Ohio Weekly Roundup
6.15.2018
CENTRAL
The annual Community Festival (aka ComFest) held in Goodale Park in Columbus is coming up next weekend. In a huge change from prior years, all the beers served at this year’s ComFest will be local craft beers. The official brew, ComFest Kolsch, is a collaboration between 2 Tones Brewing, Combustion Brewery and Sideswipe Brewing that uses locally sourced barley from Rustic Brew Farm. Four String Brewing’s Hilltop Lager and Hilltop Light will also be available alongside perennial favorites from Columbus Brewing Company. ComFest runs June 22-24; details at comfest.com
The soccer fanatics over at Endeavor Brewing Company in Grandview will be open for every single World Cup 2018 match, even the early morning contests (France vs. Australia at 6 a.m. this Saturday? Sign me up!) There will be special beer releases weekly throughout the tournament and coffee on the nitro tap at the bar for those crack of dawn tilts. Details at facebook.com/endeavorbrewingco
The 2018 Spruce Ale is on tap now at Staas Brewing Company in Delaware. This seasonal is an English pale ale brewed with spruce tips harvested this spring. Spruce imparts a citrusy, piney brightness to the beer’s flavor with a floral and fruity aroma. Get it while you can; details at facebook.com/staasbrewing
GREATER CLEVELAND
Cheers to a year of beer from Working Class Brewery! The taproom has become a fixture of the Kamm’s Corners neighborhood since throwing open the doors last June. You can join them in their anniversary festivities on Saturday, June 16 starting at noon. Enjoy your favorite Working Class beers, some complimentary finger foods and entertainment throughout the day. Details at facebook.com/ohioworkingclassbrewery
Terrestrial Brewing has two new beers tapping today at their Battery Park tasting room. Space Chimp is a 4.5% ABV Belgian Witbier that’s light and sessionable for summer. Psychedelic Hop Champagne is Terrestrial’s first Brut IPA, a beer made with an amylase enzyme that breaks down residual sugars to lower final gravity and lend a dry, champagne-like finish. Low in bitterness but intense in hop aroma, this style is a must try for IPA fans.
“If you don’t like the weather in Ohio, wait five minutes.” This old axiom didn’t work out recently for a couple of brewers from Railroad Brewing Company, who got stuck on Kelley’s Island last week after storms shut down ferry service to the mainland. Their two-day “struggle” has been immortalized with the release of Stranded Lager, available now at the Avon brewery. Details at facebook.com/railroadbrewingcompany
NORTHEAST
Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 17 (I know you didn’t forget!) and The Phoenix Brewing Company is commemorating the day with a special brew. Firth of Clyde is a traditional Scottish Ale brewed by co-owner Scott Cardwell and his son Ian, who works as an assistant brewer at The Phoenix. The father-and-son collaboration will tap Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at the Mansfield brewery with a “meet the brewers” session at 2 p.m. Dads can keep their glass with purchase of a pint. Rick Armon has the details at ohio.com
Paladin Brewing in Austintown is ushering in the new season by turning back the clock on Saturday, June 16. The brewery, named for the highest-ranking knights in a royal court, will host a Summer Kick-off Party featuring medieval arts and crafts from the Society for Creative Anachronism and live swordfighting demonstrations by Dragonhold Larp. They’ll also debut their new food truck that will be open every Friday and Saturday going forward. Details at facebook.com/paladinbrewing
Between now and Sunday, June 17, you can enter to win a day of brewing with Hop Tree Brewing‘s head brewer Cory Ross. The winner can bring a recipe or create a new one with Cory to brew on their 10 gallon pilot system. Guests will receive one contest entry with each beer purchase. The winner will be announced at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Hop Tree’s taproom in Hudson. Details at facebook.com/hoptreebrewing
NORTHWEST
Two Bandits Brewing announced last week that they will be adding on a larger production space to their existing storefront brewpub in downtown Hicksville. In a statement on their Facebook page, Two Bandits explained that the new production area would allow them to bring in bigger tanks to ramp up capacity. There will also be space to add a bottling line at some point in the future. Details at facebook.com/twobanditsbrewing
Bowling Green Beer Works has added a new bomber to their bottle lineup. Simmo is an IPA brewed with Simcoe and Mosaic hops (sim- mo-, get it?), which lend an earthy, floral aroma that gives way to bold citrus and fruit flavors with just a touch of piney bitterness. Available now alongside the flagship Full Pull Pale Ale at the brewery taproom in Bowling Green.
SOUTHEAST
The Fairfield County Visitors & Convention Bureau recently launched the Route 33 Brew Trail, a brewery passport booklet including breweries along the U.S. 33 corridor from Canal Winchester to Logan. Ohio Craft Brewers Association member breweries along the trail include Double Edge Brewing (Lancaster), Combustion Brewery (Pickerington), BrewDog DogTap and Loose Rail Brewing (Canal Winchester), all of whom are also on the Columbus Ale Trail passport and the Ohio On Tap statewide passport mobile app. Pick up passport booklets from the participating breweries and get all three stamps!
Some of Ohio’s finest haze purveyors have teamed up for a unique beer release. Three Tigers Brewing in Granville and Ill Mannered Brewing in Powell have created So Much Room For Activities, a hazy pineapple wheat IPA. Something tells me that this brew is going to be a super-refreshing summer drink, perhaps even suitable for the Catalina Wine Mixer. Both brewery tasting rooms will tap the beer at 4 p.m. today. Don’t touch my drums…
SOUTHWEST
Rhinegeist is turning the big 5 next weekend and the celebration looks phenomenal. Billed as their 5th Anniversary Adventure, Rhinegeist will have 23 (!) special beers on rotating taps throughout the weekend, plus live entertainment and food in the brewery and trucks outside. As a special preview, Rhinegeist will release their anniversary beer, Cloud Five, in 4-packs and on draft at the OTR taproom today at 3 p.m. Cloud Five is a hazy Imperial IPA with intense notes of tangerine, lemon and grapefruit. Details on all of next weekend’s festivities available at facebook.com/rhinegeist
The newest beer from FigLeaf Brewing Company, 9 Red Lager, is named after its rich color and the county code for Butler County (#9, natch). 9 Red Lager starts with subtle spice, caramel and toffee aromas which are followed by a clean, medium maltiness, with a crisp dry finish and lingering spiciness. Available on draft at the Middletown brewery tasting room at 4 p.m. today.
Big weekend at Listermann Brewing Company in Cincinnati with – count ‘em – three new beers being released: Hank the Dumpster Kitty NE Imperial IPA, brewed with Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado hops, Yacht Rock NE Tiki IPA, brewed with Citra and El Dorado with added coconut, pineapple, vanilla and ancient tiki flavors, and Raspberry Pie Berliner Weisse, a kettle sour with raspberry, vanilla and cinnamon. Sales start at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 16, details at facebook.com/listermannbrewing
WEST CENTRAL
Mark your calendar for Fifth Street Brewpub’s 6th anniversary celebration, Saturday, June 23 in Dayton. Ohio’s first cooperatively-owned brewpub will mark the occasion with a full list of beers, including brand new and throwback brews, plus a special food menu and live music on the patio. Member-owners will also be able to purchase a very limited bottle run of Ice Breaker IPA, an aggressively hopped and full bodied American IPA. Event details at facebook.com/fifthstreetbrewpub
Crooked Handle Brewing Company‘s second can release will take place next Wednesday, June 20. Boro Blonde pays homage to the brewery’s hometown of Springboro. This very approachable and refreshing brew showcases a balance of light malts with a touch of citrus hops. Six pack sales start at 4 p.m. Details available at facebook.com/crookedhandle