Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #101 Brothership – For 4

Happy start of the NFL playoffs!  Seems like a good day to do a Saturday Suds!

Brewery:  Brothership Brewing in Mokena, IL

Beer:  For #4

Description:  A double dry-hopped New England style IPA.  This was brewed in participation in Ales for ALS – a fundraising program where breweries create delicious beers and donate proceeds to ALS research.  The program puts out a hop blend and different breweries make a beer based on that.  A portion of sales goes towards research for the battle against ALS.

New England IPAs are my favorite style – and I’ve had this both years Brothership released it.  Both times it was very good!

Medium:  Draft and 16-oz cans.

How it’s related to baseball:  The name is a tribute to Lou Gehrig.  If I see an Ales for ALS brew when I’m out at a restaurant or something – I usually buy it.  My friend was diagnosed with ALS 5 years ago and sadly passed away from this awful disease almost 2 years ago.

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #100 Terrapin – Pastime Pale Ale

I posted the Los Bravos beer a few weeks ago, now that the season’s over I’m circling back with the other baseball themed beer from Terrapin.

Brewery:  Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, GA

Beer:  Terrapin Pastime Pale Ale

Description:  “From Boston, via Milwaukee, to Atlanta, Georgia, the Braves franchise has been playing professional baseball continuously for 150 years. To celebrate, we have created “Pastime Pale Ale” honoring this amazing milestone. Brewed with a blend of unique specialty malts plus traditional and Cryo hops for a home run of flavor, we encourage y’all to lift a pint and cheers to this momentous occasion!”

This beer must have come out in 2021 to coincide with the 150 year

I got a 6-pack of this one as well on my golf trip, it was better to have after the rounds as opposed to on the course.  A bit hoppy and bitter, which is up my alley!

Medium:  Draft, 16-oz and now 12-0z cans.

How it’s related to baseball:  Brewed by local Georgia brewery Terrapin in honor of the Braves franchise, and as described – to commemorate 150 years of them being a franchise.  Cheers to Harry Wright!

You can get this beer at Braves games, obviously.

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #99 – Blue Point Pinstripe Pils

I had one more “Saturday Suds” from my trip to the East Coast this summer.  I got a team-affiliated beer in Fenway – and also this one at Yankee Stadium.

Brewery:  Blue Point Brewery, Patchogue, NY

Beer:  Pinstripe Pils

Description:  “Pinstripe Pils is our bright, crisp, and legendary ballpark pilsner. Brewed in partnership with the New York Yankees, this beer is packed with the history of the greatest team in baseball. Perfect for any type of ballgame, even if that’s just in your backyard.”

It’s generally listed as a German pilsner, though it could be considered an American Pilsner too.

Medium:  It comes in 12 ounce cans, or if you buy it at the game like I did – super tallboys that are 25 ounces.  You can get it on draft, too – and there was some controversy as they have a machine that can “personalize” the foam in the pours.  The first year they were pouring these at Yankee Stadium – they did some players’ faces which is against MLB / MLBPA policy and had to switch to just things like the pic below – which is super-cool!

How it’s related to baseball:  It’s a partnership with the winningest franchise in MLB history, and you can get it at the park.  The cans have the Yankee NY logo with pinstripes as the background.

We took our family vacation this summer out to New England, spending about half a week in Boston and a full week in Rhode Island.  We drove back, stopping in New York and taking in a Yankees / Orioles game on the way.  It was a good beer to have, and while it was expensive as hell – it was actually a better deal to me to just get one of that giant can for the first half of the game.  My oldest son got a Judge 99 burger and I had a few bites of that with it – an excellent pairing!

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #98 Samuel Adams – Wicked Fenway

I got a bit more Saturday Suds fodder this summer on a family trip to the East Coast – both at ballparks.  First was a beer I had at Fenway named after the ballpark!

Brewery:  Boston Beer Company in Boston, MA (also Cincinnati, OH & Breingsville, PA)

Beer:  Wicked Fenway IPA

Description:  “This hometown hazy hits big with a blend of juicy citrus and tropical hop aromas. Low bitterness and a smooth, clean finish make Wicked Fenway IPA perfect from opening pitch to the final out. Available at Fenway Park and select spots through New England.”

A hazy beer in the Sam Adams, Boston-centric “Wicked” line – which means it’s hazy.  This hazy IPA clocks in at 5.5% – which makes it a bit more than the Wicked Easy (session IPA – 4.7%), a bit less than the baseline Wicked Hazy IPA (6.8%) and a lot less than the Wicked Double IPA (8.3%).

Medium:  16-oz cans.

How it’s related to baseball:  Brewed by a “Boston” brewery (Sam Adams brews most of its beer in Cincinnati & Pennsylvania) to pay tribute to the saying of the region.  I liked the beer – it was actually pretty flavorful for the ABV, though a bit more bitter than you’d maybe used to for the hazy beers.

We took our family vacation this summer out to New England, spending about half a week in Boston and a full week in Rhode Island.  This was the 2nd time I got to try this beer (first time I remembered to take a picture though!)

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #97 Terrapin – Los Bravos

Well, I was hoping there would be at least one baseball game tonight – unfortunately there has been a dearth of postseason baseball in this particular baseball postseason.   Would have gone well to post if the Braves were in a winner take-all game.  But, alas…

Brewery:  Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, GA

Beer:  Terrapin Los Bravos

Description:  “This beer is crisp, slightly sweet and is perfectly balanced by using three varieties of hops. With its roots firmly planted from traditional Vienna style lagers, this beer complements any spicy dish and helps keep any fiesta fueled.”

It mentions Vienna style – which would lean more toward an amber ale, but this is much paler in color than the Vienna Lagers I’ve had.  It’s more along the line of the pale Mexican lagers, though maybe a bit more bready as opposed to sweet.  My annual golf trip was in Lake Oconee, GA this year, and I got a

That’s not a complaint – it was very good and having a couple during a golf round was great.

Medium:  Draft, 16-oz and now 12-0z cans.

How it’s related to baseball:  Brewed by local Georgia brewery Terrapin in honor of the Braves, but a Mexican style lager.

You can get this beer at Braves games, as evidenced by the many Untappd pictures I could find from Truist Park like the one below!

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #96 Grainworks Brewing – Crushin’ On Joes

Gonna do Saturday Suds on Sunday today!  I had this beer about a year ago, and since it’s part baseball, part football – an NFL Sunday while watching the Bengals seems like a good time to do this post!  Even as it seems like this may be a lost season for Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and also may have been Joey Votto’s final season in Cincy.

Brewery:  Grainworks Brewing Company in West Chester, OH

Beer:  Crushin’ On Joes

Description:  “We’re crushin’ so hard on Cincy legends Joe Brrr & Joey V, we brewed this crushable German Pilsner in their honor. This crisp and clean traditional brew is sure to be a winner, just like our boys.”

Medium:  Draft and 12-oz cans.  A silhouette of a baseball batter with the #19 behind it and a quarterback with #9 adorns the can label.

How it’s related to baseball:  Brewed in honor of 2 Cincinnati professional sports legends.

Was a pretty good German pils from what I remember; grainy and easy to drink. On the pretty light side.  I actually got it from my sister later than it was released and drank it during the fall a year ago while watching a Bengals game.

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #95 Goose Island – Sox Golden Ale

Another Saturday Suds I’ve had waiting in the wings!  I had this a couple of years ago at a Sox game, and unfortunately have since learned it’s been discontinued.  For a couple of years, Goose Island did a collaboration with the White Sox that was pretty neat.

Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, IL

The brewery has been 100% owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev since 2011.

Beer: White Sox Golden Ale

Description:  “This easy drinking, refreshing golden ale is perfect for a day at the ballpark or hanging out with at the tailgate. Balanced cereal notes, with honeysuckle and a subtle fruitiness. Subtly sweet with an easy finish. Brewed for and in collaboration with the Chicago White Sox.”

I remember not loving it, but thinking it was a good beer for a ballgame.

Medium:  It came in 12-oz cans and 16-oz cans and was readily available at .  You can also find it on tap at certain restaurants – the first of the two I had in Cooperstown was a draft.

How it’s related to baseball:  Collaboration with the White Sox.  Unfortunately it’s not around any more as of last year, when the Sox re-upped with Miller and thus a collaboration with an AB/Inbev subsidiary wasn’t gonna stay.

When it was first released, cans at Guaranteed Rate Field got a special edition can with a peel-back label showing the 2020 schedule.  They also did a retro can in the 2nd year based on the 1980’s uniform design.  For that reason alone, wish this had kept going, would have been fun to see even more of these!

I will say, this beer was one part of the White Sox expansion to include more craft beer at the park, and I’m glad to say that has stayed in place.

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #94 Noon Whistle – Cubbie Gummy, Gummiskey

Another Saturday Suds I’ve had waiting in the wings for a while – a double release from Noon Whistle Brewing, whose original location is about 4 miles from me.

Brewery:  Noon Whistle Brewing in Lombard, IL

Beer:  Cubbie Gummy & Gummiskey

Description:  2 beers brewed for each Chicago MLB team!

Cubbie Gummy – Hazy New England IPA loaded with Falconers Flight, Citra & Simcoe hops. Full bodied and the juicy mouthfeel will give you a burst of sunshine on cloudy and hazy game days.

Gummiskey – Triple dry hopped with Idaho 7, Azacca, and El Dorado. This hazy beer boasts tropical orchard flavors with a sweet orange malt hue and a citrus finish.

Medium:  Draft and 16-oz cans.  Dressed up like the respective team as you can see above.

How it’s related to baseball:  Brewed by a local suburban Chicago brewery to pay homage to the mostly-friendly Southside/Northside rivalry.  You can usually find Cubbie Gummy on draft at Lucky Dorr, and you can find Gummiskey at the much more craft-beer friendly Guaranteed Rate Field (fka New Commiskey).

Noon Whistle, based in Lombard, IL but with a newer brewhouse in Naperville as well – was one of the earli-ish adopters of the Hazy IPA trend in these parts.  They called their hazy IPAs the Gummy series, and in early 2018 for the start of the baseball season they brewed a new one in collaboration with the Lucky Door, a craft beer bar right outside of Wrigley Field during the early stages of the renovation of that part of Wrigleyville.

That reminds me – I should do a Lucky Dorr post at some point!

Gummiskey was first brewed 2 years later when baseball came back after Covid.

I personally liked the Cubbie Gummy a lot better, but I had them almost 3 years apart so memory can be deceiving for this kind of thing!

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #93 Great Lakes Rally Drum

One way I can always get back into posting is with Saturday Suds!  Always happy to have a baseball themed beer from my home state, even if it is for that city up North (aka – the Mistake by the Lake).

Great Lakes Brewing is now a seasoned veteran in the craft beer scene, maybe even a Hall of Famer at this point. They sure do make some solid beers though.

Brewery:  Great Lakes Brewing Co in Cleveland, OH

Beer:  Rally Drum Premium Lager

Description:  “The bang of the drum. The roar of the crowd. The crack of the can! Rally Drum Premium Lager is stepping up to the plate in 16 oz. Cans to rally behind another exciting baseball season.

Light and refreshing, our American Lager delivers a clean-fielding golden malt body and a pure swing of fresh hop aromas. For day games and night games, from the box to the bleachers, Rally Drum Premium Lager is the ultimate utility player.”

This is the 2nd iteration of a Great Lakes beer called Rally Drum.  The first one was a red ale, but for the 2021 season Great Lakes switched it up to a premium lager.  Which kind of goes better with baseball, but I’ve heard the red ale was good.

I had this beer a couple of years ago on my annual golf trips with college buddies.  I didn’t realize it was the first year of this iteration, and I remember liking it – it was more flavorful than a standard light or premium lager from the big 3.

Medium:  Comes in 16-oz cans and on draft.  You can generally find it at Progressive Field .

How it’s related to baseball:

Both beers pay homage to a Cleveland Indians super-fan named John Adams.   Adams could be seen at Indians games from 1971 to 2019 pounding a giant bass drum.  He has a Wikipedia page, and has been inducted to the Guardians/Indians Hall of Fame as a non-uniformed contributor, and a bronze replica of his drum sits on a bleacher seat in Progressive Field.

Saturdays Suds: Baseball & Beer #92 AleSmith Hazy .394

Pitchers and catchers reported this week – so it seems like a good Saturday to dust off the beer posts.

I first had the OG .394 beer from AleSmith back in 2016 when I went to Cooperstown for Ken Griffey Jr’s induction.  Around then, the haze craze in craft beer was beginning (I actually stopped at Tree House Brewing while I was out there).  So, naturally – since then Alesmith has brewed a hazy version of their Tony Gwynn Pale Ale.

Brewery:  AleSmith Brewing Company in San Diego, CA

Beer:  Hazy .394

Description:  Per their website: “Similar to the fan-favorite San Diego Pale Ale .394, this beer pays tribute to Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn and the career-high batting average that he achieved with the Padres in ’94.  Hazy .394 showcases an intense hop aroma of tropical fruit and citrus, but delivers a fuller-bodied pour than its predecessor, along with a smooth and creamy finish.  It’s a guaranteed hit!”

I love, love, love the regular .394 beer.  Maybe my favorite west coast pale ale.  This beer isn’t quite as good – I think they probably hop it similarly and there’s just something about the more bitter version that really hits – but this one is still damn good for a beer that isn’t too strong and I’ve enjoyed it the couple times I’ve had it.

Medium:  Comes in 12 and 16-oz cans and on tap.  I got it from a local bottle shop a couple years ago.

How it’s related to baseball:  Tony Gwynn helped the brewery designed the original!  It has him in his recognizable batting stance.  And, of course, the name follows his remarkable 1994 campaign where he hit .394 and was robbed of the opportunity to cross .400 due to baseball’s most recent labor impasse.