The White Sox Lineup as Craft Beer- 2013 Edition

Mmmmm craft beer. Drink it in. Literally.

First off, I have to admit, I totally stole this idea from Comcast Sports Net's JJ Stankevitz, who wrote about the 2011 White Sox as different types of beer. But if you know me, you know that I love beer and that I love the White Sox. Even better, the White Sox have some pretty solid craft beer and food offerings at US Cellular field, so it seems that this area is something that resonates with Sox fans, or Chicago fans in general. So, basically what I’m going to do is try and match each player in the Sox lineup with a different type of beer, link to that beer on Beer Advocate so you can see how good people think the beer is, tell you a bit about the beer, and explain why it matches with this player. Hopefully you enjoy, and drink more craft beer!

Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale
from Lagunitas

Alejandro de Aza- Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin Ale-Available at many Chicago bars and any number of Binny’s year round.

Alejandro de Aza does a little sumpin’ sumpin of everything on the baseball field. He can run a little bit, he can hit for a little power, and he can run down a fly ball in center field. This is a strong, fruity, American Pale Wheat Ale from Lagunitas, which is opening a gigantic new brewery on the South Side of Chicago in June. The connections here are obvious.

Green Line from
Goose Island

Jeff Keppinger- Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale- Not available in bottles, but this one is on draft all over Chicago.

Jeff Keppinger is not exciting, but Jeff Keppinger is reliable. Much of the same can be said about this tasty but unspectacular pale ale from Goose Island. Jeff Keppinger hits a lot of singles and doesn’t really hit for power. Green Line clocks in at a reasonable 5% abv. Jeff Keppinger plays baseball at US Cellular field, just off the Green Line. Boom.

Ninja vs Unicorn
from Pipeworks Brewing

Alex Rios- Pipeworks Brewing Ninja vs. Unicorn- Pipeworks beers can be tough to find, but check your local Binny’s (in the city) or West Lakeview Liquors for your best shot.

First off, this is an excellent beer that is sometimes hard to find, and Alex Rios is an excellent baseball player who sometimes doesn’t show up. But there’s another similarity between the Sox’s most talented player and this awesome beer from Chicago brewer Pipeworks. Sometimes, Alex Rios is a Ninja, kicking enemies’ asses all over the ballpark with a quiet confidence. Other times, like the whole 2011 season, he’s a Unicorn, a mythical creature who doesn’t exist on a baseball field. Let’s hope for the Ninja version in 2013.

Old Chub from
Oskar Blues

Adam Dunn-Oskar Blues Old Chub-  Available on draft at some bars, and available at most Binny’s in Chicago land.

This one doesn’t have as much logic, but I just associate Old Chub and Adam Dunn. Oskar Blues is a brewery in Colorado that is pretty consistent in making decent beers. Nothing they do is really spectacular, and they recently started distributing in Chicago after being really hyped up and I have been kind of “meh” about all their beers, including Old Chub. This is the story of Adam Dunn. He was overhyped after recently coming to Chicago and has failed to really excite like he was promised. But then again, there’s the hope that Oskar Blues will put their incredibly good barrel aged stout in cans and distribute them in the future, much like there’s hope that the best is still to come from Big Donkey.

Bourbon County
Stout from Goose

Paul Konerko- Goose Island Bourbon County Stout- Available on limited release starting in October of every year.

When it comes to barrel-aged beer (usually a dark stout aged in used bourbon barrels), Bourbon County Stout is the example that all other barrel-aged beers must live up to. It’s the old guard. It’s damn good. Just like Paulie, it has power (15% Abv), but it’s also incredibly smooth, much like those at bats with a runner in scoring position where Paulie shortens up his swing and slaps a base hit into right center. BCS is the craft-beer drinker’s barrel-aged beer, and Paulie is the pro’s pro.

Hopslam from Bell's Brewery

Dayan Viciedo- Bell’s Hopslam- Available on limited release starting in January. Check with your local liquor megastore.

Hopslam is one of my favorite beers of all time, and if my dreams of Viciedo’s abilities are anything like what he actually pans out to be, he could become one of my favorite players. Hopslam has power just like Jackin’ Dayan (10% abv), and is an aggressive and in your face double IPA. Viciedo swings just about as hard as he can on every pitch, and this beer with slam you in the mouth with hops. I think these two are a match made in hop-heaven.

Daisy Cutter from
Half Acre

Alexei Ramirez- Half Acre Daisy Cutter- Available throughout Chicago at bars and at your local liquor store.

Daisy Cutter is a fruity, bitter, and crisp pale ale that is definitely best enjoyed in the summer. Alexei Ramirez plays a crisp shortstop but his offensive talents are also best enjoyed in the summer, as his Cuban roots have led to notorious slow starts in the colder months. Daisy Cutter is a solid but unspectacular beer that had a lot of hype when it was first released and has died down a bit in popularity. Sounds a little like Alexei’s tenure on the South Side.

Eugene Porter from
Revolution

Tyler Flowers- Revolution Eugene Porter- Available readily on draft and liquor stores throughout Chicago.

Revolution is a young, up-and-coming brewery in Chicago that recently celebrated only its third anniversary, much like young Tyler starts his 3^rd year in the majors in 2013. Eugene porter is a delicious beer with lots of chocolate, coffee, and dark malt notes that clocks in at a nice 6.8%. So how does this relate to Flowers? Well, I think Flowers is going to be a very solid player for the Sox, much like this is a solid beer. It’s not spectacular, but it gets the job done. I look for T-Flo to get the job done in 2013 and beyond.

Jinxproof from Three Floyds

Gordon Beckham- Three Floyds Jinxproof- Like any Three Floyd’s beer, this one can be tough to find, but keep an eye out in multi-tap bars and your local Binny’s.

First, it needs to be said, Three Floyds is an awesome brewery. If you haven’t had Alpha King, Robert the Bruce, Gumballhead, Pride & Joy, Zombie Dust, or Brian Boru, I would highly recommend trying to figure out a way to enjoy those beers, because man they are good. But lately, Gordon Beckham really hasn’t been good, and likewise, Jinxproof isn’t any good either. When I saw that there was a new Three Floyds beer out I got really excited in the time leading up to me finding it. When I saw the Sox drafted a highly touted young shortstop that had a great first year in the pros, I got really excited too. Then I tried this beer, and then I watched the last two seasons from Gordo, and in both situations I got really sad. I hope that Gordon turns it around because I still think he has the tools and he’s very easy to cheer for. But I also hope I never drink this beer again, because it sucks.

Well that’s all for the hitters, the pitchers will be in a separate post. Please feel free to suggest any other beers for players, or just suggest beers you like in the comments below!