Harpoon Brewery and Schlafly Beer Place Wager Over Stanley Cup Winner

Mike Pomranz
Not only can the Blues make history, they can also make Boston's Harpoon serve St. Louis beer in their taproom.

It’s not explicitly said that often, but part of the appeal of watching sports for many people is that it gives them the opportunity to drink and gamble. Along those lines, it’s never surprising when, during a big sporting event, breweries from the two participating cities place a beer-related bet over the outcome. For instance, in October, Sam Adams and Brooklyn Brewery wagered over the winner of the MLB American League Division Series. And in January, a bunch of breweries from the Boston and Philadelphia areas made bets over the Super Bowl. Now, the NHL is down to its final series of the season, and Boston’s Harpoon Brewery has made a friendly wager with St. Louis’s Schlafly Beer over whether the Bruins or the Blues will win the Stanley Cup. (Suddenly I’m noticing maybe it’s just Boston people who like to drink and gamble?)

As far a brewery bets go, this one is pretty straightforward. If the Blues win, Harpoon’s staff will don Schlafly’s gear and spend a day pouring the St. Louis-produced beer in their Boston taproom. Conversely, if the Bruins beat the underdog Blues, Schalfly’s staff will put on Harpoon shirts and sling Boston’s signature IPA at their brewery in St. Louis.

“Boston’s all abuzz with the Bs back in the Stanley Cup finals this year and when we take home the W it’ll be even sweeter to know that the folks at Schlafly are toasting us with a Harpoon IPA,” Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery, stated.

But beer aside, a Boston win would be a heartbreaking loss for St. Louis. While the Bruins have hoisted the Stanley Cup as recently as 2011, the Blues have never won a Cup in their 52-year history. In fact, until last night, the team had never even won a game in the Finals, having been swept in their previous three appearances.

So last night’s overtime victory broke one historical drought for the Blues and tied the series up at one game apiece. It also means that the wager between Harpoon and Schlafly could once again go either way. The breweries say the details of when the loser will be pouring the winner’s beer will be announced on social media shortly after the trophy ceremony. In the meantime, you can follow both brewers (Harpoon and Schlafly) on Twitter for “some friendly hockey trash talking.” Yes, let’s save the unfriendly hockey trash talking for when the fans see each other in person.