Good beer and football (soccer) belong together.

It is the way it has been for so many years all around the world but especially in Europe. Three years ago I did a study abroad for a semester in London. And whether you are at the 'football' game watching from the stands or in a pub watching on the television one thing is always true there is a beer in your hand. The reason I became interested in beer was from that time I lived in London and it was an interest in only good beer because that is pretty much all they had to drink. Therefore, I associate good beer with soccer.

This leads me to my next point/piece of news. As most people know, soccer is becoming a more popular sport in America. The MLS is growing and so is the culture around it. Now most of these MLS teams just play in that city's football stadium. The relation of beer to American football is also strong, but it is a different kind of beer. Shitty beer. BMC (Bud, Miller, Coors) are pretty much the only types of beer served at any American football stadium. If you want to know why those are pretty much the only beers available in Football stadiums, ask me to blog about it later because I can go on for days about it. Anyway, as a result of the already in place beer system in these stadiums, BMC is also what is served at MLS games. To me...this does not sit well. Watching a sport like soccer, I feel one should be enjoying a good beer (just like everyone else in the world does). Which is why I am happy to share this recent article titled Redhook Brewery Now Official Craft Beer for Seattle Sounders.

Thank God. Redhook and Qwest/CenturyLink Field management are partnering together to bring Sounders fans good beer to consume while enjoying a soccer match. Some people are saying Redhook was able to get around the red tape of the current beer on tap, because Redhook is owned by InBev (which isn't true, but they do have a distribution relationship with them). However it came about, I don't care because I think it is great. Redhook makes some good brews, ESB, Longhammer IPA, both are expected to be served, and it is beer like this that soccer fans want and deserve.

I'm not surprised and find it fitting that this is happening somewhere in the Northwest. I believe that it was Safeco Field that started this trend about a decade ago. Safeco offers one of the largest selections of craft and micro brews (over 40 types) out of any major league sports venues in America. It makes sense because of the amount of micro and craft breweries in the Pacific Northwest.

There is however a downside to every good thing. In this case, it is probably going to be the price. I recently read and article where the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field was charging 30 bucks for craft beers. That's not justice. I'd rather pay a fine for smuggling beer into the stadium than pay that obscene amount for a single beer.

Hopefully it will all turn out okay.