What pairs better during the summer than baseball and beer?
If you answered nothing, you’re correct. We politely disagree if you have other ideas.
A hot afternoon at the ballpark with an ice cold brew in hand is the quintessential summer experience.
And July is perhaps the most perfect month for baseball fans. We’re crossing the midway point of the season, the All-Star game is here and two timeless organizations, the Dodgers and Yankees, are battling it out as top contending teams in World Series odds.
In honor of the MLB season reaching its height, and on behalf of beer snobs everywhere, we present a look at a few major league ballparks hitting home runs in 2019 with their craft beer offerings.
We also make a couple of craft beer suggestions for each ballpark based on ratings from Beer Advocate, which are based on a five-point scale and denoted in parentheses.
Ballpark: Miller Park
Location: Milwaukee, WI
MLB Team: Milwaukee Brewers
When the Brewers are the team, Miller holds the stadium’s naming rights, and in the city once home to the largest brewing capacity in the world, you might expect to find a beer or two at the local ballpark.
Milwaukee delivers on expectations at Miller Park. In fact, the ballpark has added 15 new beers just this year.
In-state breweries like Raised Grain, Wisconsin Brewing, LakeFront, Raised Grain, and One Barrel Brewing shine here. Bernie’s Barrelman Ale is an exclusive brew from Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing that you can only find at Miller Park.
Ballpark: Yankee Stadium
Location: New York, NY
MLB Team: New York Yankees
The Yankees are probably the most iconic baseball team of all time. Fittingly, the craft beers at Yankee Stadium are legends in their own rights.
The home of the Bronx Bombers serves up crafts from Blue Point, Bronx Brewery, and Catskill Brewery. In fact, Blue Point offers a stadium exclusive at the new City Winery Wine Bar at Section 106: Pinstripe Pils, a canned pilsner dressed in Yankee pinstripes.
You can’t go wrong with a Catskill Ball Lightning (3.97/5) or a Bronx Brewery No Resolutions (3.85/5).
Ballpark: Coors Field
Location: Golden, CO
MLB Team: Colorado Rockies
Another beer-named stadium in a time-honored beer hotbed, Coors Field is situated just west of Denver in Golden, CO, home to the headquarters of Coors Brewing.
Sure, there are plenty of Coors products on tap, but you’ll also find some great selections on the craft front. Boulder Beer Company, Upslope Brewing, and Colorado Native lead the pack of rocky mountain high local outfits.
And here’s a fun fact for baseball-loving brew fanatics: Coors Field became the first MLB stadium with an onsite brewery with the introduction of Sandlot Brewery, way back in 1995. That’s way before the explosion of the modern craft brew movement.
We suggest you check out the Titan IPA from Great Divide Brewing (4.06/5) or Left Hand Brewing’s Milk Stout (3.99/5).
Ballpark: Citizens Bank Park
Location: Philadelphia, PA
MLB Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Citizens Bank Park, the home venue of the Phillies, is located in the heart of a thriving Mid-Atlantic craft brew scene. Beer lovers here enjoy a variety of regional options from nearby Yards Brewing, Victory Brewing, and Tröegs Independent Brewing.
You never have to venture far to find a great beer while you’re at a Phillies game. Convenient concession stands line each of the ballpark’s concourse levels. The new-for-2019 Pass and Stow (named for the two individuals who recast the original Liberty Bell in 1753) plaza area behind third base boasts a sports bar -Shake Shack, and brick oven pizza restaurant.
If you’re an IPA lover, be sure to try Victory’s HopDevil (4.06/5) or Tröegs Perpetual IPA (4.07/5)
Ballpark: T-Mobile Park
Location: Seattle, WA
MLB Team: Seattle Mariners
Folks in the Pacific Northwest love their craft beer. For those who also love baseball, T-Mobile Park (formerly Safeco Field) is the ultimate beer sanctuary.
The craft selection at the Mariners stadium is top notch and ever-expanding – twenty-three new brews were added in time for the 2019 season. Among the breweries here you’ll find picks from Pike Brewing, Mac & Jack’s Fremont Brewing, and Chuckanut Brewery.
Regardless of how the Mariners fare, you’ll win with Bale Breaker Leota Mae IPA (4.12/5) or pFriem IPA (4.03/5).
Ballpark: Oracle Park
Location: San Francisco, CA
MLB Team: San Francisco Giants
Ballpark beer selections don’t get better than the taps at Oracle Park, the bayside lair of the San Francisco Giants.
Oracle Park boasts nationally recognized varieties from local heavyweights Sierra Nevada and Lagunitas. You’ll also find a healthy selection by Moonraker, Altamont Beer Works, Almanac, and others. Rounding out the lineup are new additions from Henhouse, Laughing Monk, and Russian River.
Hardy beer enthusiasts will enjoy Russian River’s Pliny the Elder Double IPA (4.64/5) and Vibes Pilsner by Almanac (4.03/5).
Ballpark: Comerica Park
Location: Detroit, MI
MLB Team: Detroit Tigers
Tigers fans may not have much to get excited about on the field these days, but Comerica Park’s craft beer lineup is full of all-stars. The ballpark carries an impressive 57 various brews on draft this year, many of which are Michigan locals.
Bell’s Brewery, Oberon, and Deschutes are among Comerica Park’s top sellers. The Bell’s selection consistently rotates through seasonal and special offerings, giving Tigers fans new options with each trip to the ballpark.
Favorites here include Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (4.27/5) and Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA (4.25/5).
Ballpark: Globe Life Park
Location: Arlington, TX
MLB Team: Texas Rangers
What would a round-up of best MLB stadium crafts be without an entry from the great state of Texas?
The Rangers’ home stadium of Globe Life Park makes a splash with selections from Texas breweries Karbach, Deep Ellum, Community Beer, Rahr & Sons, and Saint Arnold. There’s even a third base-side concourse libations stand called ‘Beers of the World’. Need we say more?
When you hit a game here, try the memorably named Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower (3.56/5) or a Karbach Hopadillo (3.76/5).