Ballpark beer, better and better

[Alex]

I love minor league baseball: great seats close to the action, reasonable prices (at least around here), no parking hassles, silly between-innings activities, and hey, it's still pro ball. Here in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Best Beer Town for 2014, in a USA Today poll, and Beer City USA for 2013 and 2012, not to mention the home of Founders Brewing Co.), we have the West Michigan Whitecaps, the mid-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

 

The Whitecaps' park has always had a few good beer options in addition to the usual swill, but the owners have outdone themselves this year, with the Craft Clubhouse. From the Whitecaps' web site:

 

 

This walk-in beverage stand, located on the third base concourse in the former Souvenir Shop space, will feature 16 local craft beers on tap:

Founders All Day IPA
Founder Centennial IPA
Founders Pale Ale
Founders Dirty Bastard
Founder Rubeaus
Founders Porter
Mitten Triple Crown Brown
New Holland Mad Hatter
Mt. Pleasant Train Wreck
Saugatuck Michigan Wheat
Bell's Two Hearted
Brewery Vivant Farm Hand
Perrin Grapefruit
Perrin Black
Perrin Gold
Arcadia Whitsun

 

The Craft Clubhouse will be open to fans at every home game. In addition to craft brews, mixed drinks and wine will be offered. For dessert, one of the Top 10 food entry finalists, the Beer-A-Misu (a scoop of Tiramisu gelato topped off with craft beer), is available. The Craft Clubhouse was designed with help from the Founders Brewing Co. creative team in the Founders style, with wood on the walls, roll-up door entry and high ceilings.

 

What's also very cool is that on opening day, the Clubhouse will offer the 100-point (from Beer Advocate) Founders KBS on tap, for a very reasonable $7 for a six-ounce pour. Their other selections are also very reasonable for a ballpark: $7 for 20 ounces and $9 for 32 ounces.

[Chelseabun]

Why not? It seems the norm now that people are choosing craft beers. Just because you are at the ballpark doesn't mean you should be offered anything less than craft beer. 

 

I'm not familiar with a number of the beers listed.  However, the beer called train wreck sounds self explanatory LoL!  I assume any visiting fans from your opposing team get served the ale from the menu called 'dirty b*****d'?

[Alex]

Why not? It seems the norm now that people are choosing craft beers. Just because you are at the ballpark doesn't mean you should be offered anything less than craft beer.

 

I very much agree

 

I'm not familiar with a number of the beers listed.  However, the beer called train wreck sounds self explanatory LoL!  I assume any visiting fans from your opposing team get served the ale from the menu called 'dirty b*****d'?

 

  Nah. We're nice here in the heartland. Most of the time, anyway.

[Chelseabun]

I looked it up.  Apparently, it is a Scottish style ale brewed with a mixture of malts.  It just goes to show that a warm welcome (even for opposing fans) and craft beer on the menu can not be beaten (unlike the whitecaps)! Just kidding folks - go whitecaps!

[scubadoo97]

Wow, great selections and prices.

[Alex]

I looked it up.  Apparently, it is a Scottish style ale brewed with a mixture of malts.  It just goes to show that a warm welcome (even for opposing fans) and craft beer on the menu can not be beaten (unlike the whitecaps)! Just kidding folks - go whitecaps!

 

Thanks for the cheer for the 'caps. Turns out yesterday's opening day game didn't happen, due to a storm of near-biblical proportions. Well, maybe not quite that bad, but bad enough. So, opening day is today -- this evening, actually -- with temps in the high 40s at the most and a 15-25 mph wind gusting to 35. Should be an interesting game. Not exactly beer weather, but that doesn't stop folks around here -- witness the annual, perpetually sold-out, Winter Beer Festival.

 

I've previously had nine of the sixteen selections -- ten of seventeen if you count KBS. I do like Dirty Bastard a lot.

 

(Side note: I think the Tiramisu gelato in the Beer-A-Misu is from the excellent (and local-ish) Palazzolo's, but don't quote me on that yet.)

Edited April 10, 2015 by Alex (log)