Cleveland's Baseball Team Doesn't Have a New Name, but They Already Have a Beer

This past December, the (currently-named) Cleveland Indians announced that 2021 will be the final Major League Baseball season the team plays under that identity—with a new name and logo slated to be unveiled the following year. For now, that name has yet to be chosen… but one local brewery doesn't feel like waiting. Not only have the folks at Saucy Brew Works already thrown their support behind a suggested name, they've even brewed a beer for it. Who's ready to crack open a brew for a team that doesn't exist yet: the Cleveland Municipals!

The "Cleveland Municipals" is a proposed name and aesthetic for the rebranded baseball team developed by two self-described lifelong fans—Will Weible and Jamie Landowne—and they've gone so far as to pitch their concept through an official website and social media, even selling a bit of merch for the theoretical team. Now, the proposed team also has its own beer partnership. To show their support for the suggested name, Saucy Brew Works is adopting the Municipals imagery for its new Municipals Munich-style Helles Lager—slated to be released on April 5 in honor of the real team's home opener.

"In our conversations with the team at Saucy, it became very clear that our passion for Cleveland baseball is equaled by their passion for Cleveland beer," Weible stated. "Eric and the brew team have come up with a great beer in a style that reflects Cleveland's rich brewing history, echoing the Cleveland pride our proposal is rooted in."

In the announcement, Saucy suggests this lager is about more than just pushing their preferred name. The people of Cleveland should "rally around a meaningful new name instead of waiting to see what is decided for us," the brewery wrote, adding that their beer "celebrates the opportunity for the community to be heard and represented by the team."

The proposed Municipals name would honor the old Municipal Stadium where the team played from 1932 to 1993. The field was torn down in 1996. Eric Anderson, Saucy's chief brewing officer, added, "Given the history and depth behind the Municipals name and the same for the rich Bavarian brewing traditions rooted in Cleveland, I think it's fitting to pay respect to both by combining them in name and style."