Schnitz Ale Brewery is releasing a special beer called the Parma Pint as part of Parma’s 200th birthday celebration, according to a Feb. 26 announcement from the city and We Are Parma Proud.
The release of the Parma Pint is one element in a series called the “Six Ps of Parma,” which highlights six local businesses creating bicentennial-themed items. The initiative aims to bring attention to local traditions and businesses during this milestone year for the community.
Igor Djurin, operations manager at Schnitz Ale Brewery, said, “The mayor (Tim DeGeeter) reached out back in September. They had a wonderful idea to create the ‘Six Ps of Parma.’ He wanted one of the Ps to be a pint.” Djurin added, “Being the only brewery in Parma, they naturally reached out to us to see if we could create a bicentennial beer for them. We’ve been working ever since.”
The can for the new beer features local landmarks and contains an ale with 4.8 percent alcohol by volume. Djurin said it will initially be available only at Schnitz Ale Brewery but there are plans for it to appear in local stores and at events such as Rib ‘N Rock. “With how diverse the city is, we wanted to remain true to that European sort of lager,” he said. “So we made something that’s versatile — for the Polish, for the Ukrainian, for the Serbian. Just everyday Americans were really what we were targeting.”
Other participants in this project include Rudy’s Strudel & Bakery (paczki), Stancato’s Italian Restaurant (pasta), State Meats (pierogi), Napoleon’s Pizza (pizza), and Breads and Beyond Bakery (pastry). Reflecting on his involvement with this initiative, Djurin said, “I’m absolutely grateful for the opportunity… It does definitely put things in perspective, to be just thought of in that conversation of creating something for the bicentennial. The city has been around for 200 years, and to be part of the history is really special to us.”
Asked about pairing options with their new brew, Djurin joked about combining it with paczki: “Oh, it pairs wonderfully… Some people might go as crazy as dipping the paczki into the beer.”
