By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Apr 09, 2021 at 10:01 AM

Tailgating is returning to American Family Field on Monday – and so are the Chicago Cubs. So what better way to welcome a beloved tradition along with a not-so-beloved rival than with a fresh batch of Central Standard's L Flag bourbon!

On Monday, the local distillery will host a special one-day pre-game drive-thru in the parking lot of its production house – found at 2330 W. Clybourn St. – to dish out new commemorative bottles of its special Cubs-mocking bourbon from 11 a.m. until 3:40 p.m., just in time for the lots to open for tailgating. 

“Since we’re only a long home run from left field and will literally be able to smell the brats grilling Monday, we wanted to do our part to elevate everyone’s tailgating festivities and help the crew deliver a Chicago L,” said co-founder Pat McQuillan, in a release. 

The L Flag bourbon was originally created at the start of the 2019 baseball season, when Central Standard reached out to the Chicago Cubs about purchasing the L flag that flew over Wrigley Field when the Brewers beat their rivals in Game 163 during their 2018 playoff run. And even though the distillery offered double the usual $500 amount for the flag – with all the money going toward the Cubs' charity – the deal was declined. So instead they put their $1,000 toward the Brewers Community Foundation and also made a bourbon (seems like a win for everyone) that's become a sensation for Cubbie haters across the nation. 

Monday's drive-thru will dispense 81 special commemorative bottles of L Flag – one for each Brewers' home game this season – all hand-numbered and marked as "2021 Tailgating Limited Edition." Bottles will cost $35, and purchases will be limited to one special edition per person. The drive-thru will also have the distillery's Red Cabin Bourbon, Door County Cherry Vodka and North Wisconsin Brandy on sale. 

And for those who miss out on a commemorative bottle at the drive-thru, the regular L Flag bourbon can still be found at many local retailers. 

“While Monday’s drive-thru will be a blast for those lucky enough to score one of our limited-edition commemorative bottles, we’re really encouraging fans to head to their favorite retailer and buy a bottle of L Flag to help local businesses who could all use our support right about now,” added co-founder Evan Hughes in the release.

For more information on Central Standard, visit the distillery's website – and to learn more about the soon-approaching debut of their new Downtown tasting room, click here. Meanwhile, cheers to the return of tailgating – and cheers to this bourbon tasting like three straight Milwaukee victories next week. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.