For most Canadians, Victoria Day weekend signals the beginning of the summer. However, sometimes it’s not a specific date that dictates when one season ends and the next one starts. We still use a groundhog to tell us when we’re gonna see spring. And not just any groundhog but the biggest unit of a groundhog you’ve ever laid your eyes on. So just like how a large rodent named Phil symbolizes a change of season, so does an incredibly awesome beer promo at a Minor League Baseball game. And now that you can buy beer that comes in a baseball bat at a Myrtle Beach Pelicans game I think we have no choice but to declare that summer is officially underway.

The "beer bat" 😮

(Via @bryan_kurp) pic.twitter.com/TfjQIpy363

— Stadium (@Stadium) May 16, 2021

This bad boy is so damn tall that you have to manually click on the picture to see it in its full glory. The Pelicans played a doubleheader Sunday and I can only imagine what that crowd was like with a bunch of fans chugging draft out of a bat that’s bigger than what Jose Altuve swings. It’s a good thing they look to be made out of plastic or else the Chicago Cubs’ Low-A affiliate could have had a human piñata party on their hands. There’s already been enough violence among bleacher creatures this week as it is.

When pictures of the beer bat first came out people thought they were a part of the Pelicans’ $1 beer promo. Which, if true, would be the best beer promotion in the history of beer promotions. Alas, some things are just too good to be true as the Pels’ social media team was quick to clarify that the beer bats were not included in their $1 beer promo, but instead cost $15. I’d still rather pay that much for a massive beer in a souvenir cup than the tallboys they sell at the Rogers Centre that come with far less content and wouldn’t be as fun to hit someone over the head with, though that hasn’t stopped Jays fans from trying.

Specialty jerseys.

Soon come.#MBPelicans | #MiLB pic.twitter.com/qhnceRtHmr

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) February 24, 2020

Between selling beer bats and rocking wild alternate jerseys the Myrtle Beach Pelicans embody what it means to be a Minor League Baseball franchise. As a collector of zany baseball memorabilia, I think I need to make a trip to South Carolina or anywhere else where you can get one of these bats while watching a game. The beer bat is one of the coolest promotions you’ll find at a ballpark this season and marks the unofficial start to the summer.