Beer is as much a part of baseball tradition as the infield fly rule and the seventh-inning stretch. And as the Braves take the field for the first official game in SunTrust Park, fans can expect a new-and-improved lineup of brews, both at the ballpark and The Battery Atlanta, including at least four exclusive offerings made at Terrapin’s new ATL Brew Lab.
Beer, barbecue and baseball come together in an exciting way, as Athens’ Terrapin Beer Co. teams up with the Braves and Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q for an innovative taproom, restaurant and brewery at The Battery Atlanta, adjacent to SunTrust Park.
At the Taproom, which will be open year-round, and accessible to ticket holders on game days, look for a rotating list that features Terrapin signatures, including Hopsecutioner, HI-5, Recreation Ale and Rye Pale Ale, plus limited edition beers.
The ATL Brew Lab is a working pilot brewery where Terrapin’s team of brewers will experiment with a variety of styles and collaborate with other breweries on new beers. In addition, look for some special baseball-themed beers.
What to drink on opening day
Current ATL Brew Lab exclusives include: Chopsecutioner, a session version of Hopsecutioner aged on Mizuno baseball bat chips; On Deck American IPA; SunRay Wheat, a German-style hefeweizen; Schwing Batter Brown Ale.
Refreshing Terrapin beers include: Sound Czech Pils, a traditional Pilsner; T-Time, a Berliner Weisse made with fresh tea and lemon peel; Golden Ale, a cream ale available only in Georgia.
755 Battery Ave. S.E., Suite 100, Atlanta. 404-494-1202,terrapintaproom.com.
Located at The Battery, within walking distance to the main gate of SunTrust Park, Yard House offers a menu of more than 100 American-style dishes made from scratch daily, along with an extensive craft cocktail menu.
But for beer lovers, its boast of “the world’s largest selection of draft beer” featuring some 130 different taps is the reason to rejoice. There’s a monthly rotating Chalkboard Beer Series with limited edition and seasonal offerings, plus happy hour and late-night food specials.
What to drink on opening day
Local and regional limited editions include: Monday Night Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale, aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels; Reformation Sabine, a French saison brewed with Huell Melon hops; SweetWater Hatchery Series No. 1 Mosaic IPA; Wicked Weed Hop Burglar, an aromatic IPA with blood orange puree and grapefruit zest.
Spring-to-summer seasonals include: Bell’s Oberon, an American wheat ale brewed with Saaz hops; SweetWater Grass Monkey, a hoppy wheat ale with Lemondrop hops and lemongrass; Terrapin Luau Krunkles IPA, brewed with passion fruit, orange and guava.
825 Battery Ave., Atlanta. 678-202-6414, yardhouse.com.
A Turner Field fan favorite transformed and transported to SunTrust Park, the Coors Light Chop House features two sprawling patios overlooking right field, and the underground Below the Chop private event space, where fans can gather to eat, drink and watch the game seated behind a field-level fence.
As the name and sponsorship should tell you, the beer selection is all about MillerCoors products, including Coors Light, Miller Lite and Miller High Life.
But there’s also a really cool way to drink those American lagers, which is seated at rails that have cup holders designed to keep the beer at or below serving temperature to the very last sip. And according to MillerCoors, no other such product exists anywhere else.
What to drink on opening day
Because MillerCoors struck a deal to take a majority stake in Terrapin in 2016, some of the Terrapin beers you might find include: HI-5 IPA; Sound Czech Pils; Recreation Ale; T-Time; Rye Pale Ale; Golden Ale.
Other MillerCoors products include: Coors Banquet; Blue Moon Belgian White; Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy; Crispin Original Cider; Peroni Nastro Azzurro; Henry’s Hard Soda.
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