Unlike most of my other ‘Beer Rundowns’ that I publish, this one doesn’t focus on a particular style.  No… instead of focusing on Oktoberfest beer, or Pumpkin beers, these are all beers themed after baseball.  The city of Cincinnati has a pretty extreme love for the sport, and the sport in Cincinnati owes quite a bit back to beer, so the foundation has been built already.  Upon some urging from David from MMAMcKinney (you should read his beer journey series) I went ahead and threw this together to help celebrate opening day here in Cincinnati.  Because I put this one together pretty quick, I might have missed some – if you catch a mistake please let me know!

Onward!

Braxton

  • 1957 – English Mild – Back again for the third year in a row on draft, and the second year that it’s been in cans – 1957 is one of my favorite beers (if not my number 1) that Braxton makes.  The beer was first brewed to help celebrate the AllStar game that was in Cincinnati, and utilizes specialty malts to create a nutty and caramel-like sweetness that mimics Cracker Jack.  It’s worth stocking as much of this as you can (read my beer notes for a little more)

DogBerry

  • Bullpen – Session IPA – This crisp, refreshing summer beer is packed full of bright citrus fruit and a light bitterness.  This beer is draft only, so you won’t find it on the shelves of your local beer stores right now, but I can’t recommend enough that you head over to West Chester to see the new DogBerry taproom, anyways.  This might just be the perfect excuse!

Fretboard Brewing

  • Centerfield – India Session Lager – This Hoppy Pilsner is a new one, hitting the tap lines at Fretboard starting 3/29/18 for the first time.  The pilsner uses noble hops, while being unfiltered to preserve the citrus aromatics and flavor.  We will most definitely be talking about this on the Fretboard episode of Cincy Brewcast, which is coming to your favorite pod catcher on 4/16/18.

Listermann

  • 30/30 – Golden Ale – This beer is only poured on draft in one of two places, the Listermann Brewing Company taproom, and Great American Ball Park.  I think you’ll recognize the baseball with a mustache right off the bat as a baseball beer.  From what I hear (I haven’t gotten to try it yet) the beer is nice and light, crisp and easy drinking.  It’s got a fruity touch at the beginning followed up by a very clean finish.  I’ve heard ‘refreshing’ used more than once to describe it!

MadTree

  • Rounding Third – Red IPA – MadTree’s Rounding Third is a classic.  I’m sure you’ve seen my beer notes by now, but if that doesn’t satisfy your curiosity about the beer, it’s not a hard one to find.  It’s available on both draft and in cans all over MadTree’s footprint.  Don’t miss out on this one, its earthy, grassy notes are a fantastic addition to a baseball themed IPA.

Paradise

  • The Cycle – This beer from Anderson’s first brewery debuts for the first time this year on draft only.  They’re calling it “The Cycle”.  The Pale Ale takes its name from the battle for the cycle.  The brewery took this idea and decided to “brew for the cycle” too.  They used four different malts, alongside three different hops, and then topped off with two different yeasts to make one great beer!  They tapped this fun beer on 3/29, and they’ll have it for as long as…well… as long as it lasts!  Get out there and #GoReds!

Rhinegeist

  • Hustle –  IPA – This 6% ABV and 50 IBU IPA has gone through a few personality changes over the year, to the point that I wouldn’t be surprised at this point if the beer just got a new recipe refresh every year to keep things fun.  It started out its life as a Rye Pale Ale, mood to a Red Lager, and now is a nice fruity IPA.  It’s baseball themed can doesn’t let you forget exactly what it’s here for, though… baseball season!  I should have beer notes for this one up in the very near future – so stay tuned!

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