Two beloved regional brands have joined forces for something sweet. Great Lakes Brewing Company and Sarris Candies announced their first-ever collaboration in late February 2026: Chocolate Ale, a limited-edition brew crafted to evoke the nostalgic flavors of Sarris's handcrafted chocolates. The release lands in early March, just in time for the Easter season, and speaks to a broader story—the revival of brewing in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood and the power of family-owned businesses to innovate together.
Here's the story behind the collaboration, a closer look at Sarris Candies, and the historical context that makes Ohio City the perfect home for this partnership.
The Collaboration
Chocolate Ale is a 6.0% ABV ale brewed with lighter malts, giving it a caramel-toned color rather than the dark brown of many chocolate stouts. The beer features chocolate and vanilla flavors plus cocoa nibs, designed to capture the smooth, melt-in-your-mouth experience of enjoying a box of Sarris chocolates. Mt. Hood hops and a malt bill of 2-Row Base, Carapils, and oats round out the profile.
"Nothing quite captures the experience of enjoying a box of Sarris chocolates, but we feel we got pretty close," says Great Lakes Brewing Co. Co-CEO Steven Pauwels. "This is a truly innovative brew that unites two well-loved brands. We're proud to share our original approach to a chocolate-inspired brew."
The beer is available on draft and in 6-pack 12 oz. cans, predominantly at Giant Eagle stores throughout Western Pennsylvania and Northeast and Central Ohio. It will also be served on tap at the Great Lakes brewpub and sold to-go in the gift shop while supplies last. Select Giant Eagle Market District locations may offer it on tap as well.
A Closer Look at Sarris Candies
Sarris Candies is a family-owned chocolate company rooted in Western Pennsylvania since 1960. For more than six decades, Sarris has handcrafted premium chocolates using time-honored recipes and the finest ingredients. From iconic chocolate-covered pretzels to boxed chocolates, Pecanettes (Turtles®), Peanut Butter Buckeyes, and seasonal specialties like Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies, Sarris Candies creates confections that celebrate tradition, quality, and life's sweetest moments.
The company's flagship chocolate-covered pretzels—"Salty. Sweet. Gone."—are a fan favorite, delivering the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and crunchy in every bite. Sarris President and CEO Bill Sarris framed the partnership in terms of shared values: "As two legacy family-owned regional brands with decades of experience, we are thrilled to come together to delight our customers with something special that speaks to our shared values of craftsmanship, tradition, community, and innovation. Whether we fill easter baskets, coolers, or both, we are excited for this first-time partnership to hit Giant Eagle shelves and sweeten the season together."
The collaboration was born in part through a long shared relationship with Giant Eagle, which carries both brands and now offers customers the chance to pair Sarris treats with Chocolate Ale for seasonal gatherings.
Ohio City and the History of Brewing in Cleveland
Great Lakes Brewing Company opened in Ohio City in 1988—Ohio's first craft brewery and microbrewery. At the time, the neighborhood was economically depressed, and Cleveland had been without a production brewery since 1984, when C. Schmidt & Sons closed its doors. The odds were stacked against brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway when they opened their fledgling operation. But their commitment to independent, sophisticated craft beer—and a staff of passionate, knowledgeable people—helped kick-start an industry that had appeared finished.
Ohio City's brewing heritage, however, runs much deeper. Beer had been brewed in Cleveland from its earliest days, but the industry took off in the 1840s with the arrival of German and Bohemian immigrants, who brought lager beer traditions to the city. In 1852, German immigrant Carl Gehring opened the Gehring Brewery at Gehring Avenue and West 25th Street in Ohio City. Other immigrants followed, and by 1900 there were 23 breweries in Cleveland—most of them small, family-run businesses in Ohio City.
National Prohibition (1920–1933) forced many breweries to close or switch to juice, soda, or dairy products. Several reopened after repeal, but post–World War II competition from national brands with massive production facilities and advertising budgets devastated Cleveland's breweries. The city had nine breweries in 1939, five in 1960, and none by 1984.
Great Lakes changed that. The brewery occupies historic buildings on Market Avenue—three structures from the 1860s that once housed The Elton Hotel, McClean's Feed & Seed Company, and the Market Tavern. The Market Tavern, a favorite spot of Eliot Ness when he served as Cleveland's Safety Director in the 1930s, is now the Taproom and features an original 1860s mahogany bar. Great Lakes' production facility on Carroll Avenue sits in buildings that once served as horse stables and a bottling plant for the Leonard Schlather Brewing Company, founded in 1857 by a German immigrant.
Today, Ohio City has reemerged as Cleveland's brewing center. Market Garden Brewery opened adjacent to the West Side Market in 2011; Platform Beer Company joined the district. Over a century after the industry's original heyday, Ohio City is once again a neighborhood built on history, beer, pride, and growth.
Innovation Meets Tradition
The Sarris Chocolate Ale collaboration is a reminder that craft brewing thrives when it honors both innovation and tradition. Two family-owned regional brands—one rooted in Cleveland's revived brewing district, the other in six decades of chocolate craftsmanship—have created something that speaks to nostalgia, regional pride, and the joy of pairing beer with life's sweetest moments.
Chocolate Ale releases in 6-pack 12 oz. cans at Giant Eagle stores and select retailers throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania starting in March. Pair it with your favorite Sarris Candies treats—and raise a glass to the neighborhoods and businesses that make the Great Lakes region special.
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