St. Louis News Blog

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"Busch" Stadium -- or so they say.

So, I finally made it to my first ball game of the season this week. The event was not a pleasant experience despite a Cardinals victory and lovely spring weather.

Why?

Because the stadium's concessionaire, Sportservice, has nearly done away entirely with the sale of my favorite Anheuser-Busch product -- Busch beer.

You know, the beer whose name happens to sit atop the ballpark named (ironically enough these days) Busch Stadium!!!

Have you seen me?

Until this year the "cold as a mountain stream, smooth as its name" beverage had been available at nearly all of the dozens of stand-alone beer vendors found inside the ballpark's concourses. This year those same vendors only offer Budweiser, Bud Light and Bud Select. And they do so only in 16-ounce, plastic bottles that sell for $7.75.

In previous seasons those same vendors sold 24-ounce cans of Busch (and other Anheuser-Busch products) for around $8.75. And even despite that astronomical price, the 24-oz tallboys were actually the best deal in the ballpark -- selling at 36 cents per ounce as opposed to the plastic bottles that sell this year for 48 cents per ounce.

Photo: Garret VanDyke

A disgruntled Busch man reacts to the news.

When I asked a vendor Wednesday night where I could get a Busch beer, she informed me that only three locations in the entire ballpark serve the libation. 

Today I received an e-mail from a public-relations firm representing Sportservice claiming that Busch is actually served in "10-15" locations in the ballpark. (You can now find St. Louis micro-brew Schlafly at nearly that many locations.)

The e-mail doesn't explain why Busch is no longer vended in the stands or at the stand-alone beer kiosks -- and no one from Sportservice could find time to talk to me about the issue.

Per the succinct e-mail: "Sportservice is constantly evaluating and varying our offerings based on fan demand in order to ensure fans have a great experience at Busch Stadium."

Yeah!? Well, I -- for one -- won't drink to that!