The Minnesota Twins may not be having the best season, but they are among the best in baseball when it comes to beer offerings at the ballpark.
Target Field and the Twins have the ninth best beer selection in baseball in the U.S., according to a recent analysis by the Washington Post, which looks at how ballparks across the nation have been swept up in the craft beer movement.
The Washington Post analyzed beer lists submitted by Major League Baseball teams or their concessionaires during the first three months of the season. (The newspaper notes many teams slightly alter their offerings throughout the season.)
Based on that, along with beer rankings from BeerAdvocate Magazine, the newspaper determined the Twins rank ninth overall, and second in the AL Central, just behind sixth-ranked Detroit Tigers. The Washington Post took into account locality, quality and uniqueness of a ballpark’s beer selection to determine the overall ranking.
The Twins ranked 10th for locality, 12th for quality and sixth for uniqueness. Among the high-rated beer choices offered at Target Field are many Minnesota-based beers: Surly’s Coffee Bender, Surly’s Overrated West Coast IPA, Indeed’s Day Tripper and Summit Saga.
The FanSided blog, Puckett’s Pond, mentions the Twins ranking saying, “While it’s no consolation for a less than stellar on-field product, it just goes to prove why Target Field continues to be one of the best-supported stadiums in sports.”
Not only do the Twins have one of the best selections of beer, but the ballpark also lets you serve yourself with its self-serve beer machines, which debuted in time for this summer’s All-Star Game at Target Field.
Other ballparks
The Seattle Mariners ranked No. 1 on for best beer in baseball, which is no surprise with the northwest’s deep roots in craft beer brewing. In Seattle, craft beers outsell ballpark staples like Bud Light and Miller Light by about 4-to-1, the Washington Post says.
The Washington Post’s rankings specifically look at the No. 2 team for beer – the Cincinnati Reds. The newspaper says the Reds have the most distinct beers in MLB with more than 130 offerings this season. Stadium officials told the newspaper craft beers at the ballpark have exploded, increasing by 363 percent.
But the biggest-selling beer at the Reds’ ballpark is still Bud Light. Stadium officials told the Washington Post that adding more beer options hasn’t taken away from existing beer sales, it created a new category of game-day consumers.
“It’s not the same people that are drinking Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite,” Don Dierig, district manger for Delaware North Sportservice at Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds, told the Washington Post. “It’s more of a younger demographic, and that’s what that younger demographic is looking for – things that aren’t necessarily what they saw their parents drinking growing up, but more what’s popular in the bars and restaurants they hang out in.”
The worst team for beer? The New York Yankees.
The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg called the beer selection “a horror show” adding, “it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever felt truly sorry for Yankees fans. It’ll get better, Yankees fans.”
The Washington Post created an interactive graphic which allows beer enthusiasts to compare offerings at the ballparks.
