COLUMBIANA, Ohio — When Birdfish Brewing Co. was approached by Columbiana’s America 250-Ohio committee about creating a commemorative beer for the nation’s 250th anniversary, the brewery’s production schedule left little room for a new recipe. Instead, it found another way to join the celebration.
Birdfish Brewing Co. is releasing a limited-edition version of its Bird Light Lager featuring America 250-Ohio Columbiana branding as part of the city’s Independence Day festivities.
“The timeline really didn’t line up to do an original recipe beer because our production schedule was already booked out,” he says.
However, its Bird Light Lager – an American light lager – was coming up in the schedule, so he suggested doing commemorative labeling for that release. “They loved the idea and they kind of ran with it,” he says.
They also discussed other ideas for the release, and settled on a silicone pint glass – with the Birdfish logo on one side and the America 250-Ohio Columbiana logo on the other – that can be used in Columbiana’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area. Both the beer and the cups will be available at the kickoff of the Independence Day festivities July 3 at noon.
Distribution will be limited on the beverages offered by Kast Iron and Birdfish.
“The big push right now is through the Fourth of July,” Kline says. The state of Ohio is promoting a “huge community picnic effort” that it is providing packets, resources and “all kinds of fun perks” for, and is promoting the Kast Iron beverages alongside those.
Sales will extend toward year end, depending on supplies.
Birdfish labeled 10 cases of the commemorative cans for sale, all of which will be sold at Birdfish, Dunn reports.
“We expect it to be gone by the end of the weekend but it’s hard to tell,” he says.
McDermott acknowledges many fairs and festivals – including ones in this area – come later in the season and might not tie into the semiquincentennial, but still anticipates sales of the America250 cups extending past Independence Day.
“This is going to be an exciting season for fairs, festivals and carnivals because of this,” he predicts. With high gas prices, people also might be less willing to spend money to travel, resulting in more local spending on recreation.
“Fairs and festivals are a great piece of that, and of course, in conjunction with the timing of America250, it’s a great time to lean into that celebration, both by concession operators and as citizens,” he says.
Editor’s note: This story is part of a larger feature examining how Mahoning Valley businesses are celebrating America’s 250th anniversary through special products, partnerships and commemorative branding. Read the full story HERE.
Pictured at top: Birdfish Brewing Co.’s Bird Light Lager features limited-edition America 250-Ohio labeling.