Where is the Good Beer @ Comerica Park?

Summer is just about here, and our Detroit Tigers are already in a heated battle for 1st place in the AL Central. Life is good down at the ballpark, and the only thing that could make it better is washing down the peanuts and nachos with a pint of cold craft beer, preferably made in Michigan. Unfortunately, in most pro sports stadiums it can be a challenge to find anything beyond the typical BudMillerCoorsLightSwill. Comerica Park is no different, so Fermentation Nation spent a few innings combing over the grounds in search of better beer.

Atwater Block Taps - Lower Level Behind the Left Field Foul Pole - Section 145

Illitch Holdings Inc. was kind enough to let one Detroit company sell it's draft beer at Comerica park. They gave them a whopping one booth with 2 whole  taps to serve a capacity crowd of 42,000 fans! Way to support the local economy that made you a billionaire Mike! As you can see from the picture, the taps have been closed for the 3 day games that I have made it to, but I hear that it has been open for night and weekend games.
This is always my first stop as I prefer draft beer to bottles. The Michigan Lager is light in color, has a soft pale malt flavor and a surprisingly nice dose of hops.  Dirty Blonde is light and refreshing take on the Belgian Wit style, spiced with coriander and orange peel. Both beers pair particularly well with sunny afternoons in the bleachers, and salty snacks.

 Tiger Den Beer Stand - Lower Level Behind Sections 123 / 124 on the 1st Base Line

The Tiger Den stand has all bottled 12 ounce beers, including some Michigan brands like Atwater Block Dirty Blonde, Atwater Block Michigan Lager, Bells Oberon and sometimes Bells Amber. They also have other craft and import selections available such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Guinness, Amstel Light, Corona, and Heineken.

The Beer Hall - Lower Level Behind Sections 123 / 124 - Between the Visitor's Dugout and Home Plate - Behind the Brushfire Grill, by the Kids Ferris Wheel

Large bar and lots of table space to get respite from the sun and snag a cold brew. It is also usually a fairly short wait as there is no organized line. Just pick a spot at the bar and flag down a bartender. Plenty of rotating draft selections including, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat, Leinenkugel Shandy, and a "Beer of the Month" which was Goose Island Honkers Ale in April. There are also plenty of bottles like Oberon, as well as some not available elsewhere in the park like Newcastle and Leinenkugle Amber.

The Tigers Den Club - Located Behind 123 / 124 - Right Next Door to the Above Mentioned Beer Hall

Let me start off by saying that this is a private club reserved for season ticket holders and those in the premium level seats. When you enter, there is someone there who asks to see your ticket. They are checking to see that the ticket is priced at $50 or above.The reason that I am including this is because they have good beer, and also because it is easy enough to get in without paying $50 for a ticket. More on that later.

The Tigers Den has Goose Island Honkers Ale, SN Pale Ale, Sam Adams Lager and a few Leinenkugel's selections, as well as the typical import bottle list that the other locations have.There is also a full food menu of items not available throughout the park. The best reason to go in is the lack of wait time. You can use the private, clean, air conditioned bathroom, and have a beer in your hand within 5 minutes. The picture at left was taken during a day game with 23,000 people at the park, and as you can see it was empty. This is especially nice for sellouts and weekend games. They also have leather furniture and big flat panel TV's if you want to take a break from the Summer heat and chill for a minute.

 So back to getting in. There are a few ways. One of course is to have a ticket that is priced $50 or over. Maybe you are a high roller and didn't know that you were allowed access to this club? They do not tell you about it when you purchase tickets. Thank me later. Another way to get in, and my preferred method, is to quickly flash the security person the $15 lower level outfield seat that you printed out from stubhub.com, say "just grabbing a beer real quick" and make a beeline for the bar. 9 times out of 10, they do not care enough to question you. Yes this is fraudulent, and yes I am an impostor, but this is really as devious as I get in life, so I will unashamedly admit to it here on my blog. I do this in the name of providing my readers with the tools to acquire good beer in an efficient manner at the game. The final way to get in is to buy a legitimate "Access Pass" from a season ticket holder on Ebay which will get you and 10 guests into the Tigers Den Club as well as the private Cigar Bar and Tiger Club in the 300 level, regardless of what price level your ticket is. They usually run around $5 - $9 a piece, and in my opinion is certainly worth it during crowded games.

Sitting in the 200 - 300 Level and Looking for Good Beer?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your seats are located in a barren wasteland of macro beer mediocrity. I recommend taking the escalator down to the lower level for your beer runs.

Looking for pre or post game options near Comerica Park? 
Here are a few of my favorites: 

• Foran's Grand Trunk Pub - Located on Woodward - One of the best selections of Michigan craft beer in the entire state. 
• The Park Bar - About a block from the stadium's front entrance, this place has around 20 taps with 9 or 10 always being from Michigan. Founders Reds Rye, Short's Pandemonium, Dark Horse Crooked Tree and Motor City Brew Works whole line are draft staples here. The Park is also connected to the Bucharest Grill which serves some really tasty Eastern European and Middle Eastern influenced food. Nothing like a Chicken Shwarma sandwich with a cold pint after the game! 
• Detroit Beer Co - On Broadway by the Opera House only a few blocks from the stadium - plenty of good house made beers and decent food.
• Town Pump Tavern - A Detroit landmark on Montcalm. Always has good food and a good selection of Michigan made beer.
• Motor City Brewing Works - Worth the trip up Woodward before or after the game for their incredible pizza's and world class brown ale.
• Atwater Block BC -  10+ taps of house made beer and decent food.Limited hours.

Honorable Mention

• Andrews on the Corner - Located just a few doors down from Atwater Block BC. The only craft beer that you will find here is Anchor Steam on draft. I decided to include this place because it is old school, has good bar food, is full of true Detroit sports fans, has an incredibly friendly and fun staff, and has a free shuttle bus going to and from Comerica Park. Have a few MI beers at Atwater then eat at Andrews and take the shuttle to the game!

GO TIGERS!!