| It's A Baseball Beer Party by Jim Johnson Hello Bob - t’s finally springtime (at least it says so on the calendar) and that means it's time for my favorite sport, baseball. Football may be more popular, basketball faster, and golf more technical but there's only one America's pastime and that's baseball. The great American game brings with it the promise of warmer weather, getting back outside and enjoying a ball game—along with a chilled beer or two. Now we're talking. I'm in a group of other baseball nuts and on opening day we take off from work and try to have the world’s best tailgate party that we've nicknamed "baseball bacchanalia". It combines grilled meats (mushrooms for our lone vegetarian) assorted dips, mayonnaise- based salads and, of course, lots of beer. And that's my reason for writing. I'd like to pass on some tips we have followed for a few years which seem to work well. Hope you like them. When packing your cooler (we don't bring a keg) we try to pick our beer selections wisely and take into consideration things that will make the day most enjoyable. Since parking lots several hours before first pitch it's important to remember that Opening Day, or any other pre-game day, is a marathon and not a sprint. Consider stocking up on lower alcohol brews to ensure that you’re coherent for the late innings. There are plenty of good ones out there so you still will have a lot of flavor. Because of the celebratory nature of Opening Day (and the good chance of chilly weather) you might be inclined to bring out a barrel- aged stout, barley, or another potent beer or two. If you must, just bring enough for a small tasting for your tailgating crew. A full-on bottle share of potent brews in the parking lot isn’t the best idea. I can tell you that from experience. Remember you won't enjoy the game if you get trashed before it begins. If you’d rather not be responsible for driving, hop in an Uber and head to a brewery for your pre-game festivities. We've done this quite a few times and it's always fun though you do lose some of the parking lot atmosphere, which isn't always a bad thing either. Even better, if you’ve behaved and paced yourself, reward your efforts with a post-game beer at a brewery. Just make sure of the times they are open. There is one danger to all of the pre-game fun if you're a real fan of the game. It's easy to forget when it's time to go into the game. Making it in to see the first pitch may/may not be optional to some but to my group it's rule number one. I've been doing this for a long time and we usually get good craft beer but one Opening Day beer selection stands out not because of the beer quality but because it was the best bottle I had ever seen. For me it was a great moment in sports history — a beer bottle shaped like a baseball bat and filled with 18 ounces of Original Coors (now called Coors Banquet). The limited-edition “bat bottle” was made of amber-colored glass textured to resemble wood grain. The screen printed label was positioned lengthwise like a bat’s trademark, and the neck was decorated to look like grip tape. We only had it once in the late 1990s I think but it made for a great memory. That's it Bob. All I can say to you and your readers is "play ball!" ---------- Thanks Jim. I couldn't agree more that baseball and beer are an All- American combination that's hard to resist. In fact that's probably true anywhere in the world where baseball is played. I appreciate your wise advice to drink responsibly. I would add that having a designated driver if vitally important for any activity such as this. Again, many thanks for sending your article. I'd like to invite everyone to send me their own columns about anything related to beer in any way just as Shelly did. I select the best and publish them here. So join in and get writing! Cheers! Bob |
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