It’s is gearing up to be an exciting baseball season — at least for beer lovers. In the past week, Boulevard Brewing and Yuengling announced official partnerships with Major League Baseball players, the first and second of their kind since a lift in advertising bans last year.
A number of big beer brands are also launching official MLB- and stadium-branded collaborations, from MillerCoors’ Terrapin, to Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams, to Anheuser-Busch’s Blue Point, Devils Backbone, and Karbach. Smaller, independent breweries are less able to fund partnerships like these, but many stadiums are offering more craft options, such as Wrigley Field, which announced a brand-new beer list this year including brands from Three Floyds, Begyle, and Half Acre.
Below are nine ballpark beers to look out for in the 2019 season.
Atlanta Braves: Terrapin Brewing Chopsecutioner
SunTrust Park
Cumberland, Ga.
Terrapin’s Chopsecutioner is a ballpark-inspired version of its Hopsecutioner IPA, aged on the same wood used to make Mizuno baseball bats. Don’t let the wood chips mislead you, though — the beer is a citrusy, sessionable IPA, with light-oak character.
Boston Red Sox: Boston Beer Samuel Adams Sam ‘76
Fenway Park
Boston
In December 2017, Boston Beer bumped Budweiser as the official beer sponsor of the Boston Red Sox. As a result, any Samuel Adams beer you drink will support the partnership. Sam ‘76 is a particularly refreshing ale-lager hybrid that pairs great with an extra inning.
Houston Astros: Karbach Brewing Crawford Bock
Minute Maid Park
Houston
In January 2019, Houston’s Karbach Brewing announced a partnership with the Astros Foundation to create its first official beer for baseball fans. Named Crawford Bock, after Minute Maid Park’s “Crawford Boxes” seating section, this ballpark beer is more flavorful than most, brewed in Texas’s time-honored bock tradition. The dark but light-bodied auburn beer has rich notes of caramel and toasted brown bread on the nose, followed by a light, slightly sweet taste.
Kansas City Royals: Boulevard Brewing ¡Vamos!
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, Mo.
Once again, Boulevard Brewing will release ¡Vamos!, its Mexican-style lager brewed in partnership with the Kansas City Royals. Boulevard inked a deal with the team in 2017, becoming one of the first craft breweries to be an official ballpark beer partner.
On March 26, 2019, Boulevard announced another deal with the Kanasas City Royals, this time with second baseman White Merrifield. As part of the partnership, Merrifield will promote Unfiltered Wheat, Boulevard’s flagship wheat beer, in a push that includes rebranded packaging and a regional television campaign.
New York Mets: Mikkeller Henry Hops and Say Hey Sally
Citi Field
Queens, N.Y.
Mikkeller NYC, an offshoot of the global Mikkeller beer brand, opened a brewery at Flushing, N.Y.’s Citi Field in March 2018. Mikkeller offers its baseball-themed Henry Hops IPA and Say Hey Sally Pilsner exclusively in the stadium and at its attached brewery at Citi Field. In 2019, it’s also offering a rotating selection of seasonal brews, including Can I Get A Wit Wit?, Queensfisher light lager, and Subway Mosaic IPA.
New York Yankees: Blue Point Brewing Pinstripe Pils
Yankee Stadium
Bronx, N.Y.
Patchogue, N.Y.’s Blue Point Brewing Pinstripe Pils pours clear gold, with a lightly sweet pilsner aroma, easy-drinking flavor, and crisp, bitter finish. The beer is exclusively available at the Bleachers Bar in Yankee Stadium.
Philadelphia Phillies: Yuengling Traditional Lager
Citizens Bank Park
Philadelphia
On March 25, 2019, Yuengling announced an official partnership with Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola. The partnership includes personal appearances on behalf of Yuengling, fan meet and greets, and a chance to win a Yuengling vending machine, according to a press release. Yuengling has been a sponsor of the Philadelphia Phillies since 2017.
Additionally, Goose Island and Citizens Bank Park will debut a special collaboration beer, Bullpen Session, available on draft at Goose Island at the Park and the Goose Island Brewhouse in Philadelphia.
San Diego Padres: AleSmith San Diego Pale Ale .394
Petco Park
San Diego
Brewed in honor of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, AleSmith’s San Diego Pale Ale .394 references the baseball legend’s batting average. According to the brewery, Gwynn asked AleSmith to brew “a signature hoppy pale ale” in his honor in 2014. After Gwynn’s passing that year, AleSmith raised funds to open a Tony Gwynn Museum at the brewery in 2016.
Washington Nationals: Devils Backbone Earned Run Ale
Nationals Park
Washington, D.C.
Playing on the baseball acronym for “earned run average,” Devils Backbone’s Earned Run Ale is the Lexington, Va., brewery’s nod to its home team, the Washington Nationals. The 4.2-percent-ABV session pale ale pours clear gold and slightly under-carbonated, perfect for a plastic cup. It’s light and crisp with a slightly malty finish.
