Chris Ray is having a pretty good year. He’s playing major league baseball, so how bad can things be? He has three wins to his credit this year, which isn’t bad for a middle reliever coming out of the bullpen on a sub-500 team. On top of that, he got to make a batch of beer with Fremont Brewing. Tonight at Safeco Field his beer, Homefront IPA, makes its big league debut.
Homefront IPA was brewed at Fremont Brewing in June with Mariners pitcher Chris Ray stirring the mash and shoveling the tun. You can read our story about the beer here and find out why Chris Ray is brewing beer in his extremely rare spare time.
This is good news for Mariners fans and beer fans. My oh my, we really need some of that. The last few weeks have beer brutal. The historic losing streak was painful to watch. And then, just when they boys bust out of it, the big manager in the sky changed the lineup card and Rick Kaminski (Rick the Peanut Guy) was called up to the big leagues. We will not miss the losing streak, but we will miss Rick immensely. Going into this season, I wasn’t sure what a Mariners game would sound like on the radio without Dave Niehaus’ voice calling the game. Now, I don’t know what a Mariners game will look like without Rick tossing peanuts in the stands.
But it’s not all bad news! Homefront IPA benefits Operation Homefront, an organization that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. A portion of the proceeds from the sales will be donated, but that’s not all. The beer has been aging on Louisville Sluggers. The venerable baseball bat manufacturer donated a box of pristine maple bats to the cause. Fremont brewing and Chris Ray recently removed the bats from the conditioning tank. Chris Ray’s teammates will autograph the bats and eventually they will be auctioned off to benefit the cause.
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The beer makes its official debut tonight at the ballpark. If we learn exactly where at the ballpark you can find it, we will be sure to share that information in the comments thread. After the debut, look for it around town. Homefront IPA will be available on tap at better beer bars around Seattle and some bottles will make it out to select bottleshops and grocery stores. If you don’t see it, ask for it. Likely, it will go fast.
To commemorate the release of Homefront IPA, tweet your thanks to our service men and women using #HomefrontIPA
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