End of season beer at Power baseball park

It’s with mixed feelings that I attend the final home game of the season for the West Virginia Power Single A baseball team. The team was pretty mediocre this year and failed to create the kind of interest needed to maintain a big regular attendance. They finished in the middle of their division with a .500 record. But then again, it was baseball. Our local baseball. So it doesn’t suck.

The best news to come out of the ballpark this season was Power Pale Ale, a beer brewed by Charleston Brewing Company in honor of our local Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate.  Turns out, Power Pale Ale was the largest-selling craft beer at the little draft shack this season. The draft shack is the only place in the park to get craft beer, as the regular concession stands purvey only standard brands.

Yeah, Power Pale Ale—no doubt the beer was good—a typical drier-style, light citrus-pine hopped American pale ale. On tap in the Craft Shack, it competed with the roundly bitter Full Nelson IPA from Blue Mountain Brewing, the easy-drinking Long Point Lager from Bridge Brew Works, and the smooth, malty Almost Heaven Amber Ale from Mountain State Brewing.

Lisa, the summer-long bartender at the shack, said all the crafts sold well, but Power Pale Ale stood out. It also happened to be her favorite of the bunch. Also on tap at the shack were Bud Light, Yuengling Lager, and AB’s Amber Bock.

I’m hoping the success of the crafts this season will lead to an even better season next year. Because you know in baseball these days, it’s not only the team you put on the field, but the beer you put on the taps that determines the success of the baseball season.

LINKS

• Charleston Brewing Company
• Bridge Brew Works
• Mountain State Brewing Company
• Blue Mountain Brewing Company
• West Virginia Power Baseball

—Charles Bockway •  Ⓒ 2014