It is another sure sign that spring is here. Opening day is just eight days away. The Mariners hit the field for real in Oakland on Friday, April 1st. The home opener is a week later on Friday, April 8th.
Yesterday Snoqualmie Falls Brewing posted something on Facebook—a list of where to find Snoqualmie Falls’ beer at Safeco Field. I share that list at the end of this post. (I’d be happy to do it for anyone else, too. Just let me know.)
Where’s the Beer?
In the Seattle-area one of every four beers consumed is a craft beer. You’d expect the ballpark to offer a similar quotient of good beer. If they do, they hide it very well.
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Furthermore–and this has to do with more than beer–because Safeco Field was build with public funds, and the Mariners’ very existence at one point hinged on a tax levied against the populous, we should demand that the concessionaires at the ballpark support the local economy by selling locally produced items whenever it is reasonably possible. For instance, beer. I recognize that the hats, the t-shirts, and the big foam fingers must come from Taiwan, but the beer does not need to come from Missouri. It may sound crazy, but I make a decent point.
They will Come
I dream of a Washington Beer kiosk in center field: a place where perhaps 24 taps pour local brews. I dream of a place not serving beer brewed 1,500 miles away; rather, it would serve beer brewed 15 minutes away. This magical beer kiosk would appeal to locals as well as tourists. After all, it’s what we do around here: we throw fish, we ride ferry boats, we have a Space Needle, and we brew beer.
I see it staffed with people who know something about beer. It’s a place where our local brewers enjoy a home field advantage. I hear a voice whispering, “If you build it…”
Shouting at a Wall
My words are meaningless as wind in high grass. My silly little opinion means nothing to the powers-that-be. Even people with much closer access to the Mariners’ ear have told me that it’s like shouting at a wall.
Truthfully, it’s a more complicated issue than I’m letting on. A-B Inbev (Budweiser) has a huge contract with Major League Baseball, which includes agreements for stuff like co-branding, broadcasting, merchandising, advertising, and even beer. Also, the Mariners contract-out the concessions to a vendor. Once the ink dries on the contract, the Mariners have pretty much nothing to do with determining what beer gets poured at the stadium. Blah, blah, blah.
I suppose we shouldn’t complain too much. It could be worse. I’ve been told the beer selection is worse at just about every ballpark in America. Slowly but surely the selection of craft beer at Safeco Field has improved over the years. So I should just be happy to take one little victory at a time.
Thank you and congratulations to the guys and gals who continue to work on our behalf. I’m talking about the distributors. Seriously. At Safeco Field, Odom and Columbia in particular seem to have made some good headway. They’re the best shot we have. If they can’t get good beer into the ballpark, nobody can.
Snoqualmie Falls at Safeco Field
From the Snoqulmie Falls Brewing Facbook page, here’s where to find their beer.
Five handles on the Field Level:
- Four handles in the Caught Looking Bar
- One handle in Tortuga
Six handles in the portables:
- One handle at section 111 (right field foul pole)
- One handle at section 118 (just beyond first base)
- Two handles at section 126 (behind home plate on the first base side)
- One handle at section 140 (third base)
- One handle at section 195 (center field)
As a Safeco Field veteran, I have to tell you that I’ve never heard of the Caught Looking Bar or Tortuga. I’m guessing that the Caught Looking Bar is what they used to call Power Alley. That’s the only place I can image having that many tap handles. If I’m correct, it’s on the main concourse level between home plate and third base, kind of around back. I have no idea about Tortuga.
