Beer & Baseball – Lecture by John Smith

This talk explores the golden age of local beer and baseball, examining the historic relationship between regional breweries and their hometown teams, and how the rise of national brands changed both industries. The presentation will conclude with a fun quiz challenging attendees to match iconic beer brands with the baseball teams they once sponsored. In the decades following the end of Prohibition in 1933, beer and baseball became closely intertwined. Big-city brewers began sponsoring Major League Baseball teams, while beer was sold in stadiums and promoted through scoreboards, programs, radio, and eventually television. Beginning in the 1960s, several of the nation’s largest breweries expanded beyond their regional markets, leading to the gradual disappearance of many beloved local beer brands. As national sports broadcasts grew in popularity, they also created a powerful new platform for national breweries to reach audiences across the country.