Play Ball!

Over the weekend, I made it to my first baseball games of the season.  My brother, nephew and I road tripped to Chicago to see the Reds take on the Cubs at historic Wrigley Field. An absolutely amazing experience in all respects...except for the beer. In my family, baseball games are a three hour mixture of a classic American sport and eating. When I was a kid, my dad would always pony up for peanuts, Cracker Jacks, coney dogs, frosty malts, etc. As I reached the legal drinking age, beer also became a part of the experience. Of course at this point in my life quantity and value often out weighed quality when it came to beer. I was content to drink economy beers from the big three.  But now that I have gained an appreciation for fuller flavored craft beers, I have to admit that I am disappointed with the beer experience in most ballparks these days.  At Wrigley, my choices were Bud, Bud Light, Old Style, and Old Style Light.  Not exactly a line up that will knock your socks off!  I went with Old Style since Bud is one of my least favorites of all time.  This got me thinking....are there ball parks that have embraced the changing tastes of Americans?  Can I enjoy baseball with an American brewed craft beer in hand?  I know that there are a few places in the US where you can enjoy a craft-style beer during the game.  Here are the ones I know from personal experience:     

• Boston: Sam Adams

• Los Angeles: Gordon-Biersch

• San Francisco: Gordon-Biersch

• Houston: Saint Arnolds

Atlanta and Cincinnati also both offer a custom brewed beer that provides slightly more flavor, but each of these still falls within the German lager family.

Are there any parks out there with a large selection of crafts on tap?  If not, will MLB owners make a shift as more and more Americans trade up?  I am certainly hoping so.  I understand the need for a cool refreshing beer on a summer afternoon, but there are many other beers out there that can easily accomplish this task with much better flavor.

If you know of a ballpark with a great beer lineup, be sure to comment so that I can add those parks to my list.