Press Release:

Cigar City Brewing and Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) are proud to announce two collaboration beers, both called Wandering Pelican. This unique effort will consist of a Black Lager and a Black Ale made by both breweries. Cigar City Brewing Brewmaster Wayne Wambles will travel to Cleveland during the week of April 14th to start work on the Black Lager which will be released in 22oz. bottles. The following week Great Lakes Brewing will be in Tampa working on a Black Ale which will be packaged in 12oz. cans.

The name Wandering Pelican pays homage to a Brown Pelican who made the journey from Florida to Ohio’s Lake Erie Coast during the summer of 2013. Swapping saltwater for fresh, feeding on shad instead of mullet, this welcome stranger made Lake Erie his home for several months and became an unlikely local celebrity. Both of these beers will honor our courageous friend who wandered off the beaten path to find his home.

Cigar City Brewing will release Wandering Pelican Black Ale on May 19th. The beer will go into limited distribution in Florida and a portion of the proceeds from the release party will benefit the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary of Indian Shores, FL. The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, Inc. is the largest wild bird hospital and bird sanctuary in the United States, based on the admission of up to 8,000 birds per year.

Great Lakes Brewing Company will release Wandering Pelican Black Ale on May 19th (tentative). The screenprinted 22oz. bottles will be sold exclusively in the GLBC Gift Shop. Customers will find a limited amount of Wandering Pelican Black Lager on draft throughout GLBC’s distribution footprint.

About Cigar City Brewing
“In a state known for theme parks, Cigar City Brewing has become a major attraction for those who appreciate and seek out excellent beer. It opened with a flourish and spread its reach quickly, appealing to both hardened beer geeks and brew novices with eyebrow-raising flavors and commitment to quality. Capitalizing on the Latin culture and tobacco-manufacturing history of Tampa Bay, Cigar City highlights those strengths on its labels and in its beer names and recipes. Many of the beers it produces – Jai Alai IPA, Improv Oatmeal Rye India-Style Brown Ale, Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale – reflect the sensibilities and ingredients of Florida. Dedicated fans flock to the ever-expanding brewery each March for the one-day release of Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout. The 11 percent ale is aged on cacao nibs, Madagascar vanilla beans, ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, and cinnamon. Line up early to get a bottle; it’s the best attraction in all Florida.”
– John Holl, The American Craft Beer Cookbook

About Great Lakes Brewing Company
GLBC currently serves 13 states and Washington DC. Founded in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway as the first craft brewery in the state of Ohio, GLBC is nationally known for its exceptional family of beers including Dortmunder Gold® Lager, Eliot Ness® Amber Lager, Burning River® Pale Ale, Commodore Perry® IPA, and Edmund Fitzgerald® Porter.