The 99¢ can of Obolon Beer was one of the best local discoveries I made in my 10 years living in Greenpoint Brooklyn. This was 7 years ago, and it’s STILL 99¢!! Gentrification has taken hold in Greenpoint in the past 5 years, receiving the overflow from Williamsburg. There is still a strong presence of Eastern European immigrants (primarily Polish) who live and work there, and the neighborhood is still home to the best Eastern European deli’s in New York City. Just about any deli in Greenpoint will have Obolon, but it can also be found in some Key Food stores believe it or not! I found it in Brighton Beach at most of the ethnic food stores. I haven’t checked, but I’m sure that Obolon is readily available in the East Village, which holds a strong community of Ukrainian-Americans. And while Greenpoint is not a Ukrainian hood, this beer has a strong following in Russian and Eastern European neighborhoods in NYC.
The Obolon brewery opened in 1980 in Kiev Ukraine, using Czech engineers to design the facility. Obolon is the top exporter of beer in the Ukraine, sending it’s fine brews to 33 countries worldwide. Obolon also sponsors a professional football (soccer) team in Ukraine’s senior football league.
In NYC, there are two noted Ukrainian neighborhoods; in the East Village (bordered by 2nd Ave, Houston St, Avenue A and 14th St.), and also in Brooklyn in Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay. It’s estimated that 1/3 of the 80,000 Ukrainian-Americans living in New York City, reside in the “Little Ukraine” section of the East Village. The maps below represent the four places mentioned in the article (Greenpoint Brooklyn, East Village Manhattan, Brighton Beach Brooklyn, Kiev Ukraine)