Ohio Brewery News
8.28.2020
CENTRAL
Retro gamers will recognize the Famicom as an early iteration of the groundbreaking Nintendo Entertainment System, the 8-bit sensation that ushered iconic games like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Punch-Out and Contra into American homes. Central Ohio craft beer fans will recognize Famicom as a favorite hazy IPA offering from Antiques on High, Seventh Son Brewing’s retro-themed taproom in Columbus’s Brewery District neighborhood. The latter Famicom enters the secret code of Citra, El Dorado and Sabro hops to unlock a seemingly endless supply of peach and lemon flavors while becoming nearly invincible to bitterness. Famicom got its first can release this week – alongside Seventh Son’s Coral Sun tiki IPA, the Duck Hunt to Famicom’s Super Mario Bros. – and you can pick it up now at Antiques on High or Seventh Son’s brewery taproom in Italian Village. Get more details at facebook.com/seventhsonbrewing
GREATER CLEVELAND
Bookhouse Brewing is releasing three canned beers today. Celestial Map, the brewery’s flagship IPA, returns to cans today. For every six-pack sold at their Ohio City taproom until Sept. 12, Bookhouse will donate $1 to the West Side Catholic Center, a non-profit that provides food, clothing, shelter and other services to people in the community affected by extreme poverty. Bookhouse will also release Triple Whoops!, a 10% ABV triple hazy IPA with resonant notes of white wine, raspberry, pine and tropical fruit from copious amounts of Nelson Sauvin and Cryo Columbus hops. Completing the trio is the brewery’s version of Black is Beautiful, the worldwide imperial stout collaboration initiated by Weathered Souls Brewing of San Antonio, Texas, created to raise funds and awareness for racial justice causes. Bookhouse will donate proceeds from the beer’s sales to the Cleveland NAACP. All three beers can be purchased at the taproom or for delivery at bookhouse.beer
NORTHEAST
Cheers to 14 years of beers from Hoppin’ Frog Brewery! Since the brewery is currently only operating in a carry out and shipping capacity due to the coronavirus pandemic, founder and brew master Fred Karm will lead a live streaming celebration on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. Karm will talk about the strong, malt-driven beers that Hoppin’ Frog built its reputation on, as well as the various expansions to their Akron brewery and tasting room and new and innovative beers they’re putting out, like 2019’s Great American Beer Festival bronze medal-winning Pentuple Belgian-style strong ale. Pick up some freshly canned The Frog Abides White Russian white imperial stout or Q.O.R.I.S. the Quasher quadruple oatmeal Russian imperial stout and crack one open with Fred next week. Watch live at facebook.com/hoppinfrog or register at crowdcast.io to participate and ask Fred anything you’ve been itching to know about Hoppin’ Frog.
NORTHWEST
The crew at Inside the Five Brewing has been extremely busy over the past year to keep up with demand from northwest Ohio craft beer fans. Last time we popped in to visit back in February, construction was underway for the new Fifth Floor private event space – actually on the second floor – located above the Inside the Five taproom in downtown Sylvania. They were also in the middle of the buildout of a second location in downtown Perrysburg; that new brewpub is slated to open sometime this fall. As if all of this wasn’t enough, last week the brewery agreed to purchase two city-owned properties adjacent to their Sylvania location; those buildings will be razed so Inside the Five can go ahead with plans to add-on to their brewpub dining area and offer more parking. Read more about the brewery’s expansion plans at toledoblade.com
SOUTHEAST
Little Fish Brewing has a treat for Athens, Ohio natives and west coast IPA fans alike. This week, they tapped Green Bridge IPA, named in a nod to a popular swimming hole in nearby Vinton County which, according to the brewery, “if you grew up in Athens in the ‘90’s, you know.” Don’t bother trying to Google it: if a local doesn’t show you where it is, you’ll never find it. The beer itself is a throwback too, deriving strong bitterness, bright citrus flavors and floral aromas from Simcoe and Falconer’s Flight hops. Ohio-grown barley, wheat and other malts from West Branch Malts and Haus Malts provide a delightful body and impressive head retention. Get it on draft now at the Little Fish taproom outside of Athens – it’s a lot easier to find than the green bridge, believe me – or have a crowler shipped to you. Shop online at littlefishbrewing.com
SOUTHWEST
Back in July, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office announced a partnership with Ohio breweries to help drive up voter registration numbers. This open-ended collaboration calls on Ohio breweries to brew a beer of their choosing, name it Every Vote Counts and label the cans, bottles, crowlers or other packaging with information directing customers to voter registration information at voteohio.gov (voter registration deadline is October 5.) Rhinegeist designed label art for all Ohio breweries to use when packaging the beer; 45 breweries from all corners of the state have joined the collaboration so far. This past week, Rhinegeist released their version, an unfiltered juicy IPA brewed with a complex malt bill including Ohio-grown barley, as well as a blend of five hops that give the beer an intense citrus and tropical fruit punch. Every Vote Counts is currently available on draft at the Rhinegeist taproom and in 500 mL bottles for carry out. Learn more about the collaboration at everyvotecounts.beer and read about Rhinegeist’s version at rhinegeist.com
WEST CENTRAL
The grand opening of the hotly anticipated Warped Wing Barrel Room and Smokery is set for this Saturday, August 29. The six year-old Dayton craft brewery’s new outpost is part of the Wright Station development at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue in Springboro. Warped Wing’s barrel aging program is among the best in the state and now has plenty of additional space to expand with the opening of the new facility. Those barrel aged beers will occupy some of the 20 taps behind the bar, alongside Warped Wing flagships and experimental pilot brews. The brewery’s kitchen will feature house-smoked barbecue fare in addition to some crowd favorite items from the original Dayton location’s menu. The Warped Wing Barrel Room and Smokery will be added to the Ohio On Tap app for passport stamps on Saturday morning. Read all about this weekend’s opening at facebook.com/warpedwingbarrelroomandsmokery