Ohio Craft Brewers Association Announces the Launch of Columbus Craft Beer Week

Columbus, Ohio – Columbus, the state capital of Ohio, home to the Ohio State University and at the top of many “best of” lists,

has been the only major city in Ohio without its own official beer week. That will change in the upcoming year as the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is organizing the first Columbus Craft Beer Week Presented by Giant Eagle to be celebrated May 1 – 9, 2015. Sure, it’s technically more than a traditional seven day week, but there’s just so much great craft beer to be enjoyed that is produced locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

 

All Central Ohio retail establishments, bars, restaurants, growler stations and breweries are invited to participate in Columbus Craft Beer Week by planning unique events that showcase the creative craft beers produced by small, independent breweries. Events can include food and beer pairings, beer dinners (or lunch, brunch or breakfast), limited edition or specialty beer releases, tap takeovers, meet the brewer opportunities, educational speakers on topics from beer styles to home-brewing or any other creative, educational and/or unique charitable event produced that celebrates the distinctive heritage, quality or future of craft beer. The week will culminate in an Ohio Craft Brewers Association signature event on Saturday, May 9: “Six One Pour: The Ohio Craft Beer Fest” that will be held at Brewmasters Gate in the Brewery District.

“As the state guild representing local craft brewers our values include stewardship, advocacy, empowerment and fun,” said Mary MacDonald, Executive Director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. “We believe we can incorporate a good deal of those first three into Columbus Craft Beer Week and have a whole lot of fun while celebrating craft beer!”

 

Columbus’ breweries are excited to participate in Columbus Craft Beer Week and are already scheming up plans for events.  In addition, sixteen local breweries have formed teams to create seven different collaboration beers to be released throughout the week and all will be featured at Six One Pour: The Ohio Craft Beer Fest. Teams include (1) Actual Brewing Company and Barley’s Ale House, (2) Buckeye Lake Brewery, North High Brewing and Zauber Brewing Company, (3) Elevator Brewing Company and Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, (4) Four String Brewing, Land-Grant Brewing and Sideswipe Brewing, (5) Gordon Biersch and Weasel Boy Brewing Company, (6) Homestead Beer Co. and Seventh Son Brewing and (7) Smokehouse Brewing Company and Zaftig Brewing Co.

 

But wait, there’s even more fun to be had! Earlier this year a request was submitted by Columbus Craft Beer Week organizers to Guinness World Records to create a category for the world’s tallest tap handle.  They wrote back stating “We think that it is a little too specialized for a body of reference as general as Guinness World Records”, ultimately denying the new category proposal.  Despite getting turned down by the world’s authorities on extremes, we’re going ahead and hosting our own “Tallest Tap Handle Contest”. By George, Columbus will be the first city to prove that tallest tap handles have a place in the World Records, right next to the world’s tallest Mohawk!

Keep tabs on the Columbus Craft Beer Week happenings online at www.ColumbusBeerWeek.com (website coming soon).

And on social media:

Facebook: ColumbusBeerWeek

Twitter: ColsBeerWeek (#CbusBeerWeek)

Instagram: ColumbusBeerWeek (#CbusBeerWeek)

 

Columbus Craft Beer Week Presented by Giant Eagle is being organized by the Ohio Craft Brewers Association and will run May 1 – 9, 2015. This weeklong celebration of craft beer is supported by Giant Eagle, 614 Media Group, CD102.5, Cavalier Distributing, Columbus Distributing, Premium Beverage Supply, Rampant Brands, Superior Beverage Group, Uber Columbus and Winking Lizard. Any proceeds from Columbus Craft Beer Week or Six One Pour: The Ohio Craft Beer Fest will benefit the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.

 

Founded in 2007, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is a nonprofit guild that exists to promote and preserve Ohio’s unified craft brewing industry. We aspire to be recognized as the industry leader for preserving the art of making high-quality, unique craft beer; to serve as the unified voice for craft brewers across the state; to advocate on behalf of the Ohio Craft beer industry; to contribute to systemic, local community development by driving economic and job growth, while creating experiences that bring people together; and to serve as a beacon for local production and manufacturing through craft beer, resulting in diverse product choices for consumers. ###

Contact:  Mary MacDonald, Executive Director

Ohio Craft Brewers Association
mary@ohiocraftbeer.org