Louisville partners with local brewery to make craft beer of the Cardinals

Louisville Athletics has partnered with Gravely Brewing, a local company in Louisville, to present Cardinale, the new official craft beer for the Louisville Cardinals, the university announced on Wednesday.

The beer will be on sale for the Cards’ first home game against Murray State on Sept. 7 at L&N Stadium.

“We are thrilled to share this partnership with Gravely Brewing and introduce Cardinale as our Official Craft Beer of the Louisville Cardinals,” UofL Director of Athletics Josh Heird said. “Gravely knows Louisville, and they know Card Nation. Our fans are the most passionate in college sports.

“They have high standards and understand the value of a quality product – Gravely is no different. Cardinale is another point of pride for all of us as we toast the Cards and cheer them on this season.”

Cardinale is described as a ‘crisp, light-bodied Blonde Ale (4.8% ABV),’ per the release, and is readily available inside the Gravely Brewing’s taproom in Louisville. Later this month, the craft beer is set to be distributed to Kroger, Liquor Barn and various restaurants in the Louisville area.

The can features the classic Cardinal logo doing the Heisman pose, but the additional collectable can variations of Cardinale cans will hit the market soon.

“UofL Athletics has always been a leader in creating unique and memorable fan experiences and we are ecstatic to partner with them to create Cardinale, a craft beer Cards fans will love. Ales Up!” said Nathaniel Gravely, Owner/Founder of Gravely Brewing Company.

As a part of the partnership, Gravely Brewing will receive advertising and promotion on the UofL Sports Radio Network, as well as its digital advertising and social media platforms.

The company, which was launched in 2017, is a family owned and operated brewery. Their taproom sits in the heart of downtown Louisville, and offers live music and both indoor and outdoor seating, the latter of which includes a view of the city skyline, per the release.

Before Cardinale has the opportunity to be sold at home games, the Cardinals kick their 2023 season off in the Aflac Kickoff game against ACC foe Georgia Tech on Friday, Sept. 1. Louisville is an eight-point betting favorite heading into the matchup, per Caesars Sportsbook.

After that, Louisville will be back home inside L&N Stadium for two of the next three weeks against Murray State and Boston College, respectively, giving fans plenty of opportunities to purchase some Cardinale for themselves.