Sounds more grandiose that it is. Actually, just a brief follow-up to last year’s post about the “State of the Taps” at the Coliseum. Sadly, kind of a mixed bag this year.
You’ll recall my excitement over the new beer booth that took over for the former Pyramid spot. Well, Pyramid nudged their way back in, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, since Lagunitas and Anchor were still both being poured there, that meant less taps for the really interesting stuff, like the Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale I found last year.
So, faced with not quite so many choices, I opted for the Pyramid Curve Ball Blonde, a very nice, serviceable, practical, sturdy, well-made if unremarkable ale. Fine for sipping on a warm summer day.
For my next beverage, I decided to take a hike. 36,000 of my closest friends decided to show up for the game that day, so to avoid the crush and half-hour beer line, I opted to go upper-deck. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale instead of the now-ubiquitous IPA (they say the IPA is the new Sierra Nevada Pale).
Dogtown is quintessential pale — hoppy, crisp, light-bodied in a substantial kind of way, smooth and refreshing, with a snappy finish. A tremendous beer to sip as the A’s roared back from a 2-0 deficit for a tidy 10-2 victory.
I did notice one other newcomer to the ballpark this year, the result of a recent corporate takeover. Goose Island is now available, literally joined at the hip with another booth pouring the usual suspects from A-B. You’d think they’d maybe make it a bit less obvious?