Ohio Brewery News
9.23.2021
CENTRAL
The traditional Oktoberfest celebration in Munich would have begun this past Saturday, and while we here in the States tend to accelerate the schedule of our own fests, there are still many opportunities to hoist a glass and toast the end of summer with a toasty lager in hand. North High Brewing is all set to host your prost at their taproom in the Short North this Saturday, Sept. 25 for Lager Fest. The brewery will tap five lagers for the event, including their perennial favorite Norden Hoch Märzen and a fresh batch of There And Back Again New Zealand dry-hopped pilsner. Beloved Columbus institution Schmidt’s Sausage Haus will have their food truck on hand to dish up German specialties to enjoy alongside the brews. Follow North High on Facebook for more details about Saturday’s festivities: facebook.com/northhighbrewing
GREATER CLEVELAND
It has been a long journey for Terry and Janice Delap toward starting their own brewery, but they’ve finally arrived at the finish line. Broadview Brewing Company will hold their grand opening celebration on Saturday, Oct. 2 in the Cleveland suburb of Broadview Heights. Brewer Wyatt Routson’s initial lineup of beers includes two IPAs with varying levels of strength and bitterness, approachable crowd pleasers in the form of an amber ale and a wheat ale, as well as some playful styles like a peach-tinged saison and a rich, robust weizenbock. More beers are on the way between now and the grand opening festivities, some of which may be available for a sneak peek during one of Broadview Brewing’s soft opening days over the next few weeks. Follow the brewery on social media for more info on the official grand opening: facebook.com/broadview.brewing.co
NORTHEAST
Cheers to three years of beers from Ignite Brewing! The anniversary festivities kick off today at the taproom in Barberton with three brand new beers hitting the draft list. Forever Hoppy is a session blonde ale for hop lovers, clocking in at a quaffable 5.1% ABV and with low perceived bitterness. Konfusion sour IPA blurs the lines between the hop-driven flavor of an IPA and the tart, funky character of a sour ale. Gentle Giant barleywine brings the hammer at 12.5% ABV, but balances the malty sweetness of the style with a hefty hop infusion to add bitterness and complexity to the brew. Limited edition anniversary glasses are available starting today while supplies last. Get details on all this weekend’s events at ignite.beer
NORTHWEST
A pair of Bowling Green breweries have teamed up on a crosstown Oktoberfest collaboration. Arlyn’s Good Beer and Aistear Brewing got together to brew a couple of traditional fest favorites. The Arlyn’s end of the collab is a light-bodied, pale festbier made with German noble hops that is the style most commonly enjoyed at the annual Munich Oktoberfest celebration. Aistear’s contribution to the collaboration is a Märzen, the amber-hued, toasted malt-driven lager that was historically brewed in March and allowed to mature in beer cellars over the summer before being served in early fall. Aistear will tap their Märzen this weekend; the Arlyn’s festbier is available on draft now. Take an Ohio On Tap trip to BG and pop in at both breweries to compare and contrast these seasonal styles. Follow Aistear on Facebook for more details about this weekend’s release: facebook.com/aistearbrewing
SOUTHEAST
This may be the best time of year to be a beer drinker in Ohio as there’s literally a seasonal treat for everyone. We’ve dedicated a lot of column inches in recent weeks to Oktoberfest lagers, pumpkin beers and fresh hop ales, especially those using crops from one of our state’s more than 50 hop farms. However, there’s another seasonal phenomenon in Ohio that we haven’t yet touched on so far in 2021: the pawpaw beer. Our own native “tropical” fruit, the pawpaw has a wild following in the beer community, especially in southeast Ohio. The fermentation science program at Hocking College is embracing the indigenous delight, harvesting local pawpaws and processing them for future use at their own Star Brick Brewery in Nelsonville. Read all about the history of the pawpaw and the way Ohio continues to celebrate it at hocking.edu
SOUTHWEST
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the autumnal equinox came and went this week. From now until next March, the night will outlast the day and we turn to stronger, maltier beers to combat the chill that will dominate the forthcoming months. Fibonacci Brewing is celebrating the change of season with the release of two beers at their autumnal equinox celebration on Saturday, Sept. 25. Locally grown pumpkins from Lobenstein Farm take center stage in Pepo pumpkin porter, a seasonal favorite at Fibonacci’s taproom in Mt. Healthy. The annual Herbstfest Märzen lager makes its return to the taps this weekend as well. Get all the details about Saturday’s seasonal festivities at facebook.com/fibonaccibrewing
WEST CENTRAL
Branch & Bone Artisan Ales released their newest hazy IPA this week. Is That The Joke? clocks in at 7% ABV and is heavily dosed with Citra, Strata and Zappa hops to blend citrus, berry and tropical flavors with strong notes of pine, resin and dankness. Pull up a stool at the Branch & Bone taproom in Dayton to enjoy a pour of this delicious new brew. Just be on the lookout for whoopie cushions. Find out more about Is That The Joke? at facebook.com/branchandboneales