Root, Root, Root for the Home Team!
Nothing says Summer-lovin’ in CNY quite like watching a Syracuse Chiefs baseball game and drinking a cold one while eating a Hofmann’s hot dog slathered in any number of tasty condiments …
Maker:L,Date:2017-9-20,Ver:5,Lens:Kan03,Act:Kan02,E-Y
& that’s exactly what I did with one of my best girlfriends, on a gorgeous Friday night at the end of June, during Craft Beer Friday at NBT Bank stadium. (And the Chiefs won in a spectacular bottom of the 8th inning 4-run comeback!)
What is Craft Beer Friday, do you ask?
A new promotion for 2018, $20 gets you one 200-level ticket to a Friday home game this season with two 16oz craft beer vouchers. (Must be 21 & older – Remember to bring your ID with you to the game!) There are two ways to get tickets – either call the ticket office at 315-474-7833 to purchase your tickets, where they’ll be held at Will Call for pickup on game day, or go to the Chiefs official website www.syracusechiefs.com and purchase online. Something to keep in mind – If you’re going as a couple or a group, one person will need to pony up the cash in order to all be seated together. (I would hold the beer vouchers hostage until everyone pays you back, but that’s just me.)
Where do I redeem my vouchers?
The Now & Later Craft Beer Corner (sponsored by, you guessed it, Captain Obvious – Now & Later) is located on the first base side of the stadium on the same level as all of your food choices. It’s small, so be prepared to wait in line, but the traffic flows pretty quickly.
Tell me more about the selection of craft beer available!
Inside the Corner, there’s a large chalkboard with a vast array of beers to choose from, in 16oz cans, as well as on draft. On the night that I went (June 29th, to be exact) there were 34 different cans of craft beers listed on the board – From Spider Bite Brewing’s Shazy Session IPA to a collaboration brew between Two Roads Brewing & Evil Twin called Two Evil: Geyser Gose to Lough Gill Brewery’s Round the Clock Breakfast Stout, and literally EVERYTHING in between. Only 3 beers out of the 34 total were completely out of stock when I passed through the door. On tap, the 3 craft beers available were all from Eastwood Brewing Company, (from right here in our own backyard in the Eastwood neighborhood! Woot! Woot!), as they were having a tap-takeover that evening. However, on any given game day, there will be a different variety of craft beer available on draft, and the selection of craft cans will be rotating as well. If you’re looking for a list ahead of time, download the app Untappd to your smartphone or tablet and start following NBT Bank Stadium to see what’s available. If you’re unfamiliar to Untappd, it’s a great tool to use to follow your favorite breweries and keep track of all the beers that you’re trying. And while you’re at it, come follow me as well, as I document all my brew adventures! You can find me at username: Merritka12.
Be responsible craft beer drinkers and recycle your cans!
Do your part and be mindful of your cans after consuming your brews by properly disposing of them in the labeled blue recycling bins located all throughout the stadium. Those 5 cents might not mean much to you, but they sure mean a lot for our Central NY Veterans! Sponsored by the Syracuse Chiefs, in conjunction with Chick-fil-A in Cicero and Bottle & Can Retrieval Centers, 100% of the profits from the “Cans for Clear Path,” 2018 recycling program, will benefit all the different programs and services at Clear Path for Veterans. Please check out their website, www.clearpath4vets.com to learn more about this vital organization dedicated to serving and assisting Veterans and their families in our local community!
BONUS!
There are FIREWORKS after every Friday night home game. The show is actually pretty great too, so definitely stick around for it!
Sign me up, when’s the next Craft Beer Friday?
Your final opportunities for the 2018 season to participate in Craft Beer Friday are on:
Friday, August 10th vs. Gwinnett
Friday, August 24th vs. Rochester
Friday, August 31st vs. Buffalo
Also, be on the lookout for more information regarding the upcoming 2018 Ballpark Brewfest held at NBT Bank Stadium in September!
There’s nothing better than rooting for the home team, whether that be baseball, local businesses, local organizations, or
local breweries! After all, that’s what makes us a community. So, get out there and enjoy the last bit of summer we have!
Cheers!
