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The most recent season of St. Louis City SC didn’t go the way anyone hoped. No playoff run. No late-season magic. A lot more postgame sighing than chanting.
But even as we wait for CITY to get back on the pitch, we don’t have to stop thinking about them — preferably with a beer in hand.
That’s where Pitchside comes in, a new collaboration between Bluewood Brewing and the Saint Louis City Punks that’s equal parts soccer beer, summer crusher and community fundraiser. It’s designed for match days, watch parties and those long stretches in between seasons when the scarf stays on the hook but the devotion doesn’t go anywhere.
If you want to understand how Pitchside came to life, start with a scarf, not a mash tun.
The backstory
The idea began with Lauren Maddox, Bluewood’s new taproom and marketing manager, who also happens to be a member of the Saint Louis City Punks. Maddox saw an obvious overlap between a community-focused brewery, a deeply engaged supporters group and a shared desire to give back locally.
“I wanted to bring two communities I care deeply about together,” Maddox said. “Bluewood’s core value is supporting our community, and this felt like a really natural way to do that.”
From there, the plan came together quickly: brew a beer that actually works on match day, tastes great in the heat and raises money for causes that matter. A portion of the proceeds from Pitchside will be donated to SLCP, a registered 501(c)(3), supporting local mental health and suicide prevention charities.
“Our city. Our beer. Our cause,” Maddox said. “That really sums it up.”
Built for the heat, brewed for the crowd
Pitchside is an American-style pale ale brewed with Mosaic, Centennial, HBC 638 and Simcoe hops and a deliberate 5% ABV. The target was never extreme bitterness or hop overload.
“Most matches are played during the warmer summer months,” Maddox said. “We wanted something refreshing and crushable that people could enjoy all match long.”
That mindset shaped everything from hop selection to carbonation. The result is a beer built to stay balanced, bright and easy-drinking, even as temperatures climb.
A true collaboration, not just a logo swap
Collaboration beers often raise the same question: how involved was the non-brewing partner, really?
In this case, the answer is very.
“The City Punks were involved in everything,” Maddox said. “From talking through beer styles, to naming the beer, to designing the artwork, it really was a true partnership.”
SLCP members were invited to the launch party to taste the beer and offer feedback, helping Bluewood dial in the final recipe. The next batch is headed for distribution, and the brewery hopes to eventually see Pitchside poured at Energizer Park, home of CITY SC, during the soccer season.
What it drinks like
On the first sip, Pitchside is balanced and refreshing, with Mosaic-driven aromatics and hop flavor that shows up without overwhelming the palate. The carbonation is dialed in for warm-weather drinking, making it an easy reach from kickoff to final whistle.
Pitchside isn’t a one-off release. It will be brewed throughout the soccer season as a core offering for Bluewood, expanding the brewery’s growing slate of charity-focused beers.
“We show every City SC match in our taproom,” Maddox said. “We’re also the official away-game watch location for the City Punks. Whether you’re a die-hard soccer fan or not, drinking the beer still helps us give back.”
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