Beer and baseball: Two American pastimes linked
Here are some great California breweries with more connections to the game:
STRIKE BREWING CO., SAN JOSE
Strike was founded by three former collegiate athletes, one of whom coached and another who played minor league for the Boston Red Sox organization. After their sports careers ended, they started a brewery with the “name being the least subtle nod to the sport,” says co-founder Drew Ehrlich.
“Many of our beers have names that have some sort of tie to baseball — Two Seam, Triple Play, Lost in the Sun — or reference baseball in other media — Colossus of Clout, Run Like Haze, Haze on First?, etc.,” says Ehrlich. And they have more punny seasonal beers coming out in the future, like “Opening Haze (if baseball season ever begins), Fall Ball and Fireworks Night.”
Strike Brewing Co.: 2099 S. 10th St. Unit 30, San Jose; 669-342-6480, www. strikebrewingco.com
TWO PITCHERS BREWING CO., OAKLAND
The founders of Two Pitchers met while playing on the Williams College baseball team in Massachusetts. “Playing might be a little generous, though,” says co-founder Tommy Hester. “We were pretty firmly stapled to the bench for most of our collegiate careers. During those long hours with no playing time in sight, we found a shared love of craft beer.”
What they loved was light, aromatic and a perfect thirstquencher after a hot day of playing ball. “We came up with the idea to make craft radlers — small-batch beers blended with all-natural fruits and juices post-fermentation. The goal was to take this maligned concept and bring it into the craft fold for the first time,” Hester says. The brewery now sells radlers in stores around the country and at its new Oakland taproom, also the site of the popular burger joint, Lovely’s.
Two Pitchers Brewing Co.: 2344 Webster St., Oakland; 510-999-4939, www. twopitchers.com
ANCHOR BREWING CO., SAN FRANCISCO
Anchor has partnered with the San Francisco Giants for more than a decade to make baseball-themed brews like Los Gigantes, a Mexican-style lager, and packaging featuring the team’s colors and logos. “Most significantly, in April 2012, Anchor Brewing unveiled Anchor Plaza at the ballpark in San Francisco, designed to mimic the feel of visiting the actual Anchor brewery taproom. It’s the ultimate venue for enjoying brews and baseball by the Bay,” says senior brand manager Rhys Carvolth.
Anchor Brewing Co.: Available everywhere. To tour the San Francisco brewery, call 415-863-8350 or visit https://raiseanchor. anchorbrewing.com
ALESMITH BREWING CO., SAN DIEGO
AleSmith makes a Tony Gwynn Pale Ale .394 every year that “Mr. Padre” himself helped craft: He specified it should be “light with a kick.” And the brewery’s tasting room hosts a Tony Gwynn Museum with treasures like his “keepsake milestone baseballs and the notes he wrote on the ball calling out the pitcher and/or what type of pitch was thrown for that hit,” says Kristen Ballinger, marketing communications manager. “There are also personal items of Tony’s that are displayed, like shoes, his watch collection and boxing gloves.”
AleSmith Brewing Co.: 9990 AleSmith Court, San Diego; 858-549-9888, https:// alesmith.com