Firkin Fridays at Safeco Field – “Everybody Scores!”

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Sat. April 12 – See our update at the bottom of this post to find out how the first Firkin Friday turned out.

Original Post:
Tomorrow will live in infamy. Friday, April  11, 2014 will rank right up there with the first time a father and son played together: Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played side-by-side at the Kingdome on August 31, 1990. We’ll remember tomorrow as we remember October 2, 1995—the one-game playoff against the Angels: “Blowers scores, Tino scores, Cora scores, everybody scores!” (Even typing those words gives me goosebumps.)

Tomorrow, for the first time in Mariners history, and very likely for the first time in modern baseball history, beer will flow from a firkin at a big league ballpark: the first Firkin Friday at Safeco Field. The firkin will be tapped an hour before game time, at approximately 6:10, in The ‘Pen using a special mallet that the Mariners constructed out of a baseball bat.

Edgar_and_me
Me and Edgar hangin’ out at the ballpark last year.

Forgive me if I’m a bit verklempt. You all know what a huge beer fan I am, but you may not know about my lifelong love affair with the Mariners. The first game I attended was in March of 1977 at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the very first Mariners Spring Training. I remember my dad telling Danny Meyer, the Mariners’ very first first baseman, “You guys are gonna love the Kingdome,” because the Mariners had yet to play there. Yep, I go all the way back with this team. I have the Mariners compass rose tattooed on my right arm to prove it.


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The first Firkin Friday at Safeco Field is a big deal. Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t miss it. Go to mariners.com to get tickets. Be there for happy hour in The ‘Pen.

Timing is everything. The plan is to tap the firkins an hour before game time. That’s when happy hour ends at The ‘Pen. By the way, the ballpark opens 2.5 hours before game time. Happy hour at The ‘Pen means beers from all taps are just $5. Happy hour ends one hour before game time, which is when they’ll tap the firkin.


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Here’ the press release.

FIRKIN FRIDAYS AT SAFECO FIELD

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Local craft Brew Masters to tap small kegs of cask-conditioned ale for Friday Happy Hours in The ‘Pen

Safeco Field, already known as a destination for great local beer, just got better. Every Friday home game will be Firkin Friday in The ‘Pen as local brew masters will kick off extended Happy Hour in the popular fan gathering spot by tapping small kegs of cask-conditioned ale. The first Firkin Friday is April 11, when the Mariners meet the Oakland Athletics.

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Firkin Fridays

A firkin is a small container used to naturally ferment, or cask-condition ale. It is equivalent to one-quarter of a barrel, and contains 72 pints. The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer is naturally fermented in the small casks without the use of CO2 carbonation. Among beer aficionados, cask ale is often known as “real ale.”

This Friday’s firkin will be from Skagit River Brewery in Mt. Vernon (brew master’s choice). The brew master will tap the small keg in the traditional way. The firkin is laid on its side and a spout is driven in. A vent hole is made in the top of the keg so the naturally carbonated beer can be poured by gravity.

Happy Hour in The ‘Pen, which features $5 pints, starts when the gates open in The ‘Pen on game days until one hour before first pitch. On Firkin Fridays, the keg will be tapped when Happy Hour would normally be ending, and special prices will be extended until the firkin is empty. The next Firkin Friday, on April 25 (vs. Texas Rangers), will feature Silver City Brewery in Bremerton. April 25 is also Beard Hat Night (first 20,000 fans) and College Night with $10 tickets for college students with valid I.D.

Cask-Conditioned Ale Stations

Centerplate, the Mariners food and beverage partner at Safeco Field, has created an impressive lineup of craft beer and spirits that are served around the ballpark. New to Safeco Field this season are two cask-conditioned ale stations on the Main Concourse (near Sec. 129 and the Power Alley Bar) that will rotate local taps with each series.

Featured Local Breweries

Seventy-percent of all draft beer poured at Safeco Field is craft beer. Local breweries featured at the cask ale stations and on tap throughout the ballpark include Georgetown, Pyramid, Fremont, Elysian and Schooner Exact (all of Seattle), 7 Seas (Gig Harbor), Silver City (Bremerton), Skagit River (Mt. Vernon), Diamond Knot (Mukilteo), Black Raven (Redmond), No-Li Brewhouse (Spokane), Laurelwood (Portland, Oregon), GoodLife (Bend, Oregon), and Oakshire (Eugene, Oregon).

UPDATE, FOLLOW UP (Sat. April 12)

The crowd was huge and thirsty, anxiously awaiting the tapping of the firkin. To be honest, some of the people in the crowd weren’t exactly sure what they were waiting for, but a brief delay as they waited for a camera man to arrive caused the faint of heart to move along. By the time they tapped the firkin, only serious beer fans remained. A lot of them.

firkin_panorama

The demand was greater than the tap would allow, and there were some issues getting the beer flowing at an acceptable rate, but as soon as they dealt with it, the beer flowed as fast as possible – no tap, just poured straight from the keg. In other words, the firkin was drained as fast as it possibly could have been. Maybe five minutes?

Regardless of a couple of challenges (it was the first time, remember), Firkin Friday was awesome and all who witnessed and participated loved it. We’re looking forward to the next one. And the one after that.

The beer from Skagit River Brewing was delicious: a pale ale dry-hopped with Citra hops. Kudos to Mike Armstrong (brewer at Skagit Brewing) and the team from Odom Distributing (Great Artisan Beverage Co) for managing the situation despite some difficulties.

firkin_money_shot
Mike pounded in the tap to the delight of the crowd.
A very cool mallet that the Mariners constructed out of a Dustin Ackley bat.
A very cool mallet that the Mariners constructed out of a Dustin Ackley bat.

 

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