Happy MLB Opening Day! Whether you are a baseball fan or not, the beginning of baseball season is something worth celebrating. It’s a real indicator that spring is officially here, and the warm days of summer are just around the corner. Coors Field is the host of our MLB team, the Colorado Rockies. It’s also the home of the Blue Moon Brewery, located in a corner of the stadium known as The Sandlot. It’s a great place to grab a beer without missing the action of the game.
Beer & Baseball at The Sandlot
We lucked out in the opening day lottery the last two years, but not this year so we won’t be in attendance on opening day. We did still take the day off work so that we could still take in the festivities down in LoDo, where the sports bars will be bustling with fans hungry for hot dogs and cold beers. The Ballpark Neighborhood has lots of great bars to explore around the ballpark. There’s even a couple of breweries within walking distance. However, the closest brewery is located within the walls of Coors Field: The Blue Moon Brewing Co. at The Sandlot. The brewery is worth a visit if you’re a fan of beer, baseball, or both.
Blue Moon Brewing Co. is a part of Tenth and Blake Beer Co, the craft and import division of MillerCoors. The brewery is located within Coors Field, right at the corner of 22nd and Blake Street. Blue Moon, a Belgian-style wheat ale, was invented here in 1995 by brewer Keith Villa. They still brew Blue Moon on premises, as well as Blue Moon White IPA and many other seasonal and limited-release brews.
During Colorado Rockies home games the brewery is open to Rockies ticket holders 90-minutes prior to the game. During the off-season, or when the Rockies are on the road, the brewery is open to the public between 2 PM and 8 PM, Tuesday through Saturday.
The Sandlot was bustling, but not nearly as crowded as we would have expected during a busy ballgame. In addition to Blue Moon, they had several great Blue Moon seasonals, plus Coors, Coors Light, and a full bar. Food was being served at the Smokehouse inside, though it’s not clear if it’s only available on game days or not since the food service is part of the ballpark and not the brewery.
There were lots of seating options both inside the brewery and outside, in the Coors Field concourse. There were even seats just outside of the stadium on the patio if you want to soak up some sun. Inside The Sandlot the brick walls are adorned with Blue Moon artwork, dozens of GABF medals, and plenty of beer and baseball memorabilia. You can peek through the windows into the small brewery, or keep tabs on the game from one of their TVs, lest you get all caught up in the brewery and forget there is a sporting event going on.
This year is the 20th anniversary of Coors Field, and the 20th anniversary of Blue Moon, which was created during that first year at the stadium brewery. They are planting fresh hops in Coors Field, back behind the outfield where they have the home run fountains. Who knows, maybe these fresh hops will find their way into a special anniversary brew? We’ll have to wait and see how the Blue Moon Brewing staff put these fresh hops to use.
Opening Day Beer Specials
As for Opening Day, Blue Moon Brewing will have a Belgian Golden Strong Ale and Belgian Strong Amber on tap, along with all their standard offerings. Hopefully, the beers are accompanied by a several Colorado Rockies wins!
If you ever make a trip to Coors Field you should stop by the Sandlot to check out what’s brewing at Blue Moon Brewing Co. Information on the brewery and what’s currently on tap can be found by calling 303-312-2553.
Cheers, and Go Rockies!
