On a warm summer day, there’s nothing like a cold beer and baseball. As a longtime Chicago White Sox fan, I was beyond excited to attend my first Chicago WhiteSox Fest. Not only did I get to meet some of my favorite players, including pitcher José Contreras, second baseman Yoán Moncado, and three-time All-Star and first baseman José Abreu (who also signed my new No. 79 Sox jersey), I, along with 2005 World Series winning coach Ozzie Guillen, was one of the first to sample a new sessionable beer: Sox Golden Ale, brewed in partnership with Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago.
Set to premiere at Guaranteed Rate Field and at retailers across Chicagoland beginning in March, the Sox Golden Ale “official beer of the Chicago White Sox” is an easy-drinking, 5 percent alcohol-by-volume beer “that anyone can drink and enjoy,” says Goose Island Brewmaster Keith Gabbett. He estimates it took him about a month to create Sox Golden Ale, which features Gold, Amarillo and Cascade hops and 2 Row Rye malts for “clean bitterness” and balanced notes of citrus and pine.
For Goose Island President Todd Ahsmann, the first-ever collaboration with his beloved team was a dream come true. Goose Island has been the Official Craft Beer Partner since 2018, and last year, The Goose Island section debuted in right field, complete with a large-scale iconic goose and, of course, plenty of Goose Island beers and other craft brews, Ahsmann says.
“I’m incredibly proud of Sox Golden Ale, and, truly, my dreams came true with this game-changing experience,” he says. “I can’t wait to crack open a cold one on Opening Day and throughout the season.”