Which Craft Beer is Your Favorite Orlando City Player: 2020 Edition

Note: We at The Mane Land believe in the responsible consumption of alcohol. If, as an adult of legal drinking age, you decide to drink alcohol, we urge you to please ensure you do so in a safe manner, and never drink and drive.

It’s that time of the year, Mane Landers! Each season I look at the roster (or at least the new additions), and pair players with a craft beer. I base the pairings on what is funny, punny, or whatever else I like. I make no promises that you will be able to find these beers locally. I also encourage you to share your thoughts whether you agree, disagree, or have your own suggestions for beers or players not mentioned.

Second note: This article is strictly for the purpose of having fun. If you would like to take it too seriously, you are kindly invited to go read one of the many other serious articles available on The Mane Land. Thanks.

Pedro Gallese — Octopus Wants to Fight IPA, Great Lakes Brewery

Obvious choice is obvious. Pedro “The Octopus” Gallese has already shown how much he’s willing to fight for us in the match against Montreal, and I’m looking forward to much more. I like what I’ve seen so far from Gallese and I like IPAs. Plus, the Octopus on the label is purple, so really, it’s a win-win from this Etobicoke, Ontario brewery (not to be confused with the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland).

According to the brewery:

“Our pet octopus is a bit of a jerk. He’s that guy who has a couple then either tells you how much he loves you or threatens to fight you. So we brewed this IPA, with 8 varieties of hops and 8 types of malt. We targeted 88 IBU and 8.8% to appease him. Sadly, when he found out that we’d fabricated all of the above info, it only made him more volatile. We are starting to realize that Octopus was a poor choice for a pet.”

Hopefully, Pedro continues to show us the love and give the fight to the opposing club.

Robin Jansson — Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Orlando City signed Jansson the week after last year’s article dropped, otherwise “The Beefy Swede” (as Michael calls him) would have certainly been included. Jansson is the guy who is always there, always does his best and will never let you down. Plus, as a Swede, he’s probably a bit pale most of the time. I can’t think of a better way to describe Sierra Nevada Pale Ale than that, but we’ll let Sierra Nevada have their say.

According to the brewery:

“It changed tastes, made hops famous, and brought an industry back from extinction. That’s a hard-working beer.”

Ok, that’s pretty good too.

Mauricio Pereyra — Maduro Brown Ale, Cigar City Brewing

A good brown ale is something that is not always appreciated in these hoppy and fruit-infused Gose days, but it should be included in any beer-lover’s fridge. A player like Pereyra can also get lost in the mix of multi-goal scorers and newer faces, but he is the backbone of the Orlando midfield. He has a great work ethic, and he pairs well with others, just like a brown ale. Fortunately, this particular brew can be found all over Florida.

According to the brewery:

“Maduro is a Northern English-style Brown Ale with some American affectations. Higher in alcohol than the common English Brown Ale, the beer features flaked oats in the malt bill which imparts a silky body and works to mesh its roasted, toasted and chocolate components together. The end result is a remarkably full-flavored yet approachable Brown Ale that pairs well with mild to medium cigars.”

A strong beer for a strong player.

Júnior Urso — Ursa American IPA, First Magnitude Brewing Company

I really didn’t want to pick another IPA for the sake of variety, but the darn beer practically has the same name as the Lions’ new midfielder! Urso might not match the description of the beer below, but he will have a big impact on Orlando City’s season. Additionally, First Magnitude is out of Gainesville and there’s a good chance you can actually try this one.

According to the brewery:

A big hoppy bear of a beer. Enjoy while gazing at a starry night sky. Ursa (the Big Dipper) will guide you on your journey as she points to the North Star.

We shall see whether Urso can point Orlando in the right direction.

There it is! Now, it’s your turn. Fill in the edges, make your pairings, and have some fun!