Ohio Brewery News
9.9.2021
CENTRAL
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing is gearing up for a couple of big parties this month, starting with this Friday’s Oktoberfest celebration at the downtown Columbus taproom. Six German-inspired beers will be on draft, including the Oktoberfest Marzen lager, the Septemberfest golden festbier and the 2020 Great American Beer Festival medal-winning Buchenrauch smoked lager. Later this month, Wolf’s Ridge will celebrate eight years of beers with an epic barrel aged beer release on Saturday, Sept. 25. Bottles will go on sale online at 2 p.m. that day: if you want to get a taste before you buy, drop by the taproom starting at noon and order a flight of all the available brews at the anniversary festivities. Check out the impressive beer list and get all the details about both events at wolfsridgebrewing.com
GREATER CLEVELAND
Speaking of the Great American Beer Festival competition, Fat Head’s Brewery is currently riding a 12-year winning streak, earning a total of 26 medals during that span. Just so we’re not responsible for jinxing them before this year’s awards are announced on Friday, let’s talk about a beer that we’re pretty sure they didn’t enter into the 2021 competition. Bumble Stinger is now on tap at the Fat Head’s brewery and beer hall in Middleburg Heights, a taproom exclusive brew that riffs on their flagship Bumble Berry honey blueberry blonde ale. Working from the same base beer, Bumble Stinger still features the distinct honey and malt sweetness, but balances that with crisp lemon and orange blossom, as well as a pronounced ginger “sting.” Get a pint of this small batch brew while you can. Who knows, maybe it will be a medal contender in the future? Find out more at facebook.com/fatheadsbeer
NORTHEAST
This weekend, you can do good while you drink good at Paladin Brewing. For every beer sold in their Austintown taproom and each six-pack sold to-go, the brewery will donate $1 to childhood cancer research. Melina Michelle Edenfield passed away last year at the age of four after developing an aggressive brain tumor, and the family established a charitable foundation in her honor to fund research for a cure for childhood cancer. It’s a cause near and dear to the heart of Paladin owner/brewer John Chandler, a brain cancer survivor himself. The Mugs Up for Melina fundraiser runs from 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11. Read more about this weekend’s event and the non-profit foundation at mmefoundationjoy.org
NORTHWEST
Kudos to Twin Oast Brewing, who scheduled their annual Oastoberfest for the traditional end of Oktoberfest season in the first weekend of October rather than giving in to seasonal creep. Market forces have pushed the release of many Oktoberfest-style lagers earlier and earlier in the calendar – starting as soon as late July – as more beer brands compete for shelf space. This can unfortunately mean that a lot of Marzens and festbiers are sold out for the year by early September before the traditional fest season even begins. Proast!, Twin Oast’s Oktoberfest brew, was released at the brewery last weekend, so there should be plenty on hand for the big celebration on October 1-2 at the pastoral brewery in Port Clinton. Get all the details about the fest and pre-purchase drink tickets at twinoast.com
SOUTHEAST
Jackie O’s has a track record of collaborating with out of state breweries on some pretty intense projects, like their highly sought Appervation imperial stout made in conjunction with Missouri’s Side Project Brewing or The Ties That Bind sour ale made with Colorado’s Crooked Stave. Looking again to the west, Jackie O’s has teamed up with Our Mutual Friend Brewing from Denver on Big Snail, an imperial stout brewed with Fireweed honey and aged for 15 months in bourbon barrels. The honey lends a floral note to the rich, decadent, spice-flavored beer. Big Snail will be available at Jackie O’s locations in Athens and Columbus this Friday, Sept. 10, as well as on their online store for shipping throughout the state. Read more at jackieos.com
SOUTHWEST
The Cincinnati Bengals open the football season at home this Sunday looking to improve upon last year’s 4-11-1 record. 16 Lots Brewing Company is cheering on their hometown team with this week’s release of Kenny’s Dey Drinkin’ Lager, a light American lager designed for maximum game day enjoyment. The brewery teamed up with legendary Bengals quarterback Kenny Anderson to donate a portion of the beer sales to the Ken Anderson Alliance, a non-profit organization creating opportunities for adults with disabilities. Kenny’s Dey Drinkin’ Lager is available in six-packs now at the 16 Lots taproom in Mason, as well as at select retail locations around the Cincinnati area. Matt Koesters has full coverage of the origin of the beer at cincinnati.com
WEST CENTRAL
Devastating tornadoes tore through the Miami Valley on Memorial Day weekend in 2019, causing extensive damage throughout the region. Among the hardest hit communities was the city of Trotwood, northwest of Dayton, where more than 1,100 properties were affected, more than 200 of which were severely damaged or destroyed. Recovery efforts continue to this day, and Loose Ends Brewing has teamed up with several area breweries to help. On Sunday, Sept. 26, Loose Ends will host a long table dinner to benefit the United Way Greater Dayton Tornado Relief Fund. The five course meal will include beer pairings from Branch & Bone, Crooked Handle, Warped Wing and beers made on site at Loose Ends. Tickets are still available, get all the details at facebook.com/looseendsbrewing