Goose Island, Long Trail, Otter Creek, Allagash, Anchor, Dogfish Head, Lagunitas, Ommegang, Samuel Adams, 21st Amendment, Oskar Blues, and Sierra Nevada.

AT&T Park, San Francisco, California - The Bay Area, a great region for beer, gives a lot to choose from. Local breweries like Lost Abbey, High Water Brewing, Anchor Brewing, Marin Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Drake’s Brewing, Lagunitas, Ballast Point, Russian River, North Coast, 21st Amendment, and AleSmith are served alongside brews from Victory Brewing, Stillwater Ales, Avery Brewing, Blind Pig Brewery, and Jolly Pumpkin Brewery.

Worth every penny... all $10 of them

Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington – Perhaps the most impressive list of beers at a baseball stadium, The Mariners home field features both locals and national breweries, including Alaskan Brewing, Big Sky Brewery, Boulevard Brewing, BridgePort Brewing, Deschutes Brewing, Diamond Knot Craft Brewing, Dick’s Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Firestone Walker, Fremont Brewing, Full Sail Brewing, Harmon Brewing, Mac & Jack’s Brewery, Georgetown Brewing, New Belgium Brewery, Ninkasi Brewing, Pyramid Brewing, Red Hook, Sierra Nevada, Skagit River Brewery, Snoqualmie Falls Brewing, and Widmer Brothers.

In other words, we've come a very long way.

But there’s still a long way left to go.

If you are fortunate enough to live near these ballparks and take in baseball games with all this delicious beer, good for you! If not, you need to spread the word and take to the social media streets to convince the rest of these teams to pull their heads out of their butts. Then again, as I indicated earlier, they may already be doing a great job with their beer, and my interwebs research just didn't catch it. Either way, go take in a game, and enjoy good beer while you do it!

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!