Natty Boh to be on tap at Camden Yards this season
The last time it happened, George Bush Sr. was at the White House and Justin Bieber hadn't been born.
National Bohemian hasn't been on tap at an Orioles stadium since 1992.
But that will change on April 4, the home season opener. Pabst Brewing Company has signed a deal that will bring the beer on draft to Camden Yards, Baltimore sales rep Rachel Warren said over the weekend.
Along with the return of Boh on draft to bars, the deal is part of the company's push to rejuvenate the old brand.
Boh and the Orioles have a long history going back to 1954.
It used to be the team's official beer. And the chairman of the brewery, Jerry Hoffberger, was a majority owner of the Orioles from 1965 to 1979.
The concessionaire stopped selling the beer in 1992 when the team moved from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards.
A Sun story from 1994 announced the establishment of a microbrewery stand at Camden Yards that would also include Boh, but it's not clear if it was then sold on draft or by the bottle, or for how long it was available there.
The beer has not been available on draft since 1996.
In January, Pabst, under new ownership since last year, launched an effort to resuscitate the brand, shipping some 900 kegs to Maryland bars.
Boh fans like Nacho Mama's Patrick McCusker, were elated, saying the beer is part of the city's heritage.
Warren could not confirm the last time the beer was served on draft at the stadium. Representatives for the Orioles and concessionaire Delaware North Sportservice declined to confirm or comment on the deal with Pabst.
It is not clear how much the beer will cost at the stadium.
Photo: An advertisement for National Bohemian Beer in the Baltimore Orioles' 1955 sketch book
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
"After Pimlico Race Course stopped carrying it in 1993, National Bohemian has not been sold at any other of the city's sports venues."
Except for 1994 when it was served at Camden Yards, right?
"A Sun story from 1994 announced the establishment of a microbrewery stand at Camden Yards that would also include Boh, though it's not clear if it was then sold on draft or by the bottle, or for how long it was available at there."
Le sigh.
Posted by: Rock Strongo | March 7, 2011 11:27 AM
Boooo! hopefully, this only takes up tap space from other macro-crap.
Posted by: Herbert | March 7, 2011 11:41 AM
I remember reading that this beer is now brewed in Texas. Is that true? If so, isn't the connection to Baltimore gone?
Posted by: leon | March 7, 2011 11:55 AM
The beer is owned by Pabst (HQ is in Illinois) and, last we checked, was brewed in NC and PA. The brewery is now owned by a millionaire investor and currently has no ties to Baltimore.
Posted by: BeerInBaltimore.com | March 7, 2011 12:22 PM
Bill Clinton was not in the White House in 1992. The President was George H. W. Bush.
Posted by: Daniel Sportronicon | March 7, 2011 12:34 PM
@daniel: d'oh. updated.
Posted by: Maza | March 7, 2011 12:37 PM
Will people pay ballpark prices for Boh?
Posted by: bonnie | March 7, 2011 12:47 PM
great. more swill to choose from
Posted by: zoomer | March 7, 2011 1:00 PM
A Sun story from 1994 announced the establishment of a microbrewery stand at Camden Yards that would also include Boh, but it's not clear if it was then sold on draft or by the bottle, or for how long it was available at there.
AT THERE, huh?
Posted by: Emily | March 7, 2011 1:03 PM
Yeah right, let's pay $7-8 for a beer that tastes like crap.
Posted by: Scott | March 7, 2011 1:17 PM
There is no accounting for taste in Baltimore. I refuse to spend the money that is charged for beer at the stadium. I pay much less to drink a good beer on my back deck, thank you very much. However, to call that swill beer is insulting swill around the world.
Posted by: Joe Vodifay | March 7, 2011 1:19 PM
I don't mind Natty Boh but I'm not paying more than $2 for one - it's pretty weak stuff after all.
oh and minus 100 life points for the unnecessary Bierber reference
Posted by: Foo | March 7, 2011 1:32 PM
reading this comments, i often wonder how the Boh-naysayers actually order at a bar.
Bartender: What'll it be?
Naysayer: Well, it WON'T be Natty Boh, anything Bud, Miller or Coors; anything called Belgian that looks Belgian, smells Belgian, tastes Belgian, but is not actually brewed in Belgian and instantly transported here w/o preservatives b/c that would not be authentic and since I just jumped on this high-end beer-snobbery as the flavor du jour, I am SO authentic. Plus, I blog and my blog was first and better than yours, unless yours was actually first, then mine is still better b/c you clearly did not do the research on bandwagon jumping that I did. Besides, blogs and grammar policing equals street cred. By the way, I am so above grammar police b/c me and my blog are authentic. So that whole Belgian thing, ditto for Germany. And if the beer was once brewed in Baltimore, but is no longer brewed in Baltimore and some guy who already has money wants to make more money by bringing back the no-loner-brewed-in-Baltimore beer to Baltimore where people still embrace and drink it even though they are not forced to do so, I really don't want that beer b/c I am so much better than that beer. In fact, I blog about it. Have you read my blog?
ugh! now i suddenly understand how icing started.
Posted by: 21224 | March 7, 2011 1:47 PM
@21224
+1
Posted by: 21212 | March 7, 2011 2:28 PM
@21224 what's a blog?
Posted by: Sam Sessa | March 7, 2011 2:34 PM
i dunno. who's chris sligh?
Posted by: @sessa | March 7, 2011 4:07 PM
"There must have been some Orioles Magic in that old Boh tap they found ... for when they put on the keg ... the O's luck turned around."
Or so we can hope! I'll be drinking on one Opening Day. The rest of you commentors that boo-hoo and complain can drink from a mud puddle for all I care.
Posted by: J.M. | March 7, 2011 4:11 PM
man some people are just negative nancy's.
I'm looking forward to [hopefully] a more affordable ball park beer. I'd MUCH rather pay $5 for a boh than $7 for a bud.
Posted by: -Tom- | March 7, 2011 5:28 PM
oh snap rock strongo, someone called you a negative nancy
Posted by: Maza | March 7, 2011 5:36 PM
So, let me guess...... This year, instead of bellowing "OOOOH" during that last part of the National Anthem, obnoxious hometown baseball fans will bellow "BOH!!!!"?
I'm SO happy to still be boycotting Major League Baseball since the last strike..........
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | March 7, 2011 5:55 PM
I am a cage fighter. Snap!
Posted by: Rock Strongo | March 8, 2011 8:30 AM
@21224. You just made my day.
Posted by: Canton Resident | March 9, 2011 10:31 AM