Many a Nats fan has become dispirited because of the up-and-down (mostly down) season we’ve been witness to. It happens. It’s baseball. Like life, it’s not fair. But like life, you can have a beer and the unfairness of it all goes down easier.

The Washington Nationals got off to an inauspicious start to their latest homestead Monday night, losing a tough one to the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, and in the process dropping their record to 54-58 and 13 1/2 games back to the division-leading Braves. But take heart, Nats fans: There’s local beer at the ballpark.

Up until the Nats’ previous homestead, as close as it got to local there were offerings from Flying Dog (Frederick, Md.) and Dogfish Head (Milton, Del.). Nothing against those fine brewers, but D.C.’s beer scene is a truly vibrant thing and now forms the basis of a nascent manufacturing base in the District.

So it’s with great awesomeness that we welcome the District Drafts kiosks at sections 139 and 308, featuring local brewers DC Brau and 3 Stars from the District, Mad Fox Brewing Co. from Falls Church, Va., and Port City Brewing from Alexandria, Va.

And it just tastes better to imbibe the wares of the local tribe. Cheers!