I’d recently received two different craft beverages that were created with the Portland Thorns FC soccer team in mind: Slide Tackle Hazy IPA from Pelican Brewing, which was brewed in collaboration with the Thorns; and Two Thorns Raspberry Rose Cider from 2 Towns Ciderhouse, a seasonal specialty brewed in honor of the team.

The Thorns’ season was cancelled last year by the pandemic, but was able to come back for 2021—and is currently in full swing. (They just defeated Racing Louisville in a recent match.) So I thought it would be on point to review both the beer and the cider for a (sort-of) Thorns soccer themed post.

Pelican Slide Tackle Hazy IPA

This hazy IPA clocks in at 6.5% ABV with 65 IBUs, and is brewed with (among other grains) malted wheat and rolled oats, and a hop bill of Magnum and Mosaic hops. The brewery says:

The Portland Thorns leave everything on the field, and at Pelican Brewing Company, we pour everything we have into each pint. With our common goals, we’ve kicked our expectations up a notch and created a beer worthy of the beautiful game. Slide Tackle comes in with a vengeance with a tropical, citrus aroma and a veiled hazy appearance. Guaranteed to knock you off your feet, this goal-worthy beer steals your attention with a balanced bitterness and clean finish. With smoke in the air, a ball in the goal and the perfect hazy in your hands, you’ll have an experience to truly capture the spirit of the incredible Portland Thorns.

According to Pelican, the beer is “available in the stadium at Providence Park at all Portland Thorns and Timbers home games, 12 oz. six-packs, Pelican’s three coastal brewpubs, and local watering holes.”

Appearance: Opaquely hazy, dirty orange, with a cream off-white head.

Smell: Fragrant! Quite fruity, with sweet citrus, orange marmalade, passion fruit, canned pineapple, and lightly herbal hops. Tangerine peel, candied citron. There’s a light note of doughy, bready wheat.

Taste: Spicy citrus with a dash of hop burn as it does floral with a touch of garlic greens. Spice-like note that makes me think of unmalted red wheat, or perhaps even rye (though the ingredients listed contain neither). Some bitterness takes on a green fruit peel quality. Malt is lightly crackery-doughy and largely neutral, providing more body that overt flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body with a chewiness from the haze and proteins; some lingering hop burn coats the mouth.

Overall: Nicely fruity and aromatic, it goes big in taste, and is a decent if a bit “big” hazy IPA.

2 Towns Two Thorns Raspberry Rose Cider

This cider is “Inspired by the fierce and awe-inspiring players of the Portland Thorns” and thus takes its name from the thorny stems from which the featured ingredients grow (raspberries and rose petals). It’s 5.5% ABV and the description from the press release says:

An award-winning blend of Northwest apples, Oregon-grown raspberries, and whole rose petals, Two Thorns is a breathtaking tribute to spring and the cidery’s excitement for this new season. Lofting floral aromatics meld beautifully with the sharp, berry tartness of the raspberries, with a base of fresh-pressed apples tying it all together delightfully.

When it comes to the rose petals, I don’t know what to expect or to look for, but the raspberry shines in this cider.

Appearance: Blood red, bright, and nicely clear.

Smell: Raspberry jam and a really luscious fruitiness, with a bit of fresh apple that’s a bit tart, and complements the berry well.

Taste: Sweet (maybe semi-sweet, as cider grades go) with a juicy berry note that tastes fresh like just-picked sweet raspberries with a nicely tart backing. Sweetness is entirely fruit-derived with no cloying or saccharine flavors, a touch jammy, yet crisp.

Mouthfeel: Sweet body with a dry, lightly tart finish, and is semi-petillant.

Overall: Really nice and presents an excellent fruited/raspberry character.

The bottom line, is that both of these are excellent options to enjoy while watching Thorns matches, or any other time really while they’re available. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, try mixing half Slide Tackle and half Two Thorns for a version of a snakebite—let’s call it a “Thorn Bite.” I think the fruity character of both would play well off each other—though for a full disclaimer, I haven’t tried this since I’ve only just come up with it!