Ohio Brewery News
6.17.2021
CENTRAL
Eagle-eyed craft beer fans may have picked up on a few signs that Columbus Brewing Company is gearing up to re-open their taproom in short order. First, about a month ago, the brewery posted job opportunities for front- and back-of-house positions. Then, this week, the taproom page at columbusbrewing.com featured a recently updated draft list and brand new food menu, the latter being a feature that the taproom didn’t offer prior to the pandemic. Does this all mean that you’ll soon be able to enjoy a fresh Bodhi double IPA or a wine barrel-aged Crocodile Tongue peach sour at the west Columbus taproom? The only way to know for sure is to follow Columbus Brewing Company on social media and sign up for CBC’s email newsletter to get the official word. But we’ve got a good feeling about it.
UPDATE: Re-opening date confirmed! Columbus Brewing Company welcomes guests back to the taproom starting Wednesday, June 23.
GREATER CLEVELAND
No football fan wants to see their punter take the field, as it generally means giving up possession of the ball due to offensive futility. The Cleveland Browns didn’t waste too many scoring opportunities during last year’s playoff season, their first in 18 years, so fans didn’t see much of their talented punter Jamie Gillan. Sibling Revelry Brewing decided that he deserved an honor in lieu of playing time and created Hammer Lyte, a light lager made with blackberry and electrolytes, perfect for crushing during the hot months of football off-season. Gillan – nicknamed the Scottish Hammer – will be on hand at the brewery in Westlake on Friday, June 18 from 6-8 p.m. to sign autographs and knock back a couple of his signature beers with fans. A portion of all Hammer Lyte sales will benefit Jeremy Cares, a non-profit that creates moments of joy for families with children dealing with serious illnesses. Read more at facebook.com/siblingrevelrybrewing
NORTHEAST
As we approach the summer solstice this Sunday, Ignite Brewing Company has two new can releases to help you enjoy the long, hot days ahead. Ignite Memory Lane is a light, crisp, refreshing American lager that’s as appropriate to crush after a hard day in the yard as it is while kicking back by the grill. Marathon Sprint is a session IPA that picks up orange, vanilla and berry notes from Lotus and Belma hops, plus strawberry and tropical fruit esters from fermentation with Sundew yeast. Pick up four-packs of both beers at the taproom in Barberton; while you’re there, have a pint of Ignite the Cure strawberry rhubarb ale, brewed to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Find out more about all of Ignite’s new releases at facebook.com/ignitebrewingcompany
NORTHWEST
This week, Destination Toledo launched the state’s newest brewery passport, the 419 Ale Trail. Nearly 30 breweries and beverage makers from all over northwest Ohio are participating in the new program. The 419 Ale Trail is the state’s fourth digital brewery passport: the statewide Ohio On Tap app was launched in 2017 by the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, the Cleveland Brewery Passport converted from a paper booklet to part of the Destination Cleveland app in 2020, and the Hall of Fame Hops Craft Brew Trail debuted in the Canton area earlier this year. For every five brewery check-ins recorded on the app, 419 Ale Trail users earn entries to a drawing for one of 20 brewery prize packages. All users who complete the passport are entered into the grand prize drawing for an overnight stay at the Cannaley Treehouse Village, a commemorative stainless steel growler and more. Get all the details and download your 419 Ale Trail passport at 419aletrail.com
SOUTHEAST
For more than five centuries, hops have been the global standard ingredient for adding bitterness and balance to beer. Before that, beer was commonly bittered with gruit – a combination of herbs that added flavor and balanced out the excessive malt sweetness of the wort – or other adjuncts native to the brewer’s area. One popular, historical bittering agent that has made a comeback during the current craft beer boom is the spruce tip, the spring growth at the end of a spruce tree branch. Wooly Pig Farm Brewery has foraged for local spruce tips the past few years for use in their Spruce Tip Lager, the most recent iteration of which was tapped this week at the brewery in Fresno. The pilsner base gets a subtle, refreshing boost from spruce-induced resin and citrus flavors and aromas. Hoist a liter of this throwback brew while supplies last. Read more at facebook.com/woolypigbrewery
SOUTHWEST
This Saturday, June 19, Esoteric Brewing Company will host the inaugural Mobile Black Wall Street festival, an event created to support Black culture and entrepreneurship. Held on Juneteenth – the holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States in 1865 – the event is a showcase for Black-owned vendors to exhibit and sell their work. Mobile Black Wall Street will also feature kids’ activities, food trucks, live music curated by the Cincinnati Music Accelerator and plenty of Esoteric craft beer for the adults. Sip on some fresh Karma double IPA while shopping and supporting Cincinnati’s Black-owned businesses. Mobile Black Wall Street kicks off in the beer garden and surrounding lots outside of Esoteric’s Walnut Hills taproom at 2 p.m. Get more details on the event at mobileblackwallstreet.org
WEST CENTRAL
Branch & Bone Artisan Ales is bringing back a couple of hits from last summer and putting a fresh spin on a familiar classic. The Fine Print IPA debuted in 2020, a hazy brew brimming with hop-derived juicy, tropical fruit flavors, and now makes its return to cans. Last year’s anniversary IPA makes its way to cans as well: Mirage is a 7% ABV hop monster loaded with Columbus, Citra and Mosaic to provide a blast of bitterness typical for a west coast-style IPA. Rounding out this week’s can release is a variant of Branch & Bone’s popular Dimmer coffee golden ale infused with Tahitian vanilla for a hint of sweetness and contrast against the bold Ethiopian coffee. All three cans are available for carry out or for shipping across the state of Ohio. Find out more at facebook.com/branchandboneales