When it comes to professional baseball in Japan most people know one team: the Yomiuri (Tokyo) Giants. In Japan the saying goes that there are two types of baseball fans; those who root for the Giants and those who root against them. So when I recently got to attend a Yomiuri Giants game at the Tokyo Dome I was excited…
-
-
Midwest baseball road trip preview
Summer travel is in full swing and I am back in the United States for the next two months. So that means time for an old-fashioned baseball road trip. After a full week working in Cincinnati, Ohio, I will embark on a Midwest baseball road trip. Trip plans are focused on visiting new baseball stadiums, but I will be doing…
-
A pint at Listermann Brewing in Cincinnati, Ohio
The craft beer industry is full of stories of homebrewers who opened their own commercial brewery. Listermann Brewing Company in Cincinnati takes a unique twist on the homebrewer turned commercial brewer. The history of Listermann Brewing closely mirrors that of craft beer in Cincinnati with each growing year by year to reach their current stature. Brewery’s History In 1991, after…
-
A pint at Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio, was once a city well-known for its beer. With a large German immigrant population, the city boasted over thirty breweries by 1860. However, Prohibition in the early-1900s led to several breweries closing. The explosion of craft beer in the United States since 2000 has led to the city boasting more breweries now. Rhinegeist Brewery was not the first…
-
Reflecting on Flagship February
A month has come and gone since the start of a grassroots movement in the American craft beer industry. At the beginning of the new year, esteemed craft beer writers Stephen Beaumont and Jay Brooks plus others spawned the idea of Flagship February as a way for craft beer drinkers to support the beers that built the industry. As I…
-
A guide to Civil Rights sights in Montgomery
Many cities across the American South have connections to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, but perhaps none more so than Montgomery, Ala. There are several sights spread across the city, so visitors can choose to see as many or as few places as time permits. It is possible to spend several days diving into the sights…
-
Celebrating American craft beer with Flagship February
How and why do you start a movement? For some people it’s the desire to preserve something they care about and sharing that concern on social media. That’s not exactly how “Flagship February” began, but it’s a good synopsis about this brewing movement in American craft beer. The more detailed story starts with an article about the declining sales of…
-
Top baseball destinations in 2019
Are you a baseball fan and still trying to decide what trips to take in 2019? With the help of some esteemed writers I have compiled a list of baseball destinations to visit in 2019. The roundup includes teams with wacky names, an exhibit at a highly-rated zoo, and an international locale that may bust your budget. Read through to…
-
Drinking Coca-Cola Peach for the first time
A lot of major global brands release products that are only available in Japan. Whether it’s a Full Moon burger from McDonald’s or a roasted sesame Frappucino from Starbucks, there is a variety of food products that are only available in Japan. A few weeks ago Coca-Cola released Coca-Cola Peach, which actually debuted last year. However, Coca-Cola Peach is a seasonal…
-
Revealing my 2019 ballpark resolutions
The new year leads many people to make resolutions to better themselves by losing weight or spending less or quitting bad habits or a host of other goals. I believe in resolutions, but prefer to focus on travel goals at the beginning of the new year. Since 2014, I’ve posted my ballpark travel resolutions on Twitter at the start of…
