While Red Sox fans may be disappointed that the front office didn’t go “full throttle” during the offseason, beer lovers are sure to be rejoicing this spring and summer at Fenway Park.
When the team takes the field for the home opener April 9 fans will have the option to sip on a cold one in a 25-ounce can or cup, and there will be more serving stations around the ballpark than in past seasons.
The Boston Licensing Board has approved increasing the size of alcoholic cans and cups from 16 to 25 ounces and the number of stations that serve strictly beer and other beverages from 14 to 18.
Attorney Dennis A. Quilty, representing the applicant Pitchers Mound, LLC, conducting business for Diamond at Fenway, told the Licensing Board that the larger cans and cups align with those sold at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, the TD Garden in the West End and Xfinity Center in Mansfield.
“This is kind of standard in the industry these days,” Quilty said on Wednesday, “and we wanted to make sure we made the request before the board before the season obviously.
The board unanimously approved the proposal on Thursday. The changes will be effective for all large-scale events at the ballpark.
“It seems like a no brainer from our perspective,” board Chairwoman Kathleen Joyce told Quilty.
Not feeling up for the full 25-ounce cans and cups? There will be a smaller option, with 12-ounce cups and cans also available throughout the concourse, the application states.
Fenway had the seventh most expensive beer last season at $9.50, according to NJ.bet, an online casino and betting website. Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, topped the list at $12.
USA TODAY, however, found that Fenway tied for the third most expensive beer as it compared prices at other MLB stadiums by dividing drink costs into price per ounce. The Red Sox had a price of 66 cents per ounce for the 16-ounce options.
How exactly the larger 25-ounce options will affect prices this upcoming season remains to be seen. And going to Fenway Park with friends or the family is not a cheap endeavor by any means.
The Red Sox had the most expensive ticket in the entire league last year, with the average gameday cost for a family of four at $235.41, well above the average cost of $149.03 for the rest of the league, according to Bookies.com.
Quilty highlighted how the Red Sox conducted community outreach with organizations around the ballpark and various neighborhood organizations ahead of the Licensing Board’s approval.
“We are unaware of any concerns that folks have,” he said, “and we just think this would allow for a better service to the public and not cause any inconvenience.”
After the Licensing Board increased the size of beer cups from 12 to 16 ounces at Fenway in the early 2000s, beer sales spiked up sharply. That triggered complaints by fans and neighborhood activists who said rowdy behavior by drunken fans was also on the rise, the Associated Press reported in 2005.
Red Sox officials at the time denied that alcohol-related problems became more frequent at Fenway. Charles Steinberg, a former team executive, said the number of beers sold in 2004 dropped to 3.1 million, but the volume may have increased as a result of the larger cup sizes.
“When you add more points of sale, whether for hot dogs, peanuts, sodas or beer, you address the concerns of the fans — that long lines are an uncomfortable part of the experience,” Steinberg said. “With greater attendance and shorter lines and popular items, it’s not surprising that consumption would go up.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
