Ohio Brewery News
9.11.2020
CENTRAL
Registration is currently underway for the Random Precision Brewing Company 2020 Beard Challenge. Think you can grow more facial hair in the next eight weeks than anyone else in central Ohio? Stop by Random Precision’s taproom between now and Sunday, Sept. 13 – with a clean-shaven face, of course – and sign up for the contest. The entry fee is $20 per person; 100% of the money will be donated to the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, a local non-profit that provides 140,000 meals per day to hungry families. September is Hunger Action Month, so this competition is a great way to help even if you can’t grow a beard (there’s a prize for last place, by the way.) Random Precision will host a halfway party on Sunday, Oct. 11 for contestants to show off their progress. Judging will happen on Sunday, Nov. 8. Get all the details at randomprecisionbrewing.com/beard
GREATER CLEVELAND
Back in the 1980’s, Cleveland’s leaders celebrated the rise of The Flats entertainment district as a sign of urban renewal. As more and more people came to party in the district, crowds at bars became unruly and difficult to manage. The 1991 iteration of the annual RiverFest marked a nadir for The Flats, with attendees turning violent and vandalizing property, leading to a near abandonment of the district. The East Bank of The Flats, in particular, took a massive downturn, only being revitalized this past decade with the development of a massive commercial project on the Cuyahoga River. One of the businesses that planted roots in the East Bank was Collision Bend Brewing Company, which opened in 2017 in a historic chandlery on the riverfront. Since their first year in business, Collision Bend has celebrated Oktoberfest and the history of The Flats with the tapping of RiverFest, a Märzen-style lager with deep malt flavors, clocking in at a fest-able 5.2% ABV. Get it on draft at the brewpub starting this week, details at facebook.com/collisionbrew
NORTHEAST
We’re not far away from the return of brisk, chilly Ohio weather; that nip in the air just begs for a seat around the fire and a cup of hot chocolate in hand. R. Shea Brewing is ready for it, as evidenced by today’s release of Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows, an 8% ABV milk stout aged on cacao nibs, marshmallows and habanero peppers. Cans are available at their Canal Place taproom, and they’ll even be operating a drive-thru pickup tent today only from 3-7 p.m. if you’d prefer not to go inside. Grab a four-pack and get yourself mentally prepared for the cool months ahead. More details available at facebook.com/rsheabrewing2
NORTHWEST
Cheers to five years of beers from Bowling Green Beer Works! They’ll mark the occasion starting today at the tucked away taproom in Bowling Green with the tapping of Gangbusters, a fresh hop IPA brewed with Cascade hops grown just five miles from the brewery at the Agricultural Incubator Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the development, advancement and appreciation of agricultural systems in northwest Ohio. In the adjoining art gallery, Bowling Green Beer Works has collected and displayed customer-submitted photos to present a retrospective of the brewery’s first five years serving the BG community. Food trucks will be on hand all weekend; first responder emergency personnel will be offered a discount on food today from 4-7 p.m. as a show of appreciation on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Get more details on this weekend’s event at facebook.com/bgbeerworks
SOUTHEAST
Asimina triloba, commonly known ‘round yonder as the pawpaw, is currently in season. Ohio’s native “tropical” fruit is the largest edible fruit indigenous to the United States and boasts a unique, custard-like flavor reminiscent of a banana/mango mashup. Unsurprisingly, Ohio brewers love to showcase this local delicacy, especially in southeast Ohio where the Ohio Pawpaw Festival would be taking place this weekend had the coronavirus pandemic not forced its cancellation. Sixth Sense Brewing went ahead with their plans to brew with pawpaw and released two beers this week. Pawpaw Murkshake starts out with a base of the brewery’s Murkimus Juicimus double New England IPA and gets a heavy injection of pawpaw puree and a lactose addition for smoother mouthfeel. The newest version of the Six Degrees fruited Berliner weisse series gets a boost from pawpaw, mango and pineapple for a balance of tropical sweetness and tartness. Both are available on draft at the Sixth Sense taproom in Jackson, but these beers won’t last long. Read more at facebook.com/sixthsensebrewery
SOUTHWEST
One of the first phone calls I got after taking this job at the Ohio Craft Brewers Association in 2017 was from Mike Brown, owner of the then in-planning Rebel Mettle Brewery, asking for the member discount code for our annual conference which was held in Cincinnati that year. I was happy to help: that’s what we do here, assisting members in any way that we can to help them achieve their goals and dreams in the brewing industry. Anyway, enough with the OCBA infomercial…
Almost four years after that call, Rebel Mettle Brewery is opening their doors to the public for the first time this Saturday, September 12 at noon. Located at 412 Central Avenue on the west end of the West Fourth Street Historic District, the brewery seeks to serve downtown Cincinnati with a focus on traditional and experimental lagers. Stop by for a pint and get your Ohio On Tap passport stamp. Learn more at rebelmettlebrewery.com
WEST CENTRAL
Labor Day weekend marked the beginning of the DORA era in Dayton’s Oregon District. Municipalities across the state have been looking for ways to encourage visitors to make their way back to local businesses, and the creation of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) has proven to be an effective and popular option in many Ohio cities and towns. The new Oregon District DORA covers a half mile section of Fifth Street spanning from the Dayton Convention Center to Bainbridge Street and counts 23 eateries and drinkeries inside its borders, including Toxic Brew Company. Patrons may purchase to-go drinks in approved DORA cups from any participating location and carry their drink while shopping or at an outdoor public seating area. By their nature, DORAs encourage physical distancing as recommended by public health experts by allowing people to enjoy their drinks without being in crowded spaces. For more info on Dayton’s new DORA, go to theoregondistrict.org/dora