Florida Cracker

Today, I want to talk about crackers: Not the mildly explosive Christmas novelties that provide my family and me with stylish paper headwear during the holidays, nor those crunchy and savory standard-bearers for sustaining a soup’s lifespan, Saltines.

No, today’s crackers are Cigar City Brewing’s Florida Cracker witbier and Atlanta’s sole baseball team until the Braves moved here in 1966 – The Atlanta Crackers.

Numerous notable personages played for the Crackers. The Braves’ legendary Hall-of-Fame third baseman Eddie Matthews started his career with the Crackers, hitting 32 home runs in his inaugural season.

Hall-of-Famer Luke Appling played most of his MLB career with the Chicago White Sox, but he started out with the Crackers. He has the record for highest batting average for a shortstop in the 20^th century at .388.

Tim McCarver, the 3-time Emmy Award-winning color commentator for the Fox Network’s baseball broadcasts, serves as the foil for Joe Buck’s sometimes plodding play-by-play work. McCarver was also was the catcher for the Crackers in the early 60s.

Cigar City’s Florida Cracker is a zesty and hazy American wheat beer with a light malt backbone and, fittingly, crackery esters with a citrusy zing in the aftertaste.

Although most ballparks feature very limited beer selections, the craft segment is slowly insinuating itself into the diamond and Cigar City’s Florida Cracker would certainly be a… grand slam.

– Chris Guest