DRAFT Magazine

Most of DRAFT’s editorial staffers have been LOST die-hards from day one, so we plan to celebrate the final season’s sure-to-be-epic premiere next week by downing 10 beers that honor the show. Here’s our menu.

Kona Oceanic Organic Ale
Freaky coincidence, or a sign the brewing industry has something to do with the Island’s mysteries? This saison is both brewed in Hawaii (where the series is shot) and named after the parent airline of doomed Flight 815.

Atlanta Brewing Co. Numbers Ale
We’re almost as obsessed with this biscuity, grassy Southern session beer as we are with 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.

LeftHand SmokeJumper
We’ll take our smoke in liquid form, thanks; this campfire smoke-laced beer is much more satisfying and certainly less physically painful than the island’s course-correcting smoke monster.

Widmer Hefeweizen
Could Widmer Bros. Brewery be a money-laundering front for Charles Widmore? Nice try, buddy; really creative name-change trick.

Celestial Meads Clarity
Made with raw honey, this delicate, fruity mead represents what we loyal viewers need this season — a clear explanation of the blurry, time-jumping story arc.

Hite Beer
Maybe if we drink the No. 1-selling lager from their homeland of South Korea, Sun and Jin will find a way to transcend their four-decade time rift and be together already.

Naked City Brother Orchid
This new, fruity Belgian ale from Seattle hearkens two of our favorite LOST elements: The Orchid station, site of that crazy frozen donkey wheel, and “Brotha,” the aww-shucks Desmondism.

Boulder Beer Flashback Anniversary Ale
It’s one flashback we won’t get sick of — an intriguing “India brown ale” that’s both citrusy and roasty. Still, we can’t help question the beer’s eerie circumstances: It’s the brewery’s ninth release in its Looking Glass Series (Looking Glass=the underwater station where Charlie met his fate), and it was crafted to celebrate the anniversary of when two university professors decided to start a brewery in the 1970s. What’s next? Are they gonna reveal they were researching the effects of time travel on rats with Faraday?

Firestone Walker Double Jack IPA
The Losties’ fearless leader is suffering from a serious case of dual personalities: The first few seasons of LOST showed us kind-hearted, valiant Dr. Jack, but recently, we’ve seen only boozed-up, pill-popping Jack. So, we’re hoisting this high-alcohol IPA and hoping Good Jack triumphs over Nasty Jack in season 6.

Brownings Dharmahead Trippel
Because if we don’t drink the Dharma beer, there might be another “incident.”

Forgo the classy intermission sips of bubbly at your next musical and stuff a few bottles of these apropos brews in your tux jacket.

“Cats”
Synopsis: Cats with names like Bustopher Jones and Mr. Mistoffelees gather in a junkyard to publicly manicure themselves, meow songs, and decide which feline will be reincarnated.
Drink: Dairy-inspired Left Hand Milk Stout and New Glarus Spotted Cow are the cat’s pajamas, and catnip to us.

“Phantom of the Opera”
Synopsis: A disfigured stalker with a pension for opera wins the affection of a beautiful woman, but loses his cool when he finds out she’s in love with a smooth operator named Raoul.
Drink: Split your time between two spirits; smuggle in Fantôme Saison.

“South Pacific”
Synopsis: Guys will do anything to meet chicks — even travel to mysterious Bali Ha’i. Sailors in this wartime production go native.
Drink: You likely won’t be able to score a South Pacific SP Lager, so stick with the island pleasure that is Kona Longboard Lager.

“Billy Elliot”
Synopsis: A young English boy transforms a poor, outdated mining town with his wicked ballet skills and leaps from working class to high-brow society.
Drink: It takes guts to buck the status quo. Throw back a few pints of England’s own John Courage.

“West Side Story”
Synopsis: Two rival gangs dance it out on the mean streets of the Big Apple in the name of cred, and learn something about themselves in the process.
Drink: If you’re a Jet, go with Brooklyn Lager; Sharks should represent Puerto Rico with Cerveceria India Medalla Light.

By Sarah Whitmire

By now, most beer lovers have heard all about homebrewing as a cost-effective way to drink great beer. Whatever your reason for not taking the plunge, DRAFTMag.com is here to clear up a few misconceptions about the process of turning water, malt, hops, and yeast into a tasty, drinkable beverage. During the next few weeks, we’ll be examining all the different aspects of homebrewing, from legal issues to implementation. Today, we kick off the series with part one.

More money now means less money later
Though the idea of spending a dollar or so per 12 oz. bottle is obviously tempting, homebrewing doesn’t come without a set of start-up costs. The first expense for most is a starter kit; a basic one will run anywhere from $100-200 with a wide range of included items. An entry-level homebrew kit from www.homebrewmart.com has nearly everything you will need (buckets, bottler, caps, even the ingredients for your first batch) to make five gallons of beer for roughly $150, with shipping and tax. On the higher end, the Deluxe Brewing Equipment Kit from www.homebrewheaven.com includes the basics in addition to a glass carboy, wort chiller, and an instructional DVD for about $240, with shipping and tax.

With each of these brew kits, you will also need to purchase a brewpot — recommended size is seven and a half gallons — that retails for about $80 and vessels in which to store your final product. Bottles are the most common option; you will need roughly 50 12 oz bottles for a five-gallon batch. Look to spend $25 on bottles (or you can opt for a complete keg system starting at about $200).

If you haven’t been doing the math, don’t worry; the approximate tally so far is $255. This means each bottle of your first batch of homebrew will set you back just over $5; a little scary for someone getting into the hobby to save money. However, your second batch (assuming you didn’t break any equipment!) probably won’t cost more than a dollar a bottle, depending on the type of beer you choose.

What about the long-term factor? If you are dedicated and get a good amount of mileage out of your kit, the payoff only increases. If you were to brew 10 successful batches of beer with your $255 investment (plus nine more $50 kits); the individual bottle price comes to roughly $1.41.

Keep it clean!
Bacteria-free beer is tasty beer. If you’ve been unfortunate enough to experience a home brew gone wrong, odds are pretty good it tasted funky due to bacterial contamination. Anything that touches the wort after it has been boiled has to be sanitized. No doubt, this is a chore, but it is better than throwing out a whole batch of your time and energy (especially after waiting two weeks for bad beer to ferment).

Be a good student, take notes
The best brewmasters all suggest keeping track of what ingredients you have in each homebrew, and making tasting notes to record what you liked and didn’t like from the batch. Theoretically, every batch you make will be better than the one before as you discover what works best for your palette.

Play by the rules
Depending on where you live, the law may cramp your homebrewing style. Even though Federal restrictions against homebrewing small amounts of beer were lifted in 1979, some states are slow to follow suit. (Editor’s note: This should not be substituted for official legal advice. Make sure to check your local laws before beginning to homebrew.)

Twenty states have made homebrewing legal, but still ban the sale: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (cannot gift more than 20 gallons), Minnesota, Nebraska (simple fermentation only), New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, Washington D.C., Wisconsin, and Wyoming

Twelve states have made homebrewing legal, ban the sale, and restrict gallonage. The following states allow only 200 gallons yearly for households with two or more adults (21+), and 100 gallons yearly for households with only one adult (21+): California, Delaware (recently legal March 2008), Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, New Jersey (recently legal January 2009, requires $15 permit for one-year license), Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah (recently legal August 2009)

The following two states impose yearly limits of 50 gallons:
Connecticut — only 50 gallons for one adult household
Georgia — allows only 50 gallons a year, must be less than 6% ABV

Six states that have made homebrewing legal, ban the sale, and limit alcohol content by either volume or weight:
Arkansas — 5% ABV or less, also no more than 200 gallons
Iowa — 5% alcohol by weight (6.335% ABV) or less
Kansas — 3.2% alcohol by weight (4.054% ABV) or less
Montana — 7% alcohol by weight (8.869% ABV) or less
North Carolina — 15% ABV or less
South Carolina — 5% alcohol by weight (6.335% ABV) or less

Three states with their own laws:
Alaska — The country’s northernmost state has screwy rules about alcohol; Alaskan Alcohol Beverage Control mandates that each municipality has local control on selling, importing, and possessing alcohol. Whatever local control placed on alcohol in general applies to home manufacture as well.
Idaho — Homebrewing is completely legal in Idaho, if the brew in manufactured with native-grown products.
Alabama — Officially the only state in the nation that has actual state law stating that homebrewing of beer is illegal. Not only that, Alabama also prohibits the distribution or sale of any beer over 6% ABV. Until just recently (August 2009) however, Utah was the only other state in which homebrewing was illegal.

The nine remaining states have a dotted line to tread; no existing state legislation declares homebrewing beer legal, or illegal. In some cases, clauses of alcohol control law state that laws only apply to alcohol that is sold; every state bans sale of homebrewed alcohol, so many operate under the fact that if the homebrew isn’t sold, it’s free and clear: Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi (homemaking wine is legal), Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia

– Sarah Whitmire is an intern at DRAFTMag.com.

You know what? There are tons of beer weeks all around this great country of ours. It’s high time someone put together a list. Well, that’s why we’re here. Start planning your travel schedule now. (Let us know ones we missed in the comments and we’ll add them to our running tally.)

City: San Francisco
Date (in 2010): February 5-14
2009 highlight: Celebrator’s Best of the West Beer Fest

City: Seattle
Date (in 2010): May 7-15
2009 highlight: Week End Party and BBQ at The Dray

City: America
Date (in 2010): May 17-23
2009 highlight: The Declaration of Beer Independence

City: Philadelphia
Date (in 2010): June 4-13
2009 highlight: Beer Balderdash at Standard Tap

City: Oregon
Date (in 2010): July 18-25
2009 highlight: Oregon Brewers Festival

City: Washington D.C.
Date (in 2010): Tentatively August 14-19 (August 16-21 in 2009)
2009 highlight: Washington Nationals v. Milwaukee Brewers, D.C. Beer Week Special

City: New York
Date (in 2010): Tentatively September 10-19 (September 11-20 in 2009)
2009 highlight: Gotham Cask Festival

City: Denver
Date (in 2010): Tentatively September 17-26 (September 18-27 in 2009)
2009 highlight: Beer College at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

City: Baltimore
Date: Tentatively October 7-17 (October 8-18 in 2009)
2009 highlight: Go and let us know.

City: Los Angeles
Date (in 2010): Tentatively October 14-24 (October 15-25 in 2009)
2009 highlight: TBD

City: Detroit
Date (in 2010): Tentatively October 15-23 (October 16-24 in 2009)
2009 highlight: TBD

City: Cleveland
Date (in 2010):
2009 highlight: Tentatively October 15-23 (October 16-24 in 2009)

City: San Diego
Date (in 2010): Tentatively November 5-14 (November 6-15 in 2009)
2009 highlight: TBD

By Jay Brooks

In its heyday, Burton-on-Trent, in England’s Midlands, was a 50,000 person-town that boasted 1,100 pubs — one for every 45 people. It was also once home to more than 30 breweries, including some of history’s biggest; Allsopp, Bass, Boddington, Marston, and Worthington made big names in this tiny town. But, economic decline wiped out some giants, and today, if you couldn’t identify brewing equipment, you’d be tempted to believe Burton resembles any former industrial town down on its luck. To the beer savvy, there are signs everywhere that beer is what fueled this place; discarded copper kettles, tall, stainless fermenters and other brewing equipment litter the town. Down every meandering street is yet another grand old shuttered brick building for lease, many over 100 years old. Though it may no longer be fair to consider Burton-on-Trent the Capital of British Brewing, it will always remain its soul.

But before the rise and fall of beer, there was the water. Pure water was locked in sandstone aquifers deep in the earth, beneath the town, 10,000 years ago. The water proved miraculous for brewing, especially for the pale ales that were beginning to become popular in the late 18th century. When Bass opened in Burton in 1777, it was the beginning of the town’s glory days.

Back then, when the industrial revolution was just about to get churning, beer was dark and murky, with small particles floating in it. Few people used clear drinking glasses, so, fortunately, nobody much cared what their beer looked like. The dawn of pale ales, however, marked a change of heart; using new industrial sciences, it became possible to brew a beer that was clear and lighter in color. Like golden pilsners that were all the rage in central Europe, pale ales took the public by storm.

The water from Burton’s aquifers contains heavy concentrations of gypsum that lends calcium sulfate that gives beer a subtle sulfury note, like a lit match. This hint of sulfur became known as the “Burton snatch,” and proved to be incredibly desirable in pale ales and similarly hoppy beers, like India pale ales. (Nowadays, brewers can chemically manipulate their water’s pH, and add or subtract those signature characters. When modern brewers treat their water to make it similar to Burton’s water, they say it’s been “Burtonized.”) In those days, water composition was paramount, so breweries located themselves as close as possible to the best sources of water. By 1888, Burton was producing three million barrels of beer annually, 25 percent of all beer brewed in England. Recently, several more brewing upstarts have begun brewing in Burton, like a Phoenix from the ashes — in some cases literally, as some new beermakers adopt the discarded buildings of Burton’s once great breweries.

Burton Bridge Brewery
Founded in 1982, this oldest of the new breweries sits just a few yards from the Burton Bridge that spans the River Trent. It’s a brewery attached to a pub (similar to an American brewpub) and serves 14 year-round beers and another 10 seasonals, most of them award-winning, though the top choice is Bridge Bitter, the brewery’s original offering that continues to be its flagship. It’s deep amber with fruity hop aromas, some nuttiness, and a whiff of sulfur, followed by nice bitterness, fruity notes, some honeyed sweetness, and a very dry finish. The popularity of that beer and its others have allowed the brewery to expanded with five additional pubs that serve its beer, known as Tied Houses in the UK.

Marston’s
Oddly, since 2005, Bass has been brewed in Burton-on-Trent’s other remaining historic brewery. Marston’s continues to brew its flagship Marston’s Pedigree on a Burton Union System, the last Burton brewery to use this traditional method of brewing. It looks vastly different from any brewery you’ve ever visited. It requires giant rooms with rows of big wooden casks — four times the average size — all linked together with a long trough above them and two on each end. As it ferments, excess yeast is pushed out of the kegs through a swan-shaped metal pipe into the trough, which is then collected on the two ends only to flow back into the casks where it continues to ferment as the cycle repeats. Marston’s also brews, using more modern techniques, several other beers, such as Burton Bitter, Old Empire, Oyster Stout, and Ringwood Best Bitter, but the best illustration of the Burton Snatch is Pedigree. Reminiscent of a freshly lit match, the Snatch shows up in the nose along with fruity, toffee aromas; subtle fruity flavors, malt sweetness, and a pleasant touch of sour tartness create a very well-balanced brew. The only other Burton set is in California, where the Firestone Walker Brewery uses a similar system to brew traditional English pale ales. (Last year, Firestone Walker’s Matt Brynildson trekked to Marston’s, where he’d been invited to brew a pale ale using American hops for the JD Wetherspoon International Beer Festival.)

The Black Hole Brewery
Just a jaunt down the road from Marston’s (one of the few remaining giants), Black Hole occupies only a sliver of what was once the Ind Coope bottling plant, an early brewery that ceased operations in the 1990s. Started in January of 2007, Black Hole’s Red Dwarf bitter quickly became its flagship among seven regular offerings, available throughout the area on tap. The beer was named for a British Sci-Fi show of the same name, and is appropriately copper-red. The nose is mostly malty with hints of licorice and berries, while flavors are nutty, almost roasty, with a fruity berry character and a sweet, dry finish.

Tower Brewery
Its building was once the water tower for Walsitch Maltings, who supplied malt to the Tomas Salt Brewery, once the second largest brewery in town. Abandoned for a number of years, the tower’s broken window in the uppermost floor became a refuge for pigeons. Thus, owner John Mills’ first job was removing several feet of droppings by shoveling it into bags and lowering them down three stories by crane. Happily, the brewery is now pigeon-free, and only the aroma of beer fills the air. Mills brews five regular beers, four rotating seasonals and a number of one-off beers whenever the mood hits him. Try Tower Pale Ale, a golden amber with a small, tight white head. A fruity, tangy nose with baked bread notes introduces a swallow that’s initially malty but fruity, balanced by a citrusy hop character and a short, dry finish.

Old Cottage Beer Co.
The city’s smallest brewery sells its beers in a quaint corner pub near Burton’s town hall. You can always find three regular beers from the brewery, but look for the stout, which is particularly fine, or opt for Burton Old Cottage Oak Ale, a sweet brew with a hop bite and dry, bitter finish. Cottage also brews eight more traditional English ales.

Coors
No matter where you are in Burton, you’ll see bright red rectangles on smokestacks and tall buildings, reminders that Coors has owned the famous Bass brewery since 2002. The operations enormity is astounding: It’s not one single brewery, but a massive warren of structures that are seemingly everywhere. The operation is now used primarily to brew other beers under license, mostly lagers, along with several English brands. Coors still has one tiny brewery that makes Worthington’s White Shield, a historic bottle-conditioned English-style IPA. Brewer Steve Wellington was coaxed out of retirement several years ago to man the ancient brewing equipment and traditional methods to make it.

– Beer scribe Jay Brooks blogs regularly at brookstonbeerbulletin.com.

By Matt Wilhalme

Last week, we batted around the ballparks of the Junior Circuit. Today, we take a look at the National League.

Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Capacity: 48,652
Why we love it: The stadium formerly known as “Bob” boasts one feature that everyone always wants in a home or resort while on vacation: a pool. Just beyond the right-center field fence may seem like a poor vantage point to enjoy the game, but the field also includes one of the largest state-of-the-art HD video boards. So any action you miss cannon-balling into the pool is magnificently replayed in crisp clear colors. It’s almost like you were there…
Most memorable moment: After advancing to the World Series in 2001, the Arizona upstarts took on the reigning champs the New York Yankees only days after the attacks on September 11. The Diamondbacks prevailed and became the youngest franchise ever to win a World Series.
Beers: Amstel Light, Corona, Heineken, Tecate, Dos Equis Lager, Miller Chill, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Bud Light, Budweiser, Bud Select, Coors Light, Bud American Ale, Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois, Bud Light Lime, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Fat Tire, Black Butte Porter, Red Stripe, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Gordon Biersch Marzen, Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen.

Turner Field, Atlanta Braves
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Capacity: 50,096
Why we love it: When the Braves fans begin the Tomahawk Chop you can see the tension level rise in the opposing teams inside of Turner Field. This stadium’s intelligent design and attention to detail set the bar.
Most memorable moment: Hank Aaron, one of the greatest all-around baseball players ever, never played a game inside of Turner Field but he hit his 715th career home run on April 8, 1974 in front of a home crowd at Atlanta Stadium and surpassed Babe Ruth’s seemingly untouchable record. For that he earned himself a place on this list.
Beers: If you go, let us know.

Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs
Location: Chicago, Illnois
Capacity: 41,210
Why we love it: Maybe it’s the curse of the goat or the ivory-coated walls but something about this 1914 relic connects one to the storied history of baseball.
Most memorable moment: There are home runs that shatter car windows outside of the ballpark, and there are home runs that go beyond the field, out of the stadium, across the street, and knock out windows in apartments across the street. Both Sammy Sosa and Dave Kingman have hit “long bombs” so far that the people in the apartments could have confused the broken window as the work of kids outside playing in the street.
Beers: Bud Light, Old Style, Old Style Light (Really? I didn’t even know there was Old Style Light, to be honest), PBR, Labatt Blue, Labatt Blue Light, Corona, Heineken, Heineken Light, Amstel, Tecate.

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati Reds
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Capacity: 42,271
Why we love it: This park is great because whenever a batter manages to send a ball airborne it has a great chance of going all the way to the grandstands. Known by many as the “Great American Launch Pad,” this field gives hitters an advantage that all fans enjoy as they sit back and take in the show.
Most memorable moment: On opening day in 2006, George W. Bush became the first U.S. President to throw a first pitch in Reds history. Too bad for the Reds, that season they would finish 80-82, good enough for third place in the National League Central Division.
Beers: Bud Light, Budweiser, Budweiser Select, Guinness, Bud American Ale, Goose Island, Shock Top, Moerlein OTR, Moerlein Helles, Nutty Brunette, Pirahna Ale, Jeremiah Red, Brewhouse Blonde, Miller Lite, Amstel Light, Heineken, Michelob Ultra, Corona Extra, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Light, Great Lakes Dortmunder, Mt. Carmel Amber Ale, Stella Artois, Flying Dog, Left Hand Pilsner, Land Shark Lager, Great Lakes Burning River.

Coors Field, Colorado Rockies
Location: Denver, Colorado
Capacity: 50,449
Why we love it: One of the true “hitter’s parks” in all of baseball, the ball travels over nine percent farther at this mile high baseball stadium giving fans plenty of free souvenirs to take home while they watch the home team slug it out with their opponents.
Most memorable moment: On the Fourth of July in 2008 the Colorado Rockies were able to overcome a nine-run deficit to defeat the Florida Marlins, 18-17. The Rockies combined for six home runs and scored in every inning except for the eighth marking the largest comeback in Rockies history.
Beers: Coors Banquet, Coors Original, Coors Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Rolling Rock, Blue Moon, Blue Moon Seasonal, Shock Top Belgian White, Dale’s Pale Ale, Right Field Red, Single Track, Hazed and Infused, Killian’s Irish Red, Corona Extra, Corona Light, Foster’s, Guinness, Fat Tire, New Castle Brown Ale, Coors Non-alcoholic, Dos Equis Amber, Stella Artois, Tsingtao, Heineken.

Dolphin Stadium, Florida Marlins
Location: Miami, Florida
Capacity: 36,331
Why we love it: You have to love a stadium that pays for itself to be built. The first ever privately funded stadium financed its entire construction from the licensing of private seats within the park. Hosting both the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins, this multi-use facility is perfect for any sport year-round
Most memorable moment: On opening day this season, the very first batter — Emilio Bonifacio — hit an inside-the-park home run. The Marlins went on to sweep the Washington Nationals.
Beers: Heineken, Heineken Light, Peroni, Blue Moon, Presidente, Sam Adams, Amstel Light, Stella Artois, Bass Ale, Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Land Shark Lager, Shock Top, Yuengling, Grolsch, Michelob Ultra, Corona, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic

Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros
Location: Houston, Texas
Capacity: 40,950
Why we love it: There is a train inside of the stadium. No, not the one that you took to the park, but an actual 19th-century train replica that blows its whistle and chugs down 800 feet of track along the west side of the stadium.
Most memorable moment: Originally named Enron Field, the stadium repurchased the rights to the name and re-sold them to Minute Maid. Now fans affectionately refer to their teams home as “The Juice Box.”
Beers: Bud Light, Miller light, Bud Select, Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, Shiner Bock, Sam Adams, St. Arnolds Amber, Lawnmower Lager, Negra Modelo, Leinenkugal’s Sunset Wheat, Blue Moon, Landshark Lager, Drop Top Amber Ale, Shock Top Belgian White, Coors Light, Amstel Light, Corona Extra, Corona light, Heineken, Heineken Light, Red Stripe, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
Location: Los Angeles, California
Capacity: 56,000
Why we love it: Because the players love it. In a 2003 poll of MLB players conducted by Sports Illustrated, Dodger Stadium was voted the “Best Stadium in all of Baseball.”
Most memorable moment: It wasn’t baseball but religion that marks the best moment for Dodger Stadium. When Pope John Paul II conducted Mass in Sept. of 1987 to a capacity crowd he may have blessed the people, but the Dodgers went on to win the World Series the very next year.
Beers: Budweiser, Bud Light, Blue Moon, Corona, Corona Light, Heineken, Dos Equis Lager, Tecate, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Gordon Biersch Marzen, Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen, Redbridge, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

Miller Park, Milwaukee Brewers
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Capacity: 41,900
Why we love it: Miller Park definitely takes the award for most interesting retractable roof in all of baseball. This fan-shaped structure provides the perfect setting regardless of the temperature or weather outside of the stadium and looks good while it does it.
Most memorable moment: Sometimes if you can’t win in one league you are better off going to the other. In 1997 the Brewers took a chance and did just that. After years at the bottom of the American League East and Central Division (yes, they changed once before, too), the Brew Crew opted to give the NL a shot after MLB decided to add two new expansion teams.
Beers: Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, MGD 64, Miller Chill, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Leinenkugal’s Honey Weiss, Leinenkugal’s Red Lager, Leinenkugal’s Classic, Leinenkugal’s Berry Weiss, Leinenkugal’s Summer Shandy, Heineken, Blue Moon, Red Stripe, Foster’s, Peroni, Beer Capitol, Lake Front, Corona Extra, Coors Light, Guinness, Pilsner Urquell, Sam Adams, Rolling Rock.

Citi Field, New York Mets
Location: Flushing, New York
Capacity: 41,800
Why we love it: Mr. Met. Has there ever been a more bizarre mascot for a professional team speak?
Most memorable moment: Man landed on the moon and the New York Mets rose from last place to World Series Champions. In 1969, the nation was engulfed in an unpopular war in Vietnam but the Mets, lead by pitcher Tom Seaver and a young gun named Nolan Ryan, captured the heart of America as they turned their title of “Loveable Losers” into World Champions.
Beers: Blue Point Lager, Brooklyn Brewery Sobroso Ale, Blue Smoke Ale, Shackmeister Ale, Brooklyn Lager, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Beck’s Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Bud American Ale, Michelob, Michelob Ultra, Tennent’s Staropramen, Czechvar, Leffe Blonde, Harbin, Tiger, Hoegaarden, Kirin, Kirin Light, Heineken, Rolling Rock, Goose Island IPA, Kona Lager, Red Hook Blonde Ale, Beck’s, Beck’s Dark, Beck’s Light, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies
Location: Philadelphia, Pennslyvania
Capacity: 43,647
Why we love it: The “Angle.” This architectural freak of nature creates more problems out of town outfielders than losing your passport while on vacation in eastern Europe. As players run full sprint for long fly balls hit to left-center field, their journey is interrupted by the sudden inward diversion of a 19-foot wall sending baseballs every which way but to the fielder.
Most memorable moment: In the first ever rain-suspended game in World Series history, the Phillies and the Florida Marlins had to call it quits after five and half innings because the weather would not allow them to finish. The delay was enough to give Cole Hamels’ arm a rest so that when they returned to the diamond the Phillies’ were able to walk away victorious.
Beers: Yuengling, Flying Fish Brewing, Yards, HopDevil Ale, Sam Adams, Shock Top Belgian White, Blue Moon, Beck’s, Red Hook ESB, Victory Prima Pale, Copper Ale, Amstel Light, Sly Fox, Smithwick’s, Dos Equis, Heineken, Woodchuck Cider, Kensinger, Tröegs Sunshine, Sierra Nevada, Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei, Foster’s, Budweiser, Bud Light, Budweiser Select, Bud Light Lime Miller Lite Coors Light Michelob Ultra, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Capacity: 38,362
Why we love it: This stadium offers one of the best overall skyline views from a seat that you can buy. While the team may look good inside of the park, the view of outside is always better than actually walking around Pittsburgh.
Most memorable moment: There haven’t been many memorable moments inside of PNC Park over the past few years since the Pirates have failed to reach the Series since 1971. Hey, at least Iron City has the Steelers.
Beers: Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, Iron City, I.C. Light, Labatt’s Blue, Miller Lite, Yuengling, Penn Pilsner, Penn Gold, Miller Genuine Draft, Corona Extra, Heineken, Yuengling Premium, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

PETCO Park, San Diego Padres
Location: San Diego, California
Capacity: 42,445
Why we love it: Aside from the beautiful weather and ocean in front of PETCO, this stadium gives fans one of the most intimate experiences in all of the major leagues. With seating so close to the field it’s like being apart of the show at Sea World just down the street.
Most memorable moment: Pitcher Jake Peavey was the man to beat in 2007, winning the Cy Young, MVP, National League Pitchers Triple Crown, and NL The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year.
Beers: Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Stella Artois, Shock Top Belgian White, Longhammer IPA, Michelob Ultra, Michelob Amber Bock, Widmer Hefeweizen, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Sam Adams, Tecate, Heineken, Stone IPA, New Castle, Firestone, Sapporo, Sierra Nevada, Fat Tire, Carl Strauss Amber Lager, Red Hook Swim Chance, Bass, Dos Equis Lager, Corona Extra, Corona Light, Kirin, Foster’s, Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale, Ballast Point Big Eye I.P.A., Coors Original, Gordon Biersch Marzen, Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen, Stone Pale Ale, Stone Levitation, Guinness, Peroni, Alaskan IPA, Rouge Dead Guy Ale, Blue Moon White, Pacifico, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Green Flash IPA, Pete’s Strawberry Blonde, Rolling Rock, Landshark, Widmer Drifter Pale Ale, Anderson Valley Boont Amber, Woodchuck Pear Cider, Beck’s Non-Alcoholic.

AT&T Park, San Francisco Giants
Location: San Francisco, California
Capacity: 41,915
Why we love it: This park was designed with fans in mind by Giants owner Peter Magowan. The view from nearly every seat is immaculate with the Bay Bridge in the background. We especially like seeing home runs knocked completely out of the park and into the bay.
Most memorable moment: Barry Bonds hit a few home runs in his career, but when he surpassed Babe Ruth in May of 2006 by hitting his 715 career home run, all bets were off.
Beers: Amstel Light, Sam Adams, Anchor Steam, Shiner Bock, Bass, Shock Top, Beck’s, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Smithwick’s, Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Bud Light Chelada, Bud American Ale, Sol, Spaten, Speakeasy, Stella Artois, Tsingtao, Bud Select, Tecate, Coors Original, Coors Light, Trumer Pils, Corona Extra, Widmer Hefeweizen, Dos Equis, Widmer Drop Top, Fat Tire, Firestone, Foster’s, Full Sail, Gordon Biersch Marzen, Gordon Biersch Pilsner, Guinness, Harp, Heineken, Hoegaarden, Kirin, Lagunitas IPA, Miller Genuine Draft, Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, Mirror Pond, Negra Modelo, Pacifico, Peroni, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pilsner Urquell, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Red Hook ESB, Red Stripe, Red Tail Ale, Rolling Rock, Sapporo, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Capacity: 43,975
Why we love it: The ability to own an actual piece of Busch Stadium in your very own home is pretty spectacular. The Cardinals are offering fans the opportunity to purchase one of the 2.14 million bricks manufactured for the new Busch Stadium for a mere $30. Use it as a paper weight or door stop, but know that this part of the Cardinals franchise belongs to you.
Most memorable moment: The Midwest is known for its simple attitude towards life and chaotic weather. In July of 2006, only a few months after the third Busch Stadium opened, a storm blew through the stadium and damaged several infield tarps and one that protected the open air press box. One of these tarps collapsed on top of the unlucky fans below and injured at least 30 spectators.
Beer: Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Bud Select, Bud American Ale, Busch, Schlafly Pale Ale, Michelob Amber Bock, Michelob Ultra, Goose Island, Shock Top Belgian White, Blue Moon, 5-day IPA, Land Shark Lager, Heineken, Red Bridge, Stella Artois, Sam Adams.

Nationals Park, Washington Nationals
Location: Washington D.C.
Capacity: 41,888
Why we love it: This stadium is green. Nationals Park is the first major stadium in the United States to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation. As a leader in environmental awareness other fields look to the design and management of this park as the epitome of how a stadium should operate.
Most memorable moment: When Christian Guzman hit for the cycle in August of 2008 he became the first National to complete the cycle in National Park and only the second National to achieve this accomplishment in the team’s history.
Beer: Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light Lime, Miller Genuine Draft, Coors Light, Old Dominion Ale, Wild Goose, Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen, Gordon Biersch Marzen, Heineken, Amstel Light, Yuengling Lager, Drop Top Amber Ale, Starr Hill Jomo Lager, Fordham Copperhead Ale, Newcastle, Dos Equis, Stella Artois, Bass Pale Ale, Blue Moon, Leinenkugel’s Classic Amber, Shock Top Belgian White, Home Run Ale, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni, Stella Artois, Landshark Lager, Rotations of Dogfish Head brews, Arrogant Bastard Ale and Rogue brews.

(Additional reporting by Annie Woods.)

By Matt Wilhalme

Here at DRAFTMag.com, it goes without saying that we like beer. We also enjoy baseball. Combine the two and, well, you have a perfect afternoon. But to what stadium should you go? To answer that question, we dispatched intern Matt Wilhalme (with an assist from Annie Woods) to find out the different types of beer available at professional diamonds around the country. Today, we bring you the American League. We’ll be back next week with the Senior Circuit. Let the (drinking) games begin.

Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Capacity: 48,290
Why we love it: This stadium’s design puts this field in the heart of downtown Baltimore only blocks away from the original “Babe’s” birthplace. The asymmetrical design is a throwback to the first American ballparks so while watching the Orioles take on their opponents you can feel the raw energy and magic that made baseball America’s national pastime.
Most memorable moment: On September 6, 1995 Cal Ripken Jr. stepped out onto the yard and played his 2,132 game in a row, breaking Lou Gehrig’s record. Ripken would make the streak his own, calling it quits at 2,632 consecutive games.
Beers: We tried and tried, but the Orioles PR staff holds the record for consecutive number of phone calls that went unreturned.

Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Capacity: 37,373 (Night); 36,945 (Day)
Why we love it: Big Green Monster, need we say more? This stadium is more than just the oldest in use; it’s also a symbol of the American League.
Most memorable moment: Since this field is so old there are too many moments to list but World Series wins 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, and 2007 have to be up there. (Dave Roberts’ steal of second base in the 2004 ALCS wins the award for recent memorable moment.)
Beers: Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal, Sam Adams Light, Guinness, Smithwick’s, Harp’s, Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Bud American Ale, Shock Top Belgian White, Harpoon IPA, Heineken, Ipswich Ale, Stella Artois, Whale’s Tail, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Amstel Light, Corona Extra, Corona Light, Heineken Light, Michelob Ultra, Narragansett, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago White Sox
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Capacity: 40,615
Why we love it: This stadium was designed with the Chicago weather in mind. For the long hot stretch of the summer U.S. Cellular was equipped with its own “Rain Room” so fans can take a break from the overpowering sun and chill out on their way to concessions for more hot dogs and beer.
Most memorable moment: In 2005 the White Sox’s took on the Boston Red Sox on their way to their first World Championship since 1917. Juan Uribe hit a ground ball that should have been an inning-ending double play, but it went through the legs of Tony Graffanino and the error extended the inning. Tadahito Iguchi subsequently came up to bat, and he hit a three-run homer giving the White Sox command of the game and earning Ozzie Guillen’s team a trip to the World Series.
Beers: Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill, Budweiser, Tecate, Becks, Old Style, Amstel Light, Heineken, Pilsner Urquell, Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, Leinenkugel’s Red Amber, Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss, Foster’s, Red Bridge, Guinness, Corona Extra, Corona Light, Sam Adams, Peroni, Dos Equis Lager, Honkers Ale.

Progressive Field, Cleveland Indians
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Capacity: 43,545
Why we love it: This stadium was built, along with the Quicken Loans Arena for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as part of an urban renewal program to beautify the city of Cleveland. The exposed steel design and its mini “Green Monster” give the Indians an imposing home field advantage. It may be called Progressive Field now but fans still call it “The Jake” for the Indians former residence Jacobs Field.
Most memorable moment: From 1995 to 2001 the Indians set a major league record of more than 455 consecutive sell outs. Now that’s something to be proud of.
Beer: Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud American Ale, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Labatt Blue, Labatt Blue Light, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Great Lakes Burning River, Great Lakes Elliot Ness, Shock Top Belgian White, Miller High Life, Miller High Life Light, MGD 64, Natural Light, Amstel Light, Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, O’Doul’s Amber, Harpoon IPA, Goose Island 312, Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, Brooklyn Lager, Michelob Light, Michelob Ultra, Leinenkugel’s Summer Sandy, Pete’s Wicked Ale, Shiner Bock, Clipper City Heavy C’s, Anchor Steam, Heineken.

Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Capacity: 41,255
Why we love it: In order to get to Comerica Park in downtown Detroit, one must pass the ominous Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions. Once you reach the baseball stadium, giant tiger statues protect the gates. If these big cats are too much for the little ones, the park also features a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round to entertain when the games get long in the summer.
Most memorable moment: After winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2006 we knew Justin Verlander was good, but on June 12, 2007 he became the first Tiger to throw a no-hitter since 1984. Verlander left the Milwaukee Brewers hitters speechless in his 12-strikeout performance.
Beer: Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite, Guinness, Bell’s Oberon Ale, Corona, Heineken, Heineken Light, Amstel Light, Tiger Beer, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Miller Chill, Coors Light, Rolling Rock, Atwater, Strauss, Labatt Blue, Labatt Blue Light, Shock Top, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic, Woodchuck Cider

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Capacity: 38,177
Why we love it: This stadium’s open construction and circular design gives Royal’s fans more than they could ask for in a ballpark. Recognized as one of the most beautiful fields in all of Major League Baseball, Kauffman even features fountains just outside of the right field fence, perfect for cooling off under when the Royals are blowing out their opponents (as rarely as that occurs).
Most memorable moment: The I-70 series pitted the Royals against cross state rivals the St. Louis Cardinals. Down 1-0 in game six of the series, the Royals were able to steal a win away from the Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth inning with a base hit from the unlikely Dane Lorg.
Beers: Amstel Light, Blue Moon, Boulevard Pale Ale, Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Bud Select, Coors Light, Corona, Guinness, Harp’s, Heineken, Landshark, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Micheolb Ultra, MGD 64, Miller Lite, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Pacifico, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Red Stripe, Redbridge, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Summer Ale, Smithwick’s, Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Los Angeles Angels
Location: Anaheim, California
Capacity: 45,281
Why we love it: When Gene Autry founded the Angels in 1960, Los Angeles got a new team to divide the city’s loyalty — as if L.A. wasn’t split enough. But, this stadium’s close proximity to Disneyland makes this field perfect for a family trip. Who wouldn’t want to catch a ball game and then go ride Space Mountain?
Most memorable moment: Nolan Ryan’s first career no-hitter came on May 15, 1973 when he struck out 12 Kansas City Royal batters on his way to his first. He would throw another no-no later that year and set the record for the most no-hitters in a single season.
Beers: Fat Tire, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Miller Lite, Coors Original, Coors Light, Blue Moon, Heineken, Heineken Light, Corona Extra, Corona Light, Sierra Nevada, Pacifico, Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Amber Bock, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal, Firestone, Guinness, Stella Artois, New Castle, Kona Long Board, Wyder’s Pear Cider, Kona Fire Rock, St. Pauli Girl Non-alcoholic, O’Doul’s Non-alcoholic.

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minnesota Twins
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Capacity: 46,632
Why we love it: Though many consider this stadium to be the worst park in all of baseball, loyal Twins fans make it out to the games every time their team comes home. The fans are the heart and soul of any squad and that’s why everyone breathed a sign of relief when Minnesota approved financing for a new stadium to open in 2010.
Most memorable moment: In game six of the 1991 World Series, it all came down to a final at bat by Kirby Puckett. With his team facing elimination he dug in against pitcher Charlie Leibrandt and hit a walk off home run. In the next game, the Twins would win what is considered the greatest World Series of all time.
Beers: Newcastle, Corona, Corona Light, Pacifico, Modelo Especial, Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite, Miller Chill, Michelob Ultra, Grain Belt Premium, Leinenkugel’s Classic Amber, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss, Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, Gluek Golden Pilsner, Summit EPA, Shock Top, Schnell’s Dark, Finnegans Irish Amber, Guinness, Amstel Light, Sam Adams, Heineken, Labatt Blue, St. Pauli Girl, Sierra Nevada, Foster’s.

Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
Location: New York, New York
Capacity: 52,325
Why we love it: The brand new Yankee Stadium may not have any incredible moments just yet but the new field that’s located in the parking lot of the “House that Ruth built” has the same feel and design of the old stadium except with the addition of much needed amenities. For one thing, this park offers drink holders where you can place your beer when you’re booing the other team.
Most memorable moment: Only the most memorable image in all of baseball: Ruth points to center field, ball goes over the fence — amazing. (We know that happened in the old stadium. Deal with it.)
Beers: Multiple phone calls were not returned.

Oakland-Alameda County Stadium, Oakland Athletics
Location: Oakland, California
Capacity: 35,067
Why we love it: Getting to this stadium could not be easier. Fans are invited to take the BART Metro to the park in lieu of driving and parking — which is always a great idea when having a few beers at a game. This field offers one more amenity that makes us very happy: an all-you-can-eat section located in the upper deck behind home plate.
Most memorable moment: One of the most (in)famous home run hitters in all of baseball got his start in Oakland. Mark McGwire bashed 49 home runs his rookie year. His career would be marked by scandal, but who cares? Chicks did the long ball.
Beers: Miller Genuine Draft, Budweiser, Bud light, Long Hammer IPA, Slim Chance, Widmer Hefeweizen Widmer Drifter Pale Ale, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Pyramid Curve Ball, Apricot Ale, Coors Light, Heineken, Fat Tire, Skinny Dip, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams, Miller Lite, Red Hook ESB, Guinness, Harp’s, Smithwick’s, Blue Moon, Kona Long Board Lager, Kona Waialua Wheat, Red Hook IPA, Dos Equis, Lagunitas Pale Ale.

Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners
Location: Seattle, Washington
Capacity: 47,447
Why we love it: Beer, hot dog, and a view of Puget Sound; this isn’t your ordinary ballpark. This stadium’s unique retractable roof stays open for the very, very few days of sunshine in Seattle but only closes enough to keep out most of the rain. The atmosphere is still that of an outdoor park.
Most memorable moment: In 2001, the Mariners tied the 1906 Boston Red Sox for the all-time record of 116 wins in a season. That season Ichiro Suzuki made his debut in the MLB, winning the American League Rookie of the Year, AL MVP, and a Golden Glove on the way to helping hte M’s reach the American League Championship Series.
Beer: Alaskan Amber, Alaskan Summer Ale, Alaskan Pale Ale, Amstel Light, BridgePort IPA, Corona Extra, Corona Light, Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond, Mac & Jacks African Amber, Foster’s, Full Sail, Hale’s Pale Ale, Hale’s Ale IPA, Heineken, Heineken Light, Henry’s. Kokanee, Labatt Blue, Molson, Fat Tire, Pilsner Urquell, Pyramid Hefeweizen,
Pyramid Curveball, Pyramid Crystal Wheat, Pyramid IPA, Georgetown Manny’s Pale, Dick’s Danger, Snoqualmie Grand Slam, MacTarnahan’s Amber, Blue Moon Belgian White, Shock Top Belgian White, Red Hook IPA, Red Hook ESB, Red Stripe, Rolling Rock, Sam Adams, Sapporo, Sierra Nevada, Singha, Stella Artois, Tecate, Dos Equis Amber, Widmer Drop Top, Widmer Hefeweizen, Beck’s, Guinness, Miller High Life, Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Rays
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Capacity: 36,973
Why we love it: Upon entering Tropicana field one finds him or herself in a place many would consider heaven; an intersection of a microbrewery, cigar shop, and a wine cellar. We’re sure you will be able to find something of interest inside of this park — oh, and you still have a baseball game to watch.
Most memorable moment: On October 29, 2008 the Tampa Bay Rays did what no one thought was possible at the beginning of the season, and earned themselves a trip the American League Championship Series. Not only that, they defeated the reigning World Series Champions the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game slugfest.
Beers: The park might be heaven, but the Rays PR staff is hellish.

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers
Location: Arlington, Texas
Capacity: 49,170
Why we love it: You don’t have to go to Cooperstown in order to experience the history of baseball. Rangers Ballpark features the “Legends of the Game Museum” that includes more than 1,000 different artifacts from the very beginning of the sport. And, if you are ready for a show, they have an auditorium that seats more than 225 people.
Most memorable moment: Kenny Rogers’ perfect game on July 28, 1994. Rogers became only the 14th major league pitcher to achieve this feat — only four other pitchers have done it since.
Beers: Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Rahr’s Red, Tecate Light, Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s, Land Shark, Killian’s Irish Red, Lone Star, Michelob Ultra, Blue Moon, Ziegenbock, Coors Original, Coors Light, Bud, Bud Light, Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower.

Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Capacity: 49,539
Why we love it: Because this park’s existence alone proves that there is more to do in Canada than play hockey and drink Canadian Club. We have heard they’re fond of beer, too.
Most memorable moment: In 1993, Joe Carter stood in the batter’s box — his team down 6-5 with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning — and crushed a World Series winning walk-off bomb to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
Beers: Bud, Bud Light, Keith’s Alexander Pale Ale, Stella Artois, Stella Léger, Blue, Hoegaarden, Bass, Tennants, Beck’s, Kokanee, Keith’s White.

(Additional reporting by Annie Woods.)

Flickr photo by inju

By Tim Cigelske

For years, talking frogs, twins in bikinis and dudes shouting “Whassup?” was how big beer companies told us, “Hey, drink our beer!”

If you think about it, it makes little sense.

Today breweries don’t need multimillion dollar advertising budgets, clydesdales, or retired athletes to tell about their beer. They just need an Internet connection, a Twitter account, and someone willing to talk and — just as important — listen to the beer drinking public.

“Twitter isn’t a promotional gimmick or a sneaky way to conduct marketing research,” says Matthew Steele, who operates the @StoneBrewingCo Twitter account. “It’s a way to talk to our fans and connect personally.”

Steele responded to our questions in 140 characters or less, which is the limit to a single Twitter update. With these short messages, craft brewers have found Twitter an ideal medium for communicating in an open, honest, personal, immediate, and often raw and unpolished manner.

So what do breweries talk about on Twitter? @StoneBrewingCo, for instance, has 6,600+ (and growing) followers that hear about new beer offerings, special events, personal interactions with fans, links to other Stone Brewing twitterers, and just general randomness.

21st Amendment Brewery even has a Twitter-themed beer.

The first brewery to join Twitter was likely @FlyingDog, which started tweeting way back in Sept. 2007 and now has 7,500+ followers.

“We’ve always tried to be early adopters,” says Josh Mishell, who updates the @FlyingDog account.

Mashable, the Web site of record on social media influence, called @FlyingDog the “perfect brand for social media engagement,” citing their Twitter haiku contest as one example. (Adding, “the beer is pretty damn good, too.”)

“The more we interacted with our followers,” Mishell says, “the more we realized that we were part of a community of craft beer tweeters.”

For small brewers who don’t have budgets for Super Bowl ads, the free service can also be an economical way to get their message out. This is one of the reasons Milwaukee start-up Horny Goat Brewing Company (900+ followers) jumped on Twitter immediately.

“Picking the right venues, advertising opportunity, and mediums to spread the word is important,” said @HornyGoatBrewCo’s Mandy Winter, who has even used Twitter to find people to staff new positions. “We’ve also heard a lot of buzz in bars and restaurants from people saying I’ve seen you on Twitter, I’m following you, etc.”

Tellingly, the craft brewing community has embraced Twitter, while big breweries are conspicuously absent. There are several possible explanations for this fact, including craft brewers penchant for experimentation, Twitter’s ability to interact on an individual level, and craft beer drinkers inclinations toward community.

“I know beer lovers are a very active online community,” said Mariah Calagione, who runs the @DogfishBeer (7,100+ followers) Twitter account. “We spend a lot of time and effort on our Web site, so things like Facebook and Twitter seemed a natural extension.”

Calagione said that as a result of feedback on Twitter, they’ve either acted on or talked about incorporating wine list suggestions for their brewpub, ideas for Twitter promotions and offers, and several beer dinner possibilities. Many ask about where to find their beer (and are referred to the Fish Finder) or when they’ll begin distributing to a new area (not before 2010).

“I am just so pleasantly surprised at how supportive people are,” she said, referencing messages from fans like this and this. “It’s great to get such a big view of the world from my computer here in Milton, DE.”

This isn’t just an online phenomenon, either. Some breweries are bringing together like-minded followers with “tweet-ups,” which move twittering about beer to drinking beer face-to-face.

“We consistently get an assload of people to show up and have a free beer on us,” Mishell says of their tweet-ups.

Now that sounds like the perfect tweet.

Find Draftmag on Twitter at @Draftmag and Tim Cigelske (a.k.a. The Beer Runner) at @TeecycleTim

You read Chef Todd Ginsberg’s basic guidelines for pairing food and beer in DRAFT’s May/June Food issue. Here, the Atlanta chef gives us some of his favorite pairings plus two recipes to chew on.

Cowboy Bean Soup paired with Atlanta Brewing Numbers Ale: The beans and vegetables bring an earthy component, which enhances the beer’s grassy hops. See recipe below.

Buffalo Fried Calamari with Peroni: The simplicity and cleanliness of Peroni cleans up the spiciness and saltiness of the calamari dish. See recipe below.

Chocolate Chorizo with Guinness: This is more of a complement than a contrast. The chocolate undertones of Guinness match with the chocolate in the dish.

Yogurt Sorbet, White Poached Summer Peaches and Champagne Gelee with a Peach Lambic: Again, another complement instead of a contrast. The peach in the dish and the lambic pair perfectly while the blank canvas of the yogurt sorbet allows the champagne undertones to shine.

Halibut with a Hazelnut Curry Oil and English Pea Purée with Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale: The beer by itself would overpower the fish, but the hazelnut curry oil brings the two together really nicely by adding more depth to the halibut.

Endive, Roquefort, and Pear Salad with J.K. Scrumpy’s Hard Cider: This is a classic apple pairing. Scrumpy’s is so clean with the taste of apples fresh from the orchard. Apples and blue cheese are a natural fit as the apple’s acidity brings out the Roquefort’s saltiness.

Spicy Cowboy Bean Soup
1 cup cooked white beans
1 pint chicken stock
1 jalapeño, sliced
4 ounces onions, diced
4 ounces tomatoes, diced
4 ounces Numbers Ale
4 ounces bacon lardons
1/8 bunch cilantro, tied up with string
5 garlic cloves, chopped

* Render bacon slowly with a little butter in a soup pot. Add onions and jalapeño. Sweat onions until translucent. Add tomatoes and beer.
* Reduce down by half. Add everything else, and cook for 30 minutes.
* Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Buffalo Fried Calamari
2 pounds calamari, sliced tubes
8 ounces Texas Pete Hot Sauce
1 ounce butter
1 ounce dark brown sugar
6 ounces cornstarch
6 ounces flour
4 ounces Cashel Blue Cheese
2 each celery stalks, bias-sliced
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

* Bring the hot sauce to a boil and add the brown sugar and butter. Stir to emulsify the butter into the sauce. Take off stove and keep warm.
* Toss the calamari into the flour mixture.
* Set fryer to 375 degrees. Fry calamari until it’s light golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute.
* Place calamari in a bowl and drizzle warm hot sauce over it. Crumble blue cheese onto the calamari and garnish with celery.

By Greg Lalas

Beer and musicians. They just go together, like ebony and ivory, in perfect harmony, as they have for centuries, or even millennia. It’s not hard to imagine some ancient Greek toga-wearing citharede — the original guitar god — drowning some liquid courage before ripping into his first solo of the night. Certainly, Victorian-era lute players tipped back a flagon or two in between sentimental ballads (all the better to deal with the swooning damsels backstage). And any slide guitarist who doesn’t use a beer bottle should be booed off the stage.

Ale has also provided ample inspiration for songwriters, from George Thorogood’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer” to Duke Ellington’s “Black and Tan Fantasy.” (Though, to be honest, I’m not sure the Duke meant that one.)

And, of course, one of the most famous compositions of all time makes no bones about its lager love. “Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” isn’t just the greatest time-wasting song every written, but it just might be the most uplifting folk inspirational in history. After all, the singer doesn’t just ask the listeners to take a bottle of beer down from the wall, but also to pass it around, share it with friends, and unabashedly embrace hopped-up camaraderie.

In many ways, beer is music and music is beer. They both get together for festivals. They both can please the body and the soul. They both can lift us to ecstatic heights or commiserate with our sadness.

And for some, like a hopped-up scribe, they provide a nice tidy way to make neat associations between musicians and certain beers. Think of it as a pint-sized version of synesthesia, which is the condition of making odd associations, like giving days specific colors (Wednesday is green, by the way).

Here are some favorite band-beer unions:

Kelly Clarkson : Blue Moon Belgian White — Wildly overproduced, but a kind of summertime guilty pleasure. Your life might not suck without Blue Moon, but you have to admit, at times, its fresh, sparkling, sultry, slightly acidic (the orange slice garnish) nature hits the spot on a hot afternoon in the backyard.

Mötley Crüe : Bürgerbräu Wolnzacher Hell Naturtrüb — One good umlaut deserves another. This German Kellerbier is renowned for its long-lasting multi-finger head — rising like Vince Neil’s teased-up hair, circa 1984 — and its smooth, creamy maltiness mixed with apple and/or banana is exactly the kind of thing that will kickstart your heart again and again.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah : Dos Equis — This one is counterintuitive, because you’d think XX would be reserved for a Latino act like Menudo or that Iglesias kid. You’d probably also think Clap Your Hands would get something cooler, something more hipster in Brooklyn, less happy hour at Applebees. But let’s be honest, CYHSY play happy head-bobbing tunes, as uncomplicated as an insurance salesman. It goes great with a lime.

Jay-Z : Sam Adams — Once ground-breaking, both Jay-Z and Sammy are now ubiquitous and considered more “classic” standbys. They’re old skool, in a newish kind of way. And both of them they don’t really do much of what they used to do. Jay-Z is too busy buying the New Jersey Nets to lay down any raps, and Jim Koch is too busy designing new glassware and snuffling hops for the cameras to push the envelope anymore.

U2 : Westmalle Trappist Tripel — Bono and the boys have never been explicitly hard-hitting. Their music, even going back to “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” has always had a melodic sweetness that can seem to file down its teeth. But, like the honeyed but potent Westmalle, it’s more complex than at first taste. Plus, there are the Christian undertones. You just know the monks bounce around to “Beautiful Day” when their brewing.

Aerosmith : St. Pauli Girl — There was a time when Aerosmith rocked with their cocks out, as Britney Spears famously uttered recently. That was back in the “Toys in the Attic” and “Dude Looks Like a Lady” days, which is around the same time we used to think St. Pauli was the nectar of the beer gods (mainly because it was German and available in suburb grocery stores). Then Steven Tyler had a daughter and the band went limp with “Crazy” and annoying soundtrack songs. And we got tired of imported swill.

Motörhead : Schloss Eggenberg’s Samichlaus — More umlauts! Fitting, because the loudest band in the world’s Germanic nod links it nicely to the Austrian doppelbock Samichlaus, which is supposedly the strongest lager in the world, at 14% ABV. Good thing, then, especially for the 63-year-old mutton-chopped, mole-dappled Lemmy, that the big black bottles are available only once a year, around Christmastime (the word Samichlaus means Santa Claus).

Coldplay : Lagunitas IPA — If you’re like me, you like Chris Martin & Co. You also like Lagunitas. But don’t you wish both of them were better than they are? Put on “A Rush of Blood to the Head” or take a first sip of an IPA pint, and you’re bound to say to yourself, “Eh. It’s good. But what’s all the fuss?”

Nickelback : Michelob Ultra — They say it’s rock and roll; we call it carbonated urine.

Greg Lalas’s old band Hamilton (RIP) could fairly be described as rock’s Tremont Ale—based in Boston, never sold many units but delivered a good product and had a blast while doing it.