American Family Field unveils Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard brewery, new entertainers and more ahead of 2023 season
The Restaurant To Be Named Later got its name, and now its face is also coming together.
The Brewers offered a glimpse into construction at the restaurant site in the left-field corner at American Family Field on Friday, showing off the work that's already been done to bring the "J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard" to life. The space was born as Friday's Front Row Sports Grill and changed to The Restaurant to be Named Later in 2020.
The remodeled space makes room for a three-barrel brewing system, with beer available only within the walls of the stadium. It's scheduled to open for the club's home opener April 3.
"This is a completely re-imagined space," Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said. "It's really supposed to evoke a lake feel — bright colors, better lighting and great visuals. It's a great experience for people at the games and a great dining establishment. It's a big investment that the club is making in partnership with MolsonCoors."
Leinenkugels, which falls under the MolsonCoors umbrella, is a familiar name for Wisconsinites.
"When you think of Leinenkugel's, you think of summer, you think of summer beer," Schlesinger said. "We're excited that they're our partner. They add great branding, great identification. It's an instant connection with our fans."
Indeed, it's a brighter vibe inside the space, and while it's not as big as the heretofore restaurant, Schlesinger imagines fans coming and going during games and lingering in the bar area. Tables near the windows looking out at the field will continue to be sold for gameday packages.
Schlesinger said the franchise borrowed ideas from other ballparks with similar concepts, including Atlanta and Colorado. Blue Moon was famously first brewed at the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field in 1995. Schlesinger said he expects new beers to be brewed on site roughly every month.
The site's kitchen size remains the same, with the expectation that it will be open year-round as a restaurant, with pared-down offerings (cheese curds, hamburgers, sausages) on game day.
"Our fans have been telling us what they want, and based on the fan survey that we've done, I think the menu is really going to resonate with them."
The Brewers are giving away a car (and more) to ticket-buyers Saturday
Single-game Brewers tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday, and the Brewers are offering 25 "big-ticket" giveaway items to random patrons.
That includes a 2023 Toyota Camry XLE. Fans will be entered into a drawing for every ticket purchased and only applies to tickets bought between 9 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
Other prizes include an all-expenses paid trip for two to a Brewers away series, another for spring training, a suite for a game, a pregame meet-and-greet with players and a chance to sit in the television booth with announcers. A Bernie's slide experience will be available as a prize, as will a chance to throw out a first pitch, a spot for a child in the mini-sausage race, parking for the season and player-worn jerseys. For the full list of prizes, visit brewers.com/25.
The 4-1-Force entertainers will add more interaction
Schlesinger touted the stadium's new sound system as a "game-changer" for fans this season, and he also discussed the 4-1-Force, a new troupe of entertainers that will interact with fans this season during games.
"We'll still have the Brew Crew, but with the 4-1-Force, we put a primacy on folks who are good dancers or athletic and can do some fun things and interact with the fans," Schlesinger said. "I think it's more of a change in degree than a wholesale change. Again, we want to bring the experience to our fans back to the old days (before the COVID-19 pandemic) when we were fully engaging with our fans."
Group sales increase for Brewers
Schlesinger said group sales are up 15% over last year, and the club has budgeted for a significant increase in that department. He's previously said that the early-season uncertainty of game dates because of MLB's labor strife significantly handicapped Milwaukee's group-sales strategy.
"We're always top five in MLB in group sales," Schlesinger said. "This is a group-sales environment with the roof and the nature of our fan base looking to do things in a group environment. The early returns have been great. I'm extremely happy to have a normal season and normal offseason, no COVID, no work stoppage."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard new at American Family Field for Brewers
