Question of the Day - 16 September 2022

The most straightforward answer can be found on the company's website.

"Our brewery derives its name from the first two atomic bombs detonated at the Nevada Test Site. These two test explosions were code-named after the military’s phonetic alphabet of the time, making them tests 'Able' and 'Baker.'”

As veterans and military historians can tell you, however, there's a little more to this story.  

When "Able" was detonated on January 27, 1951, the U.S. Army used the words "Able" and "Baker" as the first two letters of their phonetic alphabet. The U.S. Navy also used "Baker." However, the Navy used "Able" only in interbranch communications with the Army or in communications with forces of the United Kingdom. When the U.S. Navy was communicating with itself, it used the word "Afirm" (yes, only one "f").

If none of these words rings a bell with you, it's because the U.S. military began using the NATO phonetic alphabet in 1956, which is where the modern and more familiar terms "Alfa" and "Bravo" come from.

Besides the Las Vegas Arts District and military museums, there is at least one other place where "Able" and "Baker" still occupy an important, and distinctly American, role in modern society.

The Official Baseball Rules still use the names "Abel" (slight change from "Able") and "Baker" as the first two names in a fictional team's batting order. This batting order (which also includes "Charles," etc.) is used to explain rather complex rules scenarios, most notably Official Baseball Rule 6.03 (b) -- Batting Out of Turn. Here's a (relatively) small excerpt:

"APPROVED RULING: To illustrate various situations arising Rule 6.03(b)(3) to 6.03(b)(7) from batting out of turn, assume a first-inning batting order as follows: Abel-Baker-Charles-Daniel-Edward-Frank."

It then goes on to hypothesize an out-of-order batting sequence that's so complicated, the writer(s) probably had too many beers before dreaming it up. 

And speaking of which, Able Baker Brewing and Circa partnered to produce a "custom blonde lager," Vegas Vickie Neon Blonde. It's available only at Circa in a 16-ounce can at Vickie’s namesake bar, Vegas Vickie’s Cocktail Lounge, plus the MEGA and Overhang bars.