Monday, May 14, 2007

Beer-related despair for yet another year at Louisville Slugger Field.

It’s more of the same for beer fans at this year’s Louisville Bats games, which take place at Louisville Slugger Field. The excellence of the venue still sharply contrasts with the low-common-denominator character of concessions choices, with many of the food and drink trends noted at minor league ballparks across the country still absent in Louisville.



Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and … mediocre Dutch lager brought to you by one of the world’s largest brewing conglomerates?



If you don't favor the Dutch variety, there's always a mediocre Belgian one, and a mediocre German, and Mexican ... and Kona, a “Hawaiian” beer actually made by Widmer in the Pacific Northwest*. At least one reference credited it to "USA." Hardly a grand slam in the sense of geography, but then again, why confuse the pablum?



IPA from India? Nah, that’s just what the other side of the chalkboard said. Actually, it was Redhook’s IPA.



Just to get a draft Redhook, one must walk all the way from the main stands to the tent in center field, which is rather far away from the demographic most likely to purchase … but when Philistinism is the dominant motif, that’s what you get.

As always has been the case, it all comes down to revenue derived from product placement, and that huge Anheuser-Busch sign in right field functions much the same way that statues of Soviet soldiers did in Occupied Eastern European capitals: They reminded a person who was really in charge.

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* Original reference to Redhook in New England has been edited. See comment below.
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5 comments:

  1. jerryp9:15 AM

    Why despair? They have Redhook IPA! As good as any, made in the old USA( Portsmouth, NH ). By the way, Kona is not made here in New England. Widmer Brothers Brewing out of Portland, Oregon make it. Regardless of brewing location, its good beer, I hope you gave it a shot.
    Jerry Prial
    Redhook Ale Brewery
    Portsmouth,NH

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  2. smoosh9:15 PM

    Jerry - thanks for the input, but since I see you aren't local I'll share that part of the frustration is that there is actually a very good brewery IN THE STADIUM. However, in order to purchase Brownings beer you have to get a pass out, go to the brewpub and watch the game on closed-circuit television.

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  3. The New Albanian10:01 PM

    Smoosh speaks the truth. Local readers already fathom the density of the marketing "wisdom" within the ballpark, and perhaps I should have made the point more plain for the outside world.

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  4. Jonathan11:00 PM

    The Atlanta Braves stadium is a beer lover's nightmare. They have a crappy micro (Atlanta Brewing Company) on the third floor or something, but essentially you've got a choice between Bud Light and Miller Lite. And my friends think I'm pretentious for refusing either.

    Make that EX-friends.

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  5. antzman9:02 PM

    At least I have not seen any of that Blue Moon from Belgium that they advertised last year.

    I don't think that I have ever been happy to Newcastle Brown Ale, but when you are surrounded by swill, Newcastle is suddenly a darn good option. And people always wonder why it takes me 20 minutes to go get beer.... 19 minutes is walking back and forth from that shack in the outfield, but at least there is never a line!

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