After Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, several area businesses started fundraisers to help the people of Ukraine.
Two breweries decided to help with what they know best: beer, of course.
Both Forest City Brewery and Catawba Island Brewing Company have new beers called 鈥淪lava Ukraini,鈥� which translates to 鈥淕lory to Ukraine.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e small. We鈥檙e Cleveland, Ohio, you know. In the world, we鈥檙e really tiny, but there鈥檚 a huge community here that wants to make an impact on that. And it鈥檚 just nice to know that we鈥檙e along with the ride too,鈥� said Forest City Brewery head brewer Matt Smedley.
Smedley concocted Forest City鈥檚 Slava Ukraini as a wheat ale with lemon zest because wheat beers are popular in Ukraine and wheat is one of the nation鈥檚 largest crops.
Forest City will donate a portion of the beer鈥檚 sales, as well as some of the pierogi sales, to the Ukrainian Red Cross.
鈥淎s a small business, we鈥檝e got to do anything to help people in times of need like that,鈥� said Forest City owner Jay Demagall.
Forest City head chef Carlos Polichuk, a Ukrainian American, helped brainstorm the idea behind this specialty beer.
鈥淚t seems like Ukraine is by themselves, which is unfortunate. What we鈥檙e trying to do is just show any support we can,鈥� Polichuk said. 鈥淲ith Cleveland having such a large Ukrainian Community we鈥檙e showing them that we support you.鈥�
Catawba Island Brewing Company鈥檚 Slava Ukraini is a dry hopped golden ale and was made using a recipe from Pravda Beer Company in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, Pravda Beer Company shared its recipes in hopes breweries around the world would recreate them and donate to Ukrainian relief efforts.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know much about foreign policy, but we do know how to make beer and if we can help by making beer, we鈥檇 do it,鈥� said Catawba Island Brewing owner Matt Roder.
Catawba Island Brewing is donating a portion of its proceeds to the Pravda Beer Company, which is currently providing aid to locals.
Both of the Ohio breweries said they鈥檝e exceeded expectations for the sale of their Slava Ukraini beers and will continue brewing and selling them.
鈥淓ven if this conflict, this war ended tomorrow, it鈥檚 going to be months, it鈥檚 going to be years before these people are able to get back to their home and to their families,鈥� Catawba Island Brewing Company head brewer Justin Williams said. 鈥淪o long as there鈥檚 a need, we鈥檙e going to continue to do what we can.鈥�
Forest City Brewery is hosting a benefit concert for Ukrainian relief efforts featuring Ukrainian American musicians on April 21.
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