Whether you’re traveling to watch your favorite team play or simply visiting a city and want to know a good spot to go close to the arena, going into a stadium after a delicious meal and some drinks never fails to make the game experience more enjoyable. It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling to a traditional hockey hotbed such as Montreal or to an up-and-coming hockey area such as Nashville, we’ve got you covered with three great places to grab a pregame drink.
Falling Rock Tap House, Denver
Since the Avalanche relocated to Colorado in the late 1990s, they have had a loyal following in one of the most hockey-enthused states in the U.S. Few things are more exciting than watching Nathan MacKinnon go coast-to-coast, but walking into Falling Rock Tap House with its 90+ beers on tap may be one of them. Beers on tap come from all over the world: from the St. Bernardus Abt 12 from Belgium to the Stadium 26 Juicy Banger from Denver. It is only eight blocks away from Ball Arena, and if you happen to be visiting in the summertime, it is only a half-block away from Coors Field.
Yee-Haw Brewing Company, Nashville
When you think of Nashville, it is highly unlikely that the next thought that pops into your head is “hockey!,” but Nashville Predators fans are some of the most rabid in the league. Just take their tradition of throwing catfish on the ice as one example — the Predators “condemn” the practice but are awfully content to turn a blind eye as fans attempt to smuggle in the fish and toss them on the ice pregame.
As for places to head to before (or after) the game, Nashville is certainly not short on options. One place within a short 5-10 minute walk of Bridgestone Arena is the Yee-Haw Brewing Company. The Yee-Haw Brewing Company is a small chain that started with one location in Tennessee and has since expanded to 3-4 other locations. You can scope out its detailed descriptions of beers on its user-friendly website — once you start doing that, it is only a matter of time until you plan your trip. With its country music and hockey, Nashville combines some of the best elements of both northern and southern culture to make itself an exhilarating city.
#Preds P L A Y O F F S.
— Yee-Haw Brewing Co. (@YeeHawBrewing) May 17, 2021
Come cheer on @PredsNHL with us tonight at 6th and Peabody! 7pm ? pic.twitter.com/lGh1itgFtb
La Belle et La Boeuf, Montreal
With their 24 Stanley Cups and red, white, and blue sweaters, few NHL teams are more iconic than the Montreal Canadiens. Brush up on your French, book your tickets, and be ready to hit the bars near the Centre Bell. If you want food and drinks, then La Belle et La Boeuf will be a solid bet. Burgers on the menu include the Super Pac Mac, which consists of “Breaded deep fried mac ‘n cheese buns, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, mac ‘n cheese, caramelized onions, red onion and mayo” and the Calimero, a mouthwatering burger with “Fried egg, smoked bacon, smoked Gouda cheese, lettuce, fried onions and spicy mayo.”
These guys love to toss the kitchen sink on their burgers, and who are we to complain? And while the cocktail drink menu appears to heavily target millennials with its colorful drinks filled in fancy mason jar glasses topped with paper straws, they have classic mixed drinks such as a Bloody Mary, and of course, plenty of beers on tap. Again, this is just one of many options near the Canadiens’ home stadium, as there are a plethora of options that you can further explore.
Picture Credit: Google Creative Commons Licenses, Unsplash, Instagram
