Baseball and beer are longtime companions. Carlsbad’s Ken Finnegan, an engineer and home brewer, figured it would be natural to unite them in a series of beer coasters.
Major League Baseball thought otherwise.
This yarn began six years ago, when Finnegan brewed an ale he dubbed Ebbets Dodgy IPA. To accompany this brew, he whipped up a coaster honoring the Brooklyn Dodgers’ former home, Ebbets Field.
Thus began a series of coasters for imaginary beers, each saluting a demolished ballpark — Candlestick Park Chilly Ale, for instance, or Lane Field Lager. On his website, classicparkbrew.com, Finnegan showcased and sold these creations.
“It’s sort of a hobby,” he said, “and sort of an art project.”
And it’s sort of tricky. The project caught the eye of MLB lawyers, who called foul.
What was the problem?
“You are using their brand on a product you are selling,” Finnegan explained. “Teams are opposed to this.”
This is true even when the facility in question — the minor league Padres’ Lane Field, say, which closed when Eisenhower occupied the White House and Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” ruled the airwaves — is long gone.
“They think it is part of their history,” Finnegan said.
Hoping to stay in business and out of court, Finnegan hired his own trademark attorney. A settlement was reached: “I could use the (park’s) name on the coasters, but not the team’s name.”
His new “beer table” book, “Remembering Torn-Down Ballparks, Over a Cold Beer” (Sports Publishing, $24.99), includes images of all 34 coasters and descriptions of the demolished stadia, complete with team affiliation. Local baseball historians, take note: besides Lane Field, there’s a chapter on San Diego Stadium, aka Jack Murphy Stadium, aka Qualcomm Stadium.
Finnegan’s text describes each venue and highlights great moments that occurred there.
On April 8, 1974, for instance, Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium witnessed Hank Aaron’s record 715th home run.
Exactly one year later, Frank Robinson became the first African-American manager and, as player-manager, homered in Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
And on June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh’s Dock Ellis no-hit the Padres in San Diego Stadium, declaring later that he accomplished this feat while tripping on LSD.
Expect more yarns during Finnegan’s upcoming book signings at San Diego breweries: June 1, 2 p.m., inside Societe Brewing, 8262 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.; and June 14, 5 p.m., at AleSmith Brewing, 9990 AleSmith Court.
The custom beer label for Novo Brazil’s Pete’s Wicked Pale, created by U-T beer columnist Peter Rowe.
(Courtesy of Novo Brazil)
A ‘Wicked’ Experiment
The generous, arguably foolhardy, team at Novo Brazil recently invited me to create a beer in their Mission Valley brewpub. The result, a small batch of Pete’s Wicked Pale, will be tapped at 6 p.m. Friday, June 7.
If the beer is a winner, credit Novo’s ace brewer, Guilherme Hoffmann, who did most of the work. If it’s a dud, I’ll be on hand to take the blame.
Novo Brazil is at 1640 Camino del Rio N., Suite 341, San Diego. novobrew.com.
The Next Round
June 1: Duck Foot Brewing celebrates its ninth anniversary from noon to 9:30 p.m. Souvenir glass and five 5-ounce pours, $29; that glass and 10 5-ounce pours, $49. 8920 Kenamar Drive, Suite 210, San Diego. duckfootbeer.com
June 4: For National Cheese Day, O’Brien’s Pub promises Gouda beers and food all day. Brie-ze on in from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 4646 Convoy St., San Diego. obrienspub.net
Quick Sips, San Diego Citrus Edition
Ballast Point’s Grapefruit Sculpin, an India pale ale.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Grapefruit Sculpin
From: Ballast Point, San Diego
ABV (Alcohol By Volume): 7 percent
Style: India Pale Ale
Drink or dump: Drink. Grapefruit Sculpin is Sculpin Squared, pumping up the original’s bright, sweet-tart notes. It’s like Hamlet with extra soliloquies from the Danish prince. There are more things in heaven and earth and your beer cooler, Horatio, than we’ve dreamt of, so toss me a Grapefruit Sculpin.
Mike Hess Brewing’s Grapefruit Solis, an India pale ale.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Grapefruit Solis
From: Mike Hess Brewing, San Diego
ABV: 7.5 percent
Style: India Pale Ale
Drink or dump: Your call. This is a fine grapefruit IPA, but shall I compare thee to a Grapefruit Sculpin? Thou art mustier, not as sharply defined by your malt base or your hop accents. Thou art a tad boozier, too, which makes for a less quaffable brew.
Pure Project’s blonde ale Tropical Mist.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Tropical Mist
From: Pure Project, San Diego
ABV: 5.1 percent
Style: Blonde Ale
Drink or dump: Dump. Imagine a grapefruit seltzer and a lemonade shandy fell in love – or in lust; no judgment! — and had a baby. This is the result: an too-fizzy blonde whose best feature is its orange orchard aroma and worst features are the faint, gotta-be-here-somewhere beer flavors. A disappointing effort from one of our best breweries.
Rowe is a freelance writer.