Two Brews at the Ballpark

Earlier this week I decided I would sell my Phillies tickets for Friday, June 24. With my furniture being delivered Saturday, and attending this upcoming Thursday game against Boston, I figured I could use the night to get my place set up. This season, I've sold a lot more of my Phillies tickets than I've done in years past. I guess this is the sacrifice that many say you have to make when you become a homeowner. For games I've listed for sale this season, I never had an issue unloading the tickets. But somehow I had a difficult time selling these tickets. Once 2 PM Friday hit, and I still had the tickets I decided to would go to the game regardless of what I originally planned. I got down to the stadium, and wanted to limit the amount of beer I would drink considering I would be driving home. I ended up drinking two beers: Shocktop without an Orange, and Bud Light Wheat. I've had the shocktop at the game before and mentioned this is a great beer to drink on a hot summer night, however I never had the Bud Wheat. One of the things I enjoy about the Phillies games is the large aluminum cans Bud and Miller products are sold in. These bottles are kept in ice and keep the beer so cold. My only complaint would be that I wish they sold some of my favorite microbeers in these bottles. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the bud wheat, but there's not much to say than this is an average wheat beer. I've had better, but it was solid and enjoyable. It was extremely cold and had more taste than a Bud Light. I was surprised I went with this beer choice, however this was served in one of the shorter beer lines, which factored into my decision.

This time, The Weather at the Ballpark was Alright

Anytime your at a Phillies game when Ryan Howard hits a homerun you know your at a good game. So when Howard hits a 2 run shot and a Grand Slam I knew it was an excellent game. It's been a couple weeks since I've been to a ball game, as I previously promised myself that I will not attend anymore games with crappy weather. Driving from Conshohocken it took me over an hour to get to the the ballpark, and by the time I parked the game already started. With the way traffic was I was happy that I only missed a half inning.

Although the sun was out, I was smart enough this time to grab my northface. The last time I went to a game the temperature dropped, and I only had a short sleeve t-shirt to keep me warm. Because most games I go to are during the week, I have yet to park in Lot K, which is prime for drinking beer and tailgating. I ended up parking in the Phillies lot, and was able to enter through the left field gates which is close to my seats. I've previously mentioned that the Phillies do a great job at selecting craft beers to serve at the stadium. However, my one complaint would be that where my season tickets are located the majority of the beer vendors are Bud and Miller Products. I'm also tired of seeing the beer vendors serve these beers in the aisles. Bring down the craft beers!

To my surprise, as I walked into the game I saw a Brewytown that had Yards Brawler and Shock Top on tap. Wanting to warm up I went with the Brawler for myself as I consider it a winter beer. I'm actually surprised they have this on tap at a baseball park as I expect this to be served at a Football stadium. Philadelphia brewed Yards Brawler is a dark color beer that to me has a hint of red. I've had this beer previously, but wouldn't say this is one of my favorite Yards products as I prefer their Pale Ale. The one benefit of drinking darker beers during colder temperates is that you can quickly get your "beer coat" on.

Because Lauren isn't a beer drinker whenever I order her a beer I always try to get her lighter beer that would be brewed with fruit. I knew she wouldn't like the Brawler, so I ordered her a Shock Top which you could compare to a Blue Moon. I don't even know if I could tell the beers apart. The one benefit of buying your girlfriend beer at the stadium is that because you can't walk with two full beers you do get a chance to take a couple sips of their beer. In my case I took big gulps.

By the time I finished my first brew it was time for my second. Lauren had been hounding me to grab food so I gave in and we walked Ashburn Alley. While she waiting in the long line to get cheesesteaks I got in line and grabbed a Flying Fish Pale Ale and another Shock Top for her. This time they were able to put an orange in the beer! Once we got back to our seats I finished off my flying fish, and because Lauren doesn't drink beer I was able to drink hers.

 Friday night's Phillies game was one of the better games I've been too in a while. You could argue that seeing a walk off win on Opening Day was impressive, but seeing Howard slug two against the Mets is truly awesome, especially when the Phils put 10 runs on the board. The extra excitement is the fan interaction between the two fan bases. I've added below a picture of one the guys that snuck down to my section later in the game only to find himself get escorted out. The ironic part was this man did nothing wrong, expect cheer when the Mets hit a homerun to find the boot. On the flip slide a drunk underage kid wearing a Mickey Moridini Jersey was yelling at Victornio obnoxiously and was only told to quiet down. Go Figure.

The Summer Ahead

Today was a stressful day. Because I lost my wallet and all it's contents Saturday night I was forced to go to the NJ DMV this morning to get my licence reissued. After today I realized the DMV is a joke, and if these workers worked in any other company or field they would be terminated. Thankfuly I got notice from the Phillies that my season tickets shipped yesterday and were expected to arrive today. When I finally got home and ripped opened the delivered package I couldn't help but think about baseball, summer and beer. I know the FoodNetwork rated Citizens Bank Park as being the best in the country for food but they neglected to mention they also provide a great selection of beer from local breweries. There's nothing better than being at the park during a hot summer day and drinking a beer or two. I'm looking forward to the days where I can do some tailgating, watch some baseball, and end up at Mcfaddens afterwards.