Pride Pub: Orlando City at Houston Dynamo

It will be the second game in just four days, as Orlando City heads to Texas to take on the Houston Dynamo following the 2-1 loss to Toronto FC. Hopefully the Lions can get back on the winning side now that they’re back stateside.

Just a reminder on how this works: we choose a craft beer from the country/state/city of our opponent and we include an appropriate recipe to go along with it. Of course, we also choose a Florida craft beer to complement our other recipe and to represent our Orlando City Lions here in the beautiful Sunshine State.

From Texas: Santo Black Kolsch, Saint Arnold Brewing

Founders Brock Wagner and Kevin Bartol shipped their first keg in 1994, making Saint Arnold Brewing Co. the oldest craft brewery in Texas. We’re fortunate that distribution of their fine beers has made it out of Texas and Louisiana and into the Sunshine State. Santo is a different type of Kölsch, given that it’s also a black beer.

According to the brewery:

"Santo is a black Kölsch, which technically doesn’t exist as a style, but this is as close as we can come to describing it. Essentially it is brewed using a Kölsch recipe with the addition of Munich and black malt. It is light bodied and floral yet with a distinct dark malt flavor. Our goal was to create a dark yet refreshing beer that would pair perfectly with a plate of enchiladas.”

Pair with: Beef Enchiladas. If the brewer says they made the beer for pairing with enchiladas, who am I to argue?

Dave’s Recommendations: Spicy Black Beans and Yellow Rice. We’re going to keep the heat on with this spicy dish, that will add some heft and allow you to have more than one of the beers.

From Florida: Blue Bags IPA, Ocean Sun Brewing

It’s been a while since we’ve sent you on a trip with your growlers, so we thought it was time to head back to Ocean Sun Brewing for a very nice local beer. Blue Bags IPA is classified as an East Coast IPA. East Coast IPAs strike a more balanced note between the hops and the malts. While still hop-forward, they are not brewed to the hop-happy levels that West Coast IPAs strive for. Enjoy!

According to the brewery:

"Falconer's Flight Hop balanced with a golden malt backbone. 6.7% ABV. 70 IBU."

Well that wasn’t very descriptive, so let’s hear from some blokes over at www.ratebeer.com:

“Draft at source. Nose is a very inviting tropical hop presence. Soft melons, star fruit. Soft floral notes underneath with some grassiness. Taste is initially a touch sweet then a burst of hop flavor comes through with tropical flavored. Finishes with a lingering bitterness that helps dry it out. Nice.” by Homer321

“Everybody is making either a New England or West Coast style IPA, so it’s nice to see a brewery kicking it old school with a classic East Coast-style IPA with a piney/resiny/herbal quality. This beer kind of reminds me of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA; only a little stronger and tastier. The pale ale seems to be a junior version of this brew.” by ChadPolenz

Pair with: Skillet Sausage and Potatoes. A delicious and simple recipe to make at home or on your tailgate grill. You can decide how spicy you want the sausage, but remember that IPAs are brewed to stand up to a little heat.

Dave’s Recommendations: Caramel Apple Tarts. Since the main dish is an all-in-one meal, we’re recommending a dessert to top it off. Caramel apple tarts also pair well with an IPA, so you can have dessert first if you’d like.

Thank you for stopping by the Pride Pub, Mane Landers. We hope you find these pairings enjoyable while you watch the Lions take on the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium Saturday night. Let us know which pairing you went with in the comments below. Go City!