Ohio Weekly Roundup
2.2.2018
CENTRAL
The Ohio Craft Brewers Association is proud to announce the 5th annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference will be held in Columbus Jan. 8-10, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency adjacent to the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The 2018 Conference held at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland this week hosted 620 attendees, 26 educational seminars and a 100 exhibitor trade show.
Wild Ohio Brewing, purveyors of several varieties of gluten-free tea beers, released DalyPalmer this week. The new beer flavor draws from the classic combination of lemonade and iced tea: Wild Ohio says this brew has a more pronounced tea flavor paired with tangy lemonade. It’s in stores now, no need to wait until the dog days of summer for this refreshing brew.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, Elevator Brewing Company is rolling out three new beers for “FeBREWary”: Oh-IPA (a spelt IPA made with all Ohio-grown ingredients), Brett Brown (naturally fermented brown ale), and Maple Barrel Brown (nut brown ale aged in maple syrup barrels). Beers will be tapped at noon in the 13th Floor Taproom on 4th Street in Columbus.
GREATER CLEVELAND
The 12th annual Winter Warmer Fest is just a month away! 57 Ohio breweries will take over Windows on the River in the Flats, serving rare, strong and seasonal beers in one of Cleveland’s most scenic venues. A limited number of early admission tickets are left for $55 each; general admission tickets are $45 per person. Tickets available at beerfesttickets.com. Winter Warmer Fest is a fundraiser for the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.
Head Hunter, the award-winning IPA from Fat Head’s Brewery, will be available in six-packs starting Feb. 5. “As a special thank you to our loyal and passionate fans, we’re going to launch the new 6-packs a few months early,” said Matt Cole, Fat Head’s co-founder and master brewer. “So starting in early February, craft IPA lovers will get more a couple more beers for your buck.”
Save the date: Sibling Revelry Brewing will celebrate their two-year anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 24 at their taproom in Westlake. The festivities will include live music, food trucks and three limited edition bomber releases. Follow Sibling Revelry on Facebook for updates: facebook.com/siblingrevelrybrewing
NORTHEAST
The Phoenix Brewing Company recently had gypsy brewer Goose Steingass come in to make a Wee Heavy called Tipped Tombstone. The malty delight checks in at 16 IBU and 8.4 ABV, and is currently on draft at the The Phoenix’s taproom in Mansfield.
Despite what the name might imply, the new Rye Double IPA from Headtrip Brewery in Stow is one serious brew. Imperial F’n Around is a hop monster with a rye bite, clocking in at 9% ABV. Available on draft now.
RUMOR MILL… Is there an R.Shea Brewing/Warped Wing Brewing collab in the works? Ron Shea posted a dispatch from the Ohio Craft Brewers Conference, hinting that the Akron brewery’s first collaboration might be with Dayton’s Warped Wing. If that comes to fruition, it’s definitely something to look forward to. Read Ron’s full report on the R.Shea Facebook page: facebook.com/rsheabrewing
NORTHWEST
Rick Armon of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that Black Cloister Brewing Company in Toledo will soon have two cans available in distribution. Helles Angel lager and Rose of Shannon Irish ale are expected to be on store shelves starting in March.
Wild Side Brewing Company is moving from its humble set-up in rural Wood County to a new brewery and taproom. The brewery, specializing in wild ales and farmhouse styles, is projecting a March grand opening in their space at 24194 Front Street in downtown Grand Rapids.
SOUTHEAST
If you missed the Jackie O’s sour saison release last Friday, fret not: MXD FRM and Primary are currently in distribution throughout Ohio. MXD FRM is the Jackie O’s house saison, fermented for two months and then bottle conditioned. Primary is made from the same base wort as MXD FRM, but aged in wine barrels for one year after the two month fermentation, then bottle conditioned.
RARITY: Little Fish Brewing Company in Athens brewed a variant of their Woodthrush Bière de Garde loaded with dark Belgian candi sugar and called it Sneaky Varmint. The bulk of the batch is currently aging in barrels, but one keg of this 10.25% ABV monster is currently on tap at the brewery. Get a taste now, take notes and compare it to the barrel-aged version when that comes out in the future.
SOUTHWEST
The 11th annual Cincy Winter Beerfest is happening this weekend at the Duke Energy Convention Center. 48 Ohio Craft Brewers Association member breweries will be on hand slinging samples of rare beers and popular favorites. We’ll also have our tent set up at all three sessions with tons of Drink Beer Made Here merch and even some free goodies for Ohio On Tap app users. Download it for free: ohiocraftbeer.org/app
Platform Beer Co. announced plans to open a brewery and tasting room in downtown Cincinnati. LOCOBA by Platform is slated to open this summer. The new concept would focus on both beer and coffee, as well as a significant barrel-aging program. Co-owner Justin Carson states, “It creates this really interesting proposition where a customer can taste a spirit, taste beer aged in that spirit’s barrel and taste coffee from beans soaked in that same barrel.”
Now that we’re all done eating Tide Pods (please tell me we’re done with that), Grainworks Brewing Company is encouraging people to drink Old Motor Oil. Their new Russian Imperial Stout is thick, roasty and potent at 9.1% ABV. Available in their West Chester taproom starting today.
WEST CENTRAL
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, but the Wobbly Wheel gets drank. The popular Imperial IPA from Yellow Springs Brewery will be released first at the taproom on Saturday, Feb. 3 and then hit retail shelves the following week. Wobbly Wheel is a light-bodied ale that is aggressively saturated with Simcoe, Mosaic and Centennial hops.
The Dayton Beer Company is hosting the 2nd annual GoatFest on Saturday, Feb. 17, showcasing all things wood and barrel aged. Keep up with updates on the beer list – and the possible appearance of an actual goat – on Facebook: facebook.com/daytonbeerco