Citi Field is a first-class venue. It’s got amazing food, and much of it is local. The Citi Field beer list is extensive, but it’s also uninspiring. Beer and baseball go together so well yet most of the beers available, particularly to the general public, at Citi Field are only the typical expanded list of beers available via Anheuser Busch distribution. Some of these beers are pretty good, but it lacks that local flair and originality. I’m not knocking the Redhook beers; but it seems sloppy to get them through Anheuser Busch when the brewery itself is only a handful of miles away. Even though they’re all over the place now, the Danny Meyer stands are New York creations. Cascarino’s is a New York pizza place. Pastrami on rye is a very New York food, and Keith’s burgers are especially homey. Even McFaddens was first a New York staple.
So why was Brooklyn Brewery priced out? Why aren’t there more Sixpoint beers around the stadium, especially now that they serve the beer in cans? What about some of the other local breweries? Chelsea? What about Schmaltz Brewing Company which makes the Coney Island Freak line of beer. Interestingly, the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets rookie team, plays in Coney Island. Maybe the Mets could serve Albino Python when the Diamonbacks are in town, or the Mermaid Pilsener to mock the Marlin’s cheerleaders. What about Harlem Brewing Company’s Sugar Hill Golden Ale? Harlem is where the Mets first placed, and where the Giants played before them. Blue Point Brewery is probably the only real local beer outside of the Delta Club. Their Blue Point Toasted Lager is available at Catch of the Day, but they’ve got other beers as well.
This all says nothing of the possibility of finding a partner to brew Mets themed beers. Brooklyn Brewery has an expanded brewery now, and when they provided beer to Box Frites, it was their own beer called Blanche De Brooklyn that they renamed Blanche we Queens. Why stop there? What about a Home Run Apple Lager? A World’s Fair Oktoberfest? A Darryl Strawberry Blonde? The possibilities are endless. Maybe Schmaltz would be intrigued by the opportunity to create a Brooklyn Cyclones Ale for MCU Park and Citi Field.
I think the Mets, and Aramark, may underestimate just how many Mets fans are huge beer fans as well. It’s not just the hardcore fan either. There are plenty of casual baseball fans out there that could be drawn off the fence and into the park if they were tempted to try a unique beer.
Stay tuned, later this week I’m going to talk about what some of the other stadiums around baseball are doing with beer.
