11 craft beers that need to be offered at Blue Jays games

Feb 20 2020, 7:02 pm

There’s no shortage of beer choices at Toronto Blue Jays games, but if it’s craft beer you’re after, you’ll have to embark on a treasure hunt to find it.

In a city overflowing with independent breweries, it’s unfortunate there aren’t more local craft beer options for thirsty fans at games. It exists, but there isn’t much of it at the Rogers Centre.

Last year, the Blue Jays sought fan feedback from ticket holders and gauged whether they’d be interested in seeing craft brews available inside the Rogers Centre. While the results haven’t been released publicly, fans are eager as ever to enjoy their favourite local beers at games.

Which brings us to a fun hypothetical; if someone could flip a switch tomorrow and put their wish list of Ontario craft beers in the fridges at Rogers Centre, which ones would you choose?

We put together our dream lineup of Toronto and Ontario-based craft beers we’d love to see at Rogers Centre in the future. If beer and baseball fit together so well, a local craft beer and baseball would make the experience even better.

1. Left Field Brewery Glorioso Pilsner

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With its baseball-themed brewery and player-inspired beer names, Left Field Brewery lends itself perfectly to be consumed at Blue Jays games. There are any number of Left Field brews that would be popular among ball fans, but the Glorioso Pilsner seems best for those warm summer days at the stadium. Glorioso is a “crispy boi” if there ever was one.

2. Collective Arts Hazy State IPA

Technically a Hamilton brewery, but Collective Arts makes some of the finest and largest array of IPA’s in Ontario. To no surprise, there are plenty of IPA’s on this list, but Hazy State is one of the few hazys on here. And at only 4.1% ABV, it’s super drinkable and extremely refreshing.

3. Great Lakes Brewery Sunnyside Session IPA

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Speaking of refreshing, another light and bright offering on this list is Great Lakes Brewery’s Sunnyside Session IPA. At 3.9% ABV, Sunnyside packs slightly less alcohol punch than Hazy State, but Sunnyside hones in on that pineapple note in the beer. It really is like sunshine in a can.

4. Side Launch Wheat

To be fair, there are two wheat beers on this list, but Side Launch out of Collingwood is regarded as making one of the best wheat beers on the market. This beer was awarded top prize in its category at the 2016 Canadian Brewing Awards, so you know it’s legit.

5. Bandit Brewery Wizard of Gose

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The gose style of beer typically hits its stride in the summer months, just as baseball season finally gets into full swing. Bandit released a few iterations of Wizard of Gose (apricot, lime, sour cherry) and any of them would be a welcome addition to the beer family at Rogers Centre.

6. Henderson’s Best Amber Ale

An amber may not be a typical go-to style for the ballpark, but we’re trying to appeal to a broad range of craft beer drinkers here. Henderson’s Best Amber Ale checks all the boxes and might lend itself as a bit of a slow-sipper for those extra-long Jays games.

7. Nickel Brook Brewing Zap! Sour IPA

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As far as sours go, Nickel Brook’s ZAP! isn’t the most tart beer you’ll find, but it’s miles away from anything you’ll find in the cooler at the Rogers Centre. The sour/bitter combo of the sour and IPA gives the best of both worlds, and both styles lend themselves to the sunshine.

8. Beau’s Helles Lager

If you’re a lager head, there are plenty of existing options for you at Blue Jays games, but bringing in Beau’s Helles Lager would be a positive first step. It’s light and easy-drinking as you would expect, and it’s easy to envision crushing a few of these on the WestJet Flight Deck.

9. Muskoka Brewery Summerweiss Tropical Wheat

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Muskoka’s Summerweiss is similar to the Side Launch Wheat, but Muskoka reformulated its recipe a few years ago to give it a more tropical flavour to focus on mango and passionfruit. The name of the beer itself gives itself permission to be enjoyed within the confines of a ballpark.

10. Burdock Tuesday Saison

Nothing screams summer like a saison, and Burdock does it right with their signature saison, Tuesday. It’s a quintessential saison, and there’s something special about that peppery, coriander flavour that plays so well in the typical summer ballpark setting.

11. Muddy York Ricky’s Refresher Strawberry-Lime Berliner Weisse

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You can’t get a strawberry daiquiri at the Blue Jays game, but wouldn’t it be cool if you could find this daiquiri-inspired brew from Muddy York? Ricky’s Refresher marries strawberry and lime flavours with a hint of sourness. Cracking open a can of this beer begs for the dog days of summer to arrive.

Ian HunterIan Hunter

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