Lord Stanley’s mug
• May 31st, 2009 • Category: NHL, bars
As Detroit and Pittsburgh battle again to take home the Stanley Cup (the Red Wings prevailed last year), it’s important to realize that this is the only professional sports trophy in North America that athletes drink beer out of.
In fact, each winning player gets to keep the Cup for a day after the season to celebrate his team’s victory. Much happens during those 24 hours, as friends kiss the aging trophy and get their pictures taken with it, but often the main event is the player and others filling the Cup (first presented in 1893 for an non-NHL championship) with beer.
There is no record as to which beers have been sipped from Lord Stanley’s treasure, but suffice to say popular ones in the U.S. (Budwesier, Miller) and Canada (Molson, Labatt’s) have tickled the insides more than once. And as shown by this YouTube video at Cheli’s Chili Bar in Detroit, which is owned by the indefatigable defenseman on the Red Wings named Chris Chelios, drinking beer from the Stanley Cup can draw quite a crowd.
So a toast to Lord Stanley of Preston, who not only created the most beautiful trophy in sports but also made one that can be celebrated by the masses.
