Citi Field Beer Idea Tweet This Post
This weekend I got a chance to visit the new Queens brewery, Singlecut Beersmiths.
You can click on that link for my review, but the gist of it is that it was good stuff. Queens hasn’t really had any breweries at all until recently, and Singlecut fits right in. You should all know where I’m going with this now. The Mets should support a local business, and get (at least) a tap of their beer into Citi Field. They did a great job with the craft beer dugouts last season, and adding Singlecut to the selection would not be that difficult.
It’d be a great way to expand the beer selection to include a larger variety of local beer.
Tags: beer, beer at citi field, citi field beer, Mets, mets beer
The Mets Won! Notes from the game. Tweet This Post
I ended a Citi Field drought Saturday by making it out to the park for Mike Piazza bobblehead day. You can check him out in my new header image.
I was finally able to have the Steak Sandwich from Pat LaFrieda. It was delicious, as confirmed by a billion other people at this point. Also confirmed by others, but worth posting here for completeness’ sake, the beer selection. No new beers available, despite rumors/hopes that other Sixpoint nano-kegs would be present, but you do get Sixpoint Sweet Action, Brooklyn 16oz cans, and three pints of the mass produced variety.
The Mets won, which was nice to see. They even scored three runs! The crowd, understandably, was dead. There was no Lets Go Mets chant until the 9th inning, and the scoreboard barely prompted us to cheer. There was an annoying bunch beyond us that wanted to scream for long periods of times when Dickey struck someone out..mercifully R.A. Dickey only struck out two.
Realizing my chances were running low, I got a Carvel Sunday in an ice cream helmet, so I could add the 50th anniversary helmet cap to my collection. The ice cream hit the spot too.
Finally met Andrew Vazzano of The Ropolitans at the Read the Apple tailgate. I’m slowly working my way through most of the more well known bloggers. Who’s next?
Tejada made a really neat jump and fake on a throw to third from Scott Hairston. It kept Greene from taking an extra base on the throw, and although it’s a play that should probably be made on most chances, it’s still nice to see the Mets putting in the right effort and execution on the fundamentals.
Blog Notes:
There will be one more Seatcrew.com ticket giveaway in early September.
I’ll be out of the country for the second half of September. Likely without much internet or time. I’m probably going to schedule a bunch of baseball and beer related posts, so keep an eye out for that.
Tags: beer at citi field, Mets, mets beer, mets bloggers, pat lafrieda, steak sandwich at citi field
Sixpoint Beer Expansion at Citi Field? Tweet This Post
Thanks to CoreyNYC for pointing me to this tweet
Starting Aug 7, @sixpoint cans will be available at @citi_field_ny outside of section 139. Stop by this area & get your #craftbeer fix!
— Union Beer Dist. (@greatbrewersnyc) July 25, 2012
Now, as you can see by the picture, Sixpoint Sweet Action is already served at Citi Field at any of the three Craft Beer Dugouts. These are located near the foul poles on the field level and just to the first base side of the Big Apple Brews stand in the Promenade Food Court area behind home plate.
The section 139 mentioned in the tweet is the last section of the left field reserved section on the field level, on the left field side of the apple. There is already one of those beer of the world stand there that looks similar to the Craft Beer Dugout and has four taps. So perhaps all this tweet means is an additional Dugout. This is a poor place for it, as it’s basically on the Shake Shack line when it gets really long, but maybe getting a beer prior to getting on the Shake Shack line (even if you can no longer get Shackmeister Ale) is the perfect spot.
What I would love for it to be, and I doubt it would be given the location and proximity to the Big Apple Brews (distributed by Anheuser-Busch), is a stand devoted to carrying excellent local craft beer cans, starting with the half dozen or so nano-kegs (cans) that Sixpoint carries. If they included Diesel this would match my request for a darker beer at Citi Field.
Unrelated to the tweet, Blue Point was supposed to have their White IPA available in cans at Citi Field, but I have had yet to see them. I’ve seen tweets from Blue Point folk that the cans have been released recently, so hopefully they’ll start showing up at Citi Field. The beer itself might be a little more palatable for the casual fan, as it’s not as super bitter as many associate with IPAs. It’s a little more floraly and has some Belgian wheat beer feel to it.
Tags: beer at citi field, Citi Field, citi field beer, citi field craft beer, craft beer, craft beer dugout, Mets, mets beer, sixpoint, sixpoint at citi field
A Brand New Beer, Have it at Citi Field Tweet This Post
Blue Point Brewing Company has a new beer. It’s a White India Pale Ale and it’s available at Citi Field starting on Opening Day. It’ll also be available via cans in the summer. (So will Blue Point Toasted Lager and Blue Point Summer)
Here’s the description of the beer via Blue Point:
European-style white ale that finishes like a fresh American IPA. Malted and unmalted wheat, west coast hops, and Belgian yeast give it a perfectly balanced character with less bitterness than traditional IPAs. 40 IBU, 6%
Tags: beer at citi field, beer at mets games, blue point beer, citi field beer, mets beer, New York Mets
Mets Add New Craft Beer Options Tweet This Post
Last night was a preview event for the new food options at Citi Field for the 2012. I’ll get to some of that in a different post, (Or you can check some of the other obvious places, such as the confluence of all Mets and Sandwich news, Tedquarters. Spoiler alert: We both agree on what was the best new food option.) First off, the beer changes!
The Citi Field Beer List lists Blue Point Lager and Blue Point Toasted. Those are actually the same beers as far as I know. It’s Blue Point Toasted Lager. One has a star and one does not, so I think this means it’ll be available at both the craft beer stands and at some normal places. (Catch of the Day is where it’s been) Another weird one is Goose Island Sum Blonde Ale. I don’t think Goose Island makes a blonde. They make Goose Island Summertime, which was occasionally available last year at Big Apple Brews due to it’s Anheuser-Busch/InBev distribution.
Yes, craft beer stands. Located near sections 105 (That’s by the World’s Fare Market), section 127 (Near the other foul pole) and in section 413 (That’s the Promenade food court area) of the Promenade Level meaning we don’t have to go downstairs from the cheap seats to get good beer.
Real craft beers that weren’t on the list last year, or were only available in the Delta Sky 360 Club (The Ommegang may still only be there) include Blue Point Summer, Blue Point White India Pale Ale (This one’s a new one, premiered March 29th, 2012), Ommegang Abbey Ale, Redhook Pilsner, Six Point Sweet Action, Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat #9, and Widmer Drifter Pale Ale. Also new is the expanded line of Shock Top ales, the Lemon Shandy, the Raspberry Wheat, and the Wheat India Pale Ale.
I’m still going to do a full analysis of Citi Field on Opening Day to take in the options and confirm this list. Having a craft beer stand is an excellent idea, and having three of them even better. I’m happy with this expansion, but I also hope this is a first step and not a final idea. The list has 12 stars on it representing the beers available at the craft beer stands in either cans or drafts. I imagine some of the more seasonal ones will rotate out, like Blue Point Summer, but the others include Shock Top, Leinenkugel Summer Shandy and Blue Moon, which are macro brews. Also included are Anheuser-Busch/InBev distributed Goose Island IPA, Kona Longboard Lager, and Widmer Drifter Pale Ale. The real expansion is the Blue Point brews, and that’s great. It’ll also be nice to be able to have Magic Hat #9, Sixpoint Sweet Action and Sierra Nevada outside the club areas. Sixpoint has a large line of cans available these days, so hopefully more of those start showing up.
Tags: 2012 food and beer, 2012 mets, beer at citi field, beer selection at citi field, Citi Field, citi field beer, citi field beer list, citi field food, Mets, mets beer, mets food
Dueling Brews: Another Beer Idea For Citi Field Tweet This Post
This is an idea I’ve been bouncing around for a while, and then The Crazy Mets Fan made a comment on Twitter to Matt Cerrone that he should get a pub in Citi Field called Cerrone’s with some nice IPAs. I chimed in (and you can follow me on Twitter here) that they should do dueling brews.
This started as a thought about a variable beer menu at Citi Field. The best beer bars are not the ones with a good selection, but the ones with a rotating selection of seasonal and small release beers. The idea was solidified while following the Giants Super Bowl run this year. Brooklyn Brewery in New York and Anchor Steam in San Francisco made a wager on the NFC Championship game that the team’s brewery that lost would serve the beers of the other brewery. Brooklyn beers flowed in San Francisco, and it was wonderful.
So why not do the same thing at Citi Field? We know which teams are coming in for each homestand. Why not have two rotating taps, one serving beers local to New York (minus the Bronx) and one serving beers from the city of the away team. These two taps would ‘duel’ until one was empty, becoming the winner. I’m not quite sure what the beer would win besides an announcement that it’d won, but it’d be a fun way to introduce Mets fans to the brews of their enemy and provide the beer-loving masses, who’s size is underestimated, with some nice beer to drink while watching baseball.
The first homestand features the Braves and the Nationals. I don’t know what the availability and distribution rules are for acquiring beer from far away places, but Terrapin is an Atlanta brewery that you can find in New York, so it’d be a good choice. Washington DC is a little tougher, and perhaps the toughest baseball city. Baltimore has some options, but that’s a different team. Shenandoah Brewing bills itself as Washington DC’s only brewery, but as far as I know they don’t distribute to New York. Flying Dog is nearby, but it’s based in Maryland and equidistant to Baltimore. On the other hand, AL is junior league baseball and it doesn’t really count.
I think this would be a cool idea. Citi Field needs more distinctive beers outside of the Anheuser Busch distribution agreement and why not tie it to what’s going on on the field? That’s why we all go there after all.
Tags: beer at citi field, brooklyn brewery, Citi Field, citi field beer, dueling beer taps, dueling beers, Mets, New York Mets, terrapin brewery
The Bisons Beer Dinner, Mets Beer Competitions? Tweet This Post
The Buffalo Bisons are having a Beer vs. Wine II dinner Thursday at Coca-Cola Field. It’s a rematch of a dinner they had last November.
This is a pretty cool idea and a great use of the park during the offseason. $60 gets you a 5-course meal and a wine and beer pairing with each. Your vote decides which paired better, and the votes are tallied at the end for a winner. Of course beer won the first dinner.
I’m not going to whine (haha, get it?) about the Mets not doing something similar at Citi Field, although I do think it’d be a fun idea. I’m not that unreasonable that I demand all my interests to align in one centrally located area within Flushing.
Except this isn’t really that much different than an event the Mets already have. Oktoberfest! The Mets already have a plan in place for food and drink events, so why not host a couple more? I’d make a point to go to a “Summer Beerfest” event before a Mets game. The competition angle is one way to go too. When the Padres visit in town, pour five Stone Brewery beers on one side, and five Brooklyn Brewery beers on the other. Ask fans to rank their top three beers and then announce the winner during the 5th inning, which would double as a great way to advertise the next competitive beer tasting event.
Tags: 2012 mets, beer at citi field, beer events, beer vs. wine dinner, bisons beer dinner, Buffalo Bisons, Mets, mets beer, mets beer events, mets vs padres, more beer at Citi Field, oktoberfest, stone vs brooklyn
More on Citi Field’s Uninspiring Beer List Tweet This Post
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.
Tags: beer, beer at citi field, Citi Field, citi field beer, Mets, mets beer
Official Sponsor of the ’69 World Champion Mets Tweet This Post
My in-laws owned a deli in Brooklyn in the ’70s. One of the beers they sold was Rheingold, and a result they had this display board hanging in the deli, and then collecting dust in the basement until this weekend. The bottom reads: “Enjoy Rheingold here, and at the home of the World Champions”. Well, in 2011 that deli, and Shea, are gone, The Mets are no longer World Champions, and you cannot get Rheingold at their home. (Check out the Citi Field Beer List for what you CAN get)
Tags: 1969 mets, 1970 Mets, beer at citi field, beer at shea, brooklyn deli, Mets, mets beer, mets sponsors, New York Mets, new york mets beer, official beer of the world champion mets, rheingold, Shea Stadium
The Citi Field Beer List Tweet This Post
This is late in coming, but just in time for the latest and longest homestand of the year. Here is a list of every beer available in Citi Field. I count 60 distinct beers right now, although I suspect I may have a mistake or two that you can certainly help me out with. Snap a picture or let me know if you see a beer somewhere that I have not properly cataloged here.
Obviously It’s sad that the Brooklyn Brewery drafts are no longer available at Citi Field, but recently Sixpoint brewery started canning their beers, and I can only hope those beers find their way to Citi Field in the near future.
Tags: 2011 citi field beer list, beer, beer at citi field, big apple brews, brooklyn brewery, Citi Field, citi field beer list, Mets, mets and brooklyn brewery, New York Mets, sixpoint, sixpoint brewery, sixpoint cans, sixpoint nano kegs