CLEVELAND, Ohio – A brewery, wine company and hotel in Cleveland – and a chain restaurant – are offering releases to mark Pride Month, the celebration born out of the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969.
In keeping with the Pride flag’s color scheme, the products feature lively hues.
Beer
Platform Beer Co. has launched a limited-edition variant of its Martian Slushee Style Sour Ale, Pride Martian. A dollar from proceeds from each case of the beer sold in Ohio will benefit Stonewall Columbus this month.
Stonewall Columbus was founded in 1981 to increase acceptance of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.
The series is associated with a color in the name for each of its variants (Blue Martian, Red Martian and Pink Martian), the brewery said in a release. Pride Martian, which embodies all the colors, is the third flavor variety in the series this year.
The ale is 6% alcohol and is billed as having flavors of sweet watermelon, tangy pineapple and candied cherries.
Wine
Firehouse Can Co. introduced a limited-edition 30-pack Pride Box canned-wine collection. With every Pride Box purchase, Firehouse will donate $10 to the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
The center, founded in 1975, advocates for Northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community through cultural-competency training, media representation and collaboration with community agencies.
Cleveland artist Katie Parland designed the box, which contains four wines: Rosé with bubbles, white wine with bubbles, white wine and red wine. It can be ordered online.
Cocktail
Betts Restaurant, on the first floor of the Kimpton Schofield Hotel, has introduced the Pride Cocktail to mark the month.
It’s billed as a colorful rendition of the neon sign that once graced the entry to an early gay-friendly bar in Cleveland. The hotel, at 2000 E. 9th Street, occupies the site of the former Cadillac Lounge, which opened in the 1940s.
The cocktail combines Absolut Vodka and mango hibiscus soda.
Two dollars from every cocktail sold will go to The Trevor Project, a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide-prevention services to LGBTQ under 25.
The hotel also is offering a Pride Package, which includes a room, two Pride cocktails and a $30 credit to Betts.
Cake
TGI Fridays is serving up Carlo’s Bakery Rainbow Cake.
A portion of sales from every slice sold will support the LGBTQ+ youth-advocacy organization GLSEN, up to $25,000 through Wednesday, June 30.
GLSEN aims to create inclusive learning environments for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity and/or gender expression.
The restaurant chain’s rainbow-colored vanilla cake is layered with sweet cream frosting. The six-layer dessert is piled with vanilla icing and sprinkles.
The Dallas-based company has seven locations in Northeast Ohio.
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 7:05 a.m. Wednesdays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler. Twitter: @mbona30.
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