Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. seems to be the go-to brewery when it comes to producing anniversary ales.
A few years ago, the Akron brewery made a couple of special beers for the 200th anniversary of the city of Cuyahoga Falls.
It also created limited-edition brews for the 20th anniversary of the Society of Akron Area Zymurgists homebrewing club, the 75th anniversary of the former West Point Market in Akron and even the 175th anniversary of the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper.
And now, there’s Magic City Ale, which commemorates the 125th anniversary of the city of Barberton.
The beer, an amber ale that goes on sale Friday, (June 24) is a collaborative effort of the Barberton Community Foundation, city of Barberton and Thirsty Dog.
It will be available on draft and in six-packs at the brewery and at bars, restaurants and retailers in the Barberton area. The six-packs will sell for $9.99.
“The beer market is just going crazy these days and to have our name on a beer is pretty neat,” Mayor Bill Judge said.
Barberton is known as a town filled with bars and places where you can wet your whistle with a cold beer. So it’s not odd that the city would celebrate with a brew.
The beer label features an old-timey rendering — is there any other kind? — of Barberton founder O.C. Barber in all his mutton chop glory.
India pale ales may be all the rage today, but the Barberton group opted for an amber ale — a mere 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, by the way — for a reason.
“We wanted something that was easy to drink and that almost anyone would enjoy drinking,” Judge said.
The public kick-off for Magic City Ale is at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Block 7 Bar & Grill in Barberton. The event coincides with the mayor’s “Change for Change” fundraiser, which raises money for charity.
The beer is just one of a slew of special events being held throughout the year to celebrate the city’s anniversary.