We Miss Hockey

We just passed the mid-point of August and while it's been a better month than June or July it's still hot, still humid.  The NFL preseason is underway.  Favre is back (again).  The Buffalo Bills annual flake out to Toronto is upon us.  All of which reminds us that NHL training camps are just around the corner.  To help get us all through the remaining dog days of summer we bring you some fond memories.



Of course, no hockey-related post is worth its salt without the wisdom of Don Cherry.

Cactus League Highlights - From the Beer's Perspective

One of the more challenging jobs out there must be working as a beer vendor at your local baseball field. Facing the unforgiving elements 81 times a year to make a buck is not our idea of fun. Of course, if the elements are too unforgiving the game is called and you don't make a buck.

Certainly, one cannot be a sports fan and do their job with any diligence. We simply can't see how a sports fan can walk around with a case of cold beer only to sell it to the first overweight, hot dog stuffing, sports maniac with a valid ID. Safe to say if we were beer vendors there would be a lot missing (plastic) bottles and a lot of thirsty Nats fans.

So, in the cactus league gives us an insiders view on the training required for such devilish work. At the Peoria Sports Complex, Suzz Keegan, the park's beverage supervisor, gives us the 411.

"A day in the life of a spring training beer vendor centers on the vending room - a dark, cool cave tucked away off the ballpark's entrance. The evening before the game [Suzz] Keegan and several others pack up 72 cases of assorted beers, which they stack in five refrigerators overnight. Throughout the game, pallets of ice are carted in and scooped on top of the cases; keeping the beer cold is everything. On a good day, the ballpark will go through about 1,300 bottles of beer."

According to the article, Ken Bishoff is a part time vendor and he "climbs 44 steps each time he makes a round, which is 12 to 15 minutes of non-stop movement. The coolers weigh anywhere from 35 to 60 pounds."

Clearly the moral of the story is enjoy the ballpark and tip your vendor well. Play Ball!

*Picture by Cheryl Evans, the Arizona Republic.

The Bases Are Loaded - So Are the Players

This may come as no surprise to the experts at Gheorge but we at Dumbarton's Beer just learned that Major League Baseball allows alcohol in the players' clubhouse. Clearly a trend suggested by George H. Ruth, FoxSports reports on the issue by highlighting Miguel Cabrera's battle with alcoholism. According to writer John Paul Morosi, approximately half of MLB clubhouses make alcohol available in the clubhouse after games (generally the beverage is beer).

The National Football League, by contrast has a very different policy. "Roger Goodell has a simple, easy-to-remember policy: If you’re in the locker room, bus or airplane of an NFL team, you can’t drink. Period."

Sure, it's entirely possible the other teams in the league will see the writing on the wall and eliminate alcohol from the clubhouse but we're skeptical. Morosi thinks Bud Selig, arguably the worst commissioner in sports and in the history of MLB, could take a stand. Of course, this is MLB and their approved methodology is to turn a blind eye to any drug issue until one of their own writes a tell all book.

Drinking at the Game

Team Marketing Report released it's annual Fan Cost Index, which ranks all 30 Major League Baseball teams on the costs of going to the ballpark. You will be surprised to find us focused on column four - the cost of beer. We break it down based on obvious rivalries.

Boston Red Sox - $7.25
New York Yankees - $6.00

Chicago Cubs - $6.00
Chicago White Sox - $6.50

Washington Nationals - $6.00
Pittsburgh Pirates - $4.75

The last pairing is less about rivalry and more about how much these fans must pay to forget they're watching baseball in either stadium. (In the spirit of full disclosure, we support the Nats despite the mess they put on the field.) The most expensive place to get a beer ($8.75) is AT&T Park, home to the San Fransisco Giants. Cheapest beer honor goes to the Arizona Diamondbacks at just $4.00.

Cheers!

March Means Beer Madness

Ripping off names of popular events for your own endeavor is nothing new (anything that ends in "apalooza" should be banned from existence). The Washington Post is doing it's own take with the bracket competition Beer Madness; not to be confused with the original March Madness, Mini-Madness, or even the English ska-band Madness.

We are not disappointed by the Post's sad attempt at naming this event. Nor are we insulted for getting snubbed as judges for the competition. To the contrary, we're just excited to see beer take an almost-front seat in a major newspaper. So, on to the highlights.

First Round
Lager Division: Gordon Biersch Marzen beats Clipper City McHenry Old Baltimore Style Beer. A chain brewpub beats out the locals from Baltimore...way to go judges.

Ale Division: Honkers Ale beats Lord Chesterfield Ale. hmmm...one sounds like an old, grumpy English gentleman. The other sounds like boobs.

Dark Beers Division: Brooklyn Brown and Kalamazoo Stout advance. We are big fans of both so kudos to the judges for getting this division right.

Specialty & Fruit Division: Who cares about beer brewed with fruit?

Tune in next time for our in-depth analysis of Round 2 winners and losers.

Beer, Sharp Objects, and Big Sticks

If there's one thing beer understands it's hockey.

On February 7, 2009, Labatt Blue is sponsoring its 2nd Annual Pond Hockey Tournament on the great shores of Lake Erie in Buffalo, NY. The success of last year's 16 team tournament led to a significant expansion this year. According to the Buffalo News, "this year’s event will be held from 7:30 a. m. to 5 p. m. Feb. 7 at Erie Basin Marina. It will be four times the size of last year’s, with 64 teams competing on eight rinks and in eight divisions — from novice to advanced." Labatt is also adding music, a skills competition, and food and apparel vendors. You can get more information here but if you're looking to play it's too late - the tournament is a sell out.


Schlitz is yet another brewer that understands the unique relationship between hockey and its fans. The "beer that made Milwaukee famous" is now the namesake of a pond arena behind the home of Dean Reder. According to TwinCities.com, Mr. Reder and his friends E-mailed the brewery asking if they'd sponsor the pond at the cost of a 12 pack. Schlitz agreed but delivered 3 cases of beer for the naming rights. Like Labatt, Schlitz has also sponsored pond hockey tournaments, including the US Pond Hockey Championships.

Top 5 - Oktoberfest Brews

In a complete rip off of the fine motion picture production High Fidelity and because we had trouble finding more brews to rate, we bring you the top 5 Oktoberfests around. Next year we will look beyond the local Safeway and microbrew store, Franklins. This is a very unscientific analysis. If you don't agree with this list just keep drinking until you do.

5. Lienenkugel's: The Miller Lite of Oktoberfest brews. It pains us to say that because we have friends who grew up with the cheeseheads of Wisconsin and because we've had some other Lienie's and they were quite good. If your choice is Lienie's Oktoberfest or Miller Lite, check your wallet, flip a coin, and order up.

4. Mendocino: The Toyota Camry of the list. It's fine and has decent flavor - just like vanilla ice cream. It will never fail you and it will never blow your mind.

3. Spaten: The world's first Oktoberfest brewed in 1872. And it's brewed for THE Oktoberfest - the one in Munich. Also, one of only a handful of brews that meets the strict German rules and regulations for qualifying as a beer. Need we say more?

2. Sam Adams: Our introduction to this line of brews and we've been in love since day one - which is why our heart is a bit broken that we can't make it number one. It's got great malt flavors and is ever so sweet on the palette.

1. Brooklyn Brewery: All the benefits of Sam Adams with just a bit more flavor. A little sweeter but not so much that it will turn you off. It might not hurt that we're Yankees fans and bitter that our boys are golfing while those with red socks are playing in the ALCS. What can we say but go Dodgers! Yankee Stadium - moment of silence.

Admit it, you think she's hot.

Are You Ready For It?

Alright, so the National Football League opened its season some 10(ish) days ago but this was really opening weekend for us at DB. You see, some friends with little consideration for the sports interests of others decided that last weekend would be great for a wedding in New England (which it was - even though I am not a Patriots fan). You may have noticed that fall is sometimes in the air and the Oktoberfest's are on tap so it must be time for football...and apparently weddings.

Rather than trek down to the normal haunt for some action, we decided to make a run for the hills and see if there is a place to watch the Buffalo Bills while keeping an eye on the other 1PM (Eastern) games. What we found was the Pour House - a place that, upon entering, harkens one back to the days of yore when the city was in its early days. The Pour House is dark, cool, and real. They feature all the games and several fine brews. The Pour House has only one drawback, which is offering the typical football specials - $10 pitchers for Miller Lite and Bud Light. If they offered either for free I'd still pass. So it was - Sam Adams Oktoberfest by the pint. And I had one or two or...

The important news is that the good guys are 2-0 and you can find the highlights just about anywhere (like here). I had my brew and though it was a bit ugly the Bills are sharing first place with the vaunted New England Patriots. I guess they have to be "vaunted" until they at least lose a game.

Whatever you do please do NOT go to the Pour House. The staff, despite being overworked are friendly and efficient. Your neighbors at the bar are happy to chat about any team and any game and anything you're drinking. There's a good crowd but not a huge crowd. You can make a few friends but don't have to shout to be heard. Frankly, if word gets out you all will start going and ruin the whole experience for me. So really, find some place else to watch your football.