The Seattle Mariners home opener is on Monday. Below we provide you with some valuable information about where you can find good beer at the ballpark. In addition to that, I provide some tips and thoughts about the beer scene at Safeco Field.
Like I’ve done in previous years, I will continue to update this post as more information comes in, the season takes shape, and the beer really gets flowing. This post will be relevant all season. I encourage you to leave comments as you find good beer around the ballpark. I also suggest that you bookmark this post on your phone. (You do know that the Washington Beer Blog is optimized for mobile devices, right?)
NO WHINERS!
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Beer costs a lot at the ballpark. Puppies grow up and become dogs. Life is not always as we’d like. Deal with it.
Some people complain about the selection and the price of beer at Safeco Field. Folks, you don’t know how good you have it. Consider Yankee Stadium, where “craft beer” is a term that must be used in quotes. Deadspin.com recently reported on that dismal beer scene. There is one place to get “good” beer at Yankee Stadium: a single beer stand called The Craft Beer Destination. Deadspin rightly describes it as “A dinky and confused beer stand with four drinks on tap.” Your options include Blue Moon, Batch 19, Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, and Crispin Cider. Yep, one of them isn’t even a beer. They are all Miller-Coors products. At Yankee Stadium, that’s what you get for $12.
ADVICE
The Patios
The ballpark has changed this year. The Bull Pen Pub, which some called the bunker, is gone and there are a couple of new, lovely sun-soaked patios (one on the main concourse level and the other down by the bull pen). They are both part of the all new Edgar’s Cantina. Upstairs is Edgar’s Tacos and downstairs is the full Cantina. It’s pretty awesome. The whole left field section is now all about Edgar. In addition to delicious tacos, tortas and mezcal-fueled cocktails, they also serve two Mexican-style beers from local breweries: Skagit River Brewing’s Del Rio Lager and Elysian Brewing’s Hombre Lager.
My advice, get there early to secure a seat. These patios will be popular. Make sure you try the Michelada, a kickass cocktail made with, among other things, Elysian Hombre and El Zacatecano mezcal. It might be my favorite beer cocktail ever. In fact, the Michelada might be the one that turns me around on this whole beer cocktail thing. El Zacatecano is Edgar Martinez’s mezcal, by the way. Good stuff.
Big Bottles
I always start the game by taking a stroll around the ballpark before first pitch. Here’s where I usually get my first beer. It’s become a ritual. Out by the bullpen, over beyond the big center field patio, there is a stand that sells good beer in 22 ounce bottles.
Sure, $11 is a lot to pay for a 22 ounce bottle of Elysian Immortal IPA, but consider what you have to compare it to. First off, it’s fresh out of the bottle. The draft beer systems at the ballpark pour a lot of beer. That’s both a good and bad thing, depending on how they take care of the beer lines. Second, you’re getting 22 ounces for $11. When you buy a draft beer for $9.50 (or whatever), you are getting “a pint,” if you know what I mean. Twenty-two ounces of fresh beer always sounds good to me.
Cheap
Okay, don’t you judge me! Power Alley sells 16 ounces of Miller Lite for $5.00. I think it’s from a can and they pour it into a cup for you, but it’s a big glass of beer for $5 at the ballpark. If you don’t know where Power Alley is at, you’ll have to poke around. Look for the Mariner’s Museum. Third base line, kind of around back of the other concessions. It’s beer. It’s cheap. Don’t you judge me!
What is Where
This info comes from John Tufano with Odom Corp. If anyone else has more details like this, email me.
Fremont Universale Pale Ale
Caught Looking cocktail bar in The Pen, Power Alley (bar in the Mariners Museum area behind 3rd base line concessions), Sections 121, 134, 319, 222, 244, and 248.
Fremont Summer Ale
Power Alley, Section 185 Northwest Beer cart.
Silver City Ridgetop Red
Caught Looking bar in The Pen, Power Alley, Sections 121, 134, 319, and 330.
Skagit River Scullers IPA
Power Alley, Section 185 Northwest Beer cart, Sections 121, 134, 248, and 319.
Skagit River Del Rio Lager
Edgar’s Tacos, The Cantina, and Edgar’s Home Run Landing (all new spaces in left field).
Elysian Hombre
Edgar’s Tacos, The Cantina, and Edgar’s Home Run Landing (all new spaces in left field).
7 Seas Cutt’s NW Amber Ale
Power Alley, 185 Northwest Beer cart
Diamond Knot IPA
Caught Looking bar in The Pen, Power Alley, 185 Northwest Beer cart, Sections 121, 134, 222, 244, 248, 319, and 330.
No-Li Crystal Bitter ESB
Power Alley, Section 185 Northwest Beer cart, Section 248.
Laurelwood Workhorse IPA
Caught Looking bar in The Pen, Section 185 Northwest Beer cart.
What is There Somewhere
This list is a subset of the master list the Mariners provide of all the beers in the ballpark. The subset includes the craft beers but not the crap beers. There is stuff on the list above that is not on the list below and vice versa. In addition to what we list above, we know that the following beers are there somewhere. As busy as they must be this time of year, I’m impressed they can provide this much information.
- Pyramid, Hefeweizen
- Pyramid, Curveball
- Pyramid, IPA
- Pyramid, Rotation Beer
- Pyramid, Apricot
- Red Hook ESB
- Widmer Drop Top
- Firestone Walker, Solace
- Firestone Walker, DBA
- Alaskan, Summer
- Alaskan, Pale
- Ninkasi, (guessing, Total Domination)
- Elysian, Men’s Room
- Elysian, Imortal IPA
- Elysian, Hombre
- Mac & Jack, African Amber
- New Belgian, Fat Tire
- Georgetown, Manny’s Pale
- Dick’s, Danger Ale
- Big Sky, Moose Drool
- Diamond Knot, IPA
- Freemont, Universal Pale
- Freemont, IPA
- Skagit, Scullers IPA
- Skagit, Del Rio Lager
- American Brewing, Breakaway IPA
- Lagunitas, Hop Stoopid
- Lagunitas, IPA
- Iron Horse, Irish Death
- Harmon, Porter
- Lazy Boy, Belgian
- Sam Adams
