Today’s infographic for the start of this year’s baseball season is an irreverent look at each team and a humorous choice of a beer, or similar drink, with a sarcastic, snarky description why it’s that club’s favorite.
Jay R. Brooks on Beer
Jay R. Brooks on Beer
That poster has to be at least 3-4 yrs old, given the remarks about the Dodgers & Giants. I (who’s been to all but 6 of the current MLB parks in last 10 yrs) offer a better & more locality-oriented team brew-match than whoever created that did.
Here’s my list, working east-west, excluding the 3 from that poster which fit somewhat perfectly: Coors in Colorado, Mich Ultra in Anaheim, & Molson in Toronto:
Eastern Seaboard States: Boston gets Sam Adams Boston Lager (no-brainer; its ads are as pretentious as Boston): NY teams split Schaefer & Ballantine (both originated in NY). Philly’s is Schmidt’s (originated there; best described by eliminating the “c” & “m” from the name); Iron City’s a no-brainer for Pittsburgh. Baltimore must be National Bohemian (it was THE Baltimore brew until the late 70′s – got bought out by Carling early 70′s); DC gets Red Stripe to honor all the Jamaican cabbies there. Moving south, Atlanta gets A-B’s Natural Light (they don’t deserve Dogfish IPA), Miami Miller Lite (nobody there would know a good beer if it bit ‘em in the ass), & Tampa Smithwick’s (which they had on tap 10 yrs ago – they get credit for having a good beer selection).
To the Midwest, starting in OH: Cleveland gets MGD (gotta put it somewhere, even tho its sales have been tumbling), Cincy Christian Moerlein (“homey” brought back to life in 2010). Chicago’s 1/2 easy – Old Style for the Cubs’ Bleacher Bums is a no-brainer; Chisox get Bud Light. Cards must have Bud (Busch family ties!); KC gets Heineken (all the Bud products are taken – it’s the best known non-Mexican “lawnmower”); & Twins get Leinenkugel Summer Shandy (Miller product – it’s lemonade-infused brew that I think has wheat – it’s brewed close enough)
TX &, AZ: Houston’s a tough call – they had a brewpub in LF (whose name I can’t recall) when I was there in 2005, but it’s gone, so they get ShockTop (served w/orange slices, which ties into Minute Maid); Lone Star’s a no-brainer for the Rangers. AZ gets Cave Creek’s Chili beer (brewed in AZ).
CA & Seattle, S-N: San Diego’s tough, but you have a choice btwn Stone IPA & Karl Strauss Trolley Car Lager; Dodgers get King Cobra – they now have the $$ to match the Yanks in the payroll wars (plus the best management since the O’Malleys gave up the team to Murdoch, who then sold to Mc Cord – a transaction that MLB shouldn’t have allowed). Giants get Anchor Steam (total no-brainer); A’s Sierra Nevada (which sells a lot of product @ the Coliseum); Seattle (another no-brainer) Pyramid Hefe (big Pyramid pub’s across the street from Safeco).