Penguin City Makes First West Virginia Delivery

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — On Oct. 1, Penguin City Brewing Co. delivered its first shipment of beer to Wine & Beverage Merchants of West Virginia at 100 Three Springs Drive in Weirton.

Penguin City met with the company back in 2019 and finalized the contract this summer, according to a press release.

“We talked with Wine & Beverage Merchants in the Fall of 2019, and due to COVID, we had to wait,” Penguin City Co-owner Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki said in the release. “We are thrilled to move forward and get Penguin City Beer into another state and start expanding our market!”

Penguin City will distribute throughout West Virginia. It currently distributes to more than 450 locations in the Mahoning Valley, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The local brewery looks to open its new operations at 460 E. Federal St. in downtown Youngstown in winter of 2021-22. Once operational, it will expand distribution to other Ohio markets in 2022, according to the release. Penguin City purchased a 20-barrel brewhouse with four 60-barrel fermenters and two 60-barrel conditioning tanks, as well as a 3.5-barrel pilot system for $550,000. The Deutsche Beverage Systems setup will more than double its capacity.

“The tanks are on their way and should arrive in our warehouse early November,” said Richard Bernacki, co-owner. “We are anxiously anticipating their arrival so we can put our plans and creative ideas into action.”

In addition to the brewery, renovations for the new location – the former Republic Steel warehouse – include taproom and event center.

Image: Penguin City Brewing Co.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.