Ohio Brewery News

It’s a Hootenanny! 

If you missed our craft beer blog’s occasional detours into history, pop culture and other topics, we’ve got a treat for you today (that we’ll tie back into beer by the end, we promise.)

There’s a good chance that you’ve heard the word “hootenanny” at some point, probably in reference to a wild party. However, the etymology of the word and its various uses is fascinating, at least for word nerds like us.

The term originates in Scotland – meaning “party” or “celebration” – and was brought to Appalachia by Scottish immigrants where it evolved into a placeholder word like “doohickey” or “thingamajig.” For instance, the Wikipedia entry for “hootenanny” uses the contextual example “Hand me that hootenanny.”

In the 1950s and 60s, folk music culture appropriated the word in its original party context, defining “hootenanny” as an informal gathering and performance of folk musicians, similar to the “jam sessions” held by jazz musicians. As the term grew in popularity, it was extended to performances with an audience such as an open mic night or even formal concerts.

So what does this all have to do with beer? Well, we’re glad you asked: Forest City Brewery released their first ever 12-ounce cans last week, a Kölsch-style ale named Hootenanny. The brewery hosts live music in their Duck Island neighborhood taproom and expansive outdoor beer garden several nights per week, from folk to jazz to rock, including a weekly open mic night that could rightly and historically be called a “hootenanny.”

So now you can have your friendly Forest City barkeep “hand you that Hootenanny” at the hootenanny. Isn’t that just perfect?

Read more at facebook.com/forestcitybrewery