Penguin City Releasing Limited Edition YSU Can

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — On Aug. 4, Penguin City Brewing Co. will introduce its latest tribute label commemorating the 80th anniversary of Youngstown State University football.

The limited edition can will be on sale throughout the Mahoning Valley, according to a release. In May 2019, the company announced its partnership with YSU athletics, making Penguin City Beer the first locally brewed beer sold at Stambaugh Stadium and at Beeghly Center during YSU men’s and women’s basketball games.

“We are so happy to continue our partnership with YSU athletics, especially through these difficult times,” says Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki, co-owner of Penguin City. “It means a lot to us to be able to honor YSU and the Valley with these limited-edition cans. We are tough like our city, and we will continue to push forward.”

The design features a silver label with matte print on a 16oz. Penguin Light can. YSU’s iconic “Y” is featured prominently on the front.

“We knew we wanted to do something special for this year’s YSU release”, says Michael Pontikos, brand manager of
Penguin City. “So we collaborated with fellow Youngstown native Jesse Reed, a partner at Order Design in New York City. I called Jesse up, asked him if he’d want to do the label design, and well, he NAILED IT!”

In August 2019, Penguin City released a limited edition can for the 2019 football season, featuring the national title-winning 1994 YSU Penguins football team. Other tribute labels include those for the Simply Slavic Heritage Festival, released in May 2019, and for the Youngstown Phantoms released in January of this year.

The company launched its Penguin City Light brand in June. Richard Bernacki, Penguin City co-owner, says the light beer and new label are “a great match.

“Lower alcohol, calories and carbs goes well with cheering your team on with friends and family,” Bernacki says.

Since the lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic Penguin City had to cut its staff in half and distributed only to grocery stores and party shops. The company is getting back to the regular schedule now that everything is starting to open back up, according to the release.

“We are grateful for all the support and to be able to keep making beer and promote our great city,” says Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.