When you ask me to name my favorite things, it’s no surprise that food and alcohol immediately spring to mind. I’ve been a big fan of bacon since I was a kid, and a big fan of beer since I was… 21. And not a day sooner!

So I knew it wasn’t a coincidence that the absolutely genius Bacon and Beer Classic was swinging through New York City the weekend of my 26th birthday. Even better, it was being held at Citi Field, the only one of the two MLB stadiums in New York I had yet to visit. Best of all? My friend Jason won VIP tickets, and since we share a birthday (I’m two hours older, and don’t let him tell you otherwise), we decided to trek out to Queens to celebrate in the very best possible way.

All night long we sampled different beers in our very own souvenir glasses, and stuffed ourselves with not only different kinds of bacon (huge fan of jalapeno bacon here, by the way), but also bacon-related treats. My favorite? The bacon marshmallow from 240 Sweet! Happy Hour on a stick indeed.

The best part of the evening, though, had to be that our VIP tickets granted us field access. When we felt like we needed a break from all the drinking (or the crowds on the concourse), we’d head down, chill in the dugout, and do a lap around the bases. I’m not a Mets fan, but I am a baseball fan, and this experience was worth it in and of itself.

Also, isn’t my outfit amazing?! Mom and Dad sent the Viva La Brunch tank for my birthday, and the vest is from Grandma and Grandpa – without even trying, they managed to send perfectly coordinated gifts! It’s already my go-to outfit; the tank made an encore appearance at my neighborhood party the next night.

Cheers to more adventures like this at 26!

The Bacon and Beer Classic travels to different cities and sets up in major sports venues, with just Seattle still to come this year. If you want to go in Seattle or in the future, I’d really really recommend splurging for the VIP tickets. We got in an hour early and there were NO lines – by the time we left two and a half hours later, people were waiting 20 minutes just for samples. Plus, come on – field access!