Fretboard Brewing | Mellowship India Session Pilsner

In a culture that is often obsessed with the notion of “more”, craft beer has fallen victim to chasing high ABV and over-hopped beers. But the real truth is, that most beer drinkers prefer light and/or moderately hoppy beers. This … Read More

Blackberry Prairie Wheat | Moeller Brew Barn

Maria Stein, Ohio, is not the first place you expect to find a great brewery. The tiny, unincorporated town in rural Mercer County is home to only a couple hundred people, and the cattle in the area likely outnumber them. This region of west central Ohio, just north of the midline of the state, was heavily settled by German Catholics in the 1800s under the spiritual leadership of Francis de Sales Brunner, a missionary priest who established parish churches in the area. The region is now known as The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches due to the unusually high number of Catholic worship structures in this rural area. When driving through this flat, agricultural county, you can see for miles in every direction, and no matter which way you turn, a tall steeple is silhouetted against the horizon. However, just outside of Maria Stein sits Moeller Brew Barn.
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MadTree Brewing | Thundersnow

By definition, Thundersnow, also known as a winter thunderstorm or a thundersnowstorm, is an unusual kind of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain.

I’ve never witnessed Thundersnow in my area but I have witnessed the frenzy of people excited about the release of MadTree Brewing’s Thundersnow.

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Little Fish Brewing | Sunfish

Little Fish Brewing sits at the western tip of Athens, Ohio, a small college town in the southwest region of the state. It’s at the very edge of town, with the county fairgrounds and a small state park separating it from the city proper and its compact and cozy downtown. The location geographically represents the philosophical space Little Fish occupies as a brewery, straddling the culture of the college town and the wilds of the southeastern Ohio Appalachian foothills. Little Fish Brewing Sunfish Saison serves as a shining example of the brewery’s dedication to conserving the resources found within that unique, beautiful location.

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Event Recap | Dayton’s Ale-O-Ween 2017

The Steam Plant on Third Street just east of downtown Dayton, Ohio, was built 110 years ago by Dayton Power & Light to provide heat for the small Midwestern city before being closed in the 1980s and falling into disrepair. It appeared destined for a date with the wrecking ball until a recent renovation restored this art deco industrial building to its former glory and turned it into a premier event space.

The first public event to be held in The Steam Plant? Ale-O-Ween, a one-day beer festival put on by the Ohio Craft Brewers Association and showcasing some of the best beers in the Buckeye State. Read More

2 Days, 2 Nights | Dayton’s Craft Beer Scene

Dayton, Ohio, doesn’t get much love.

While the country’s craft beer nuts have started to pay attention to the amazing beer scenes in nearby Cincinnati and Columbus, Dayton gets ignored. That’s a big mistake because Dayton has an excellent and growing beer scene in a compact and affordable city center. With close to twenty breweries (and more in the planning stages) and quite a few excellent beer bars and beer-conscious restaurants—many of which are located in or near an attractive and walkable downtown area—Dayton makes for a great weekend beer getaway. If you decide to leave downtown, there are plenty of breweries and awesome restaurants in neighborhoods and suburbs farther afield, but let’s just focus on the heart of Dayton for now.
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Event Preview | Dayton’s Ale-O-Ween Features 30 Ohio Breweries

On Saturday, October 21, Ale-O-Ween will take over the recently renovated Dayton Steam Plant in downtown Dayton. From 6-9 p.m. (with a VIP hour beginning at 5), attendees will be treated to beer from over 30 Ohio craft breweries, including Dayton breweries Warped Wing, Fifth Street Brewpub, Carillon Brewing, Dayton Beer Company, Eudora, Toxic Brew, Star City, Lock 27, Lucky Star, Yellow Springs Brewery, Hairless Hare and Heavier Than Air. Other excellent breweries from around the state include Fat Head’s Brewery, Great Lakes, MadTree, Little Fish, Seventh Son and many others. A complete list is available at the Ale-O-Ween website.

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Beer Label Art | Actual Brewing

Fred and Mira Lee had been married less than two weeks when they made what Mira refers to as “an unholy vow” to open a brewery in Columbus, Ohio. “I think there was a literal spit handshake,” jokes Mira as she reflects back on the challenge the couple set for themselves a little over five years ago. The pair were already accomplished homebrewers by that time, and had assembled a pilot brewing system nicknamed Amelia Beerhart in their garage, complete with a “surprisingly legit” analysis lab. In fact, when they decided to go pro, they started out doing yeast propagation and lab services for other breweries before brewing themselves. Actual Brewing began production in 2013, but they still offer lab services under the side business Hoax Labs. Read More

Rockmill Brewery | Tripel

Ask most people to picture Ohio, and they’ll probably think of flat farmland covered in soybeans and corn stretching for miles toward the horizon and broken up only by farmhouses and small towns. That’s an accurate enough image for much of Ohio, but as you head toward the southeast corner of the state, the landscape becomes something else entirely. This region is hilly and rugged, wooded and more wild than the tamed crop lands of the rest of the state. These are the foothills of the Appalachians, and this region of the Buckeye state feels like it has more in common with its neighbors, Kentucky and West Virginia, than its does with the rest of Ohio.

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Beer Label Art | Yellow Springs Brewery

When it came time for Yellow Springs Brewery in western Ohio to redesign their logo and cans, they wanted designs that would express both the experimental freedom of the brewery and the intricate, complex precision with which master brewer Jeffrey McElfresh crafts their excellent range of beers.
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Rivertown Brewery & Barrel House | Sour Noir

Cincinnati is approaching 40 breweries, which is an amazing feat for my city. One of the breweries that has been around since the beginning of the craft beer boom is Rivertown Brewery & Barrel House. As the city’s craft beer … Read More

Platform Beer Co. | Shanghai Noon Gose

ABV: 4.2% | IBU: 4.3

When people think of Cleveland beer, the first name that comes to mind is Great Lakes Brewing Company – and rightly so. However, as the craft beer market in Cleveland has flourished, other names are coming to the forefront.

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Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

On the day when we officially elect the President of the United States, we will focus most of our attention to craft beer legislation throughout the country. Ohio is to allow breweries to give away free samples, Tennessee is raising the ABV limits, and Miami eases restrictions on the location of breweries. Stay informed so you don’t miss out. Keep reading to catch the details of these stories and more in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Oktoberfest

ABV: 6.5% | IBU: 20

On Tuesday October 25, 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers opened their season by raising their championship banner and receiving their championship rings for winning the 2016 NBA Finals. No more than 100 yards away at Progressive Field, the Cleveland Indians began the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs – and no more than two years ago that would have been the longest of long shots in baseball (aside from a Mike Napoli rocket over the left field wall). Yet here we are, and frankly it’s a helluva time to be in The Land. The feeling in the city is exciting and electric as we embark on an unprecedented time in Cleveland sports history (except for the Browns – the Browns are horrendous, as is tradition). Not even the most biting breeze off of Lake Erie can temper the mood around town.
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Event Recap | BrewDog’s Inaugural ‘Annual General Mayhem’

On Saturday, September 24, BrewDog Brewing Co. opened its brand new 100,000 square foot brewery doors in Columbus, OH to over 1,000 Equity Punks for the Inaugural ‘Annual General Mayhem’ event.  This annual ‘business’ meeting was far from your typical … Read More

Event Preview | BrewDog’s Inaugural ‘Annual General Mayhem’

It has been long awaited, and the day is almost here when BrewDog Brewing out of the U.K. will open its doors in Columbus, Ohio. But first, BrewDog needs to take care of a little business. How does the most badass brewery out of the United Kingdom take care of business, you ask? By inviting 46,000 ‘Equity Punks’ to Columbus for the Inaugural ‘Annual General Mayhem’ event on Saturday, September, 24th.

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Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

Port City Brewing expands in Alexandria, a beer museum may be coming to Pittsburgh, and BrewDog celebrates the end of ABV limits in Ohio with a 55% ABV brew. Don’t just drink beer on Labor Day, read about it, too. Keep scrolling to catch all of the details in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Rhinegeist Brewery | Trips American Wild Ale

ABV: 7.5% | IBU: 12

A few weekends ago, Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio had their anniversary party celebrating “Three Years of Thirst!” Located in the historical Over the Rhine Brewery District, Rhinegeist has been able to utilize the old Moerlein … Read More

Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

The U.S. Justice Department gives the green light to the AB InBev/SABMiller merger, Terrapin Beer Company is acquired by MillerCoors, and Sun King expands distribution in its home state. Why waste your time on election news when you can get up-to-date on all the happenings in the craft brewniverse? Read on for all of the details in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Taft’s Ale House | Culebra Cut Coconut Brown Ale

ABV: 6.1% | IBU: 12

Pair with: A Hawaiian shirt, shades, and a laid-back island attitude

Summer is in full effect in Cincinnati.  With the arrival of these hot summer months, Taft’s Ale House has graduated their Coconut Brown Ale, Culebra Cut, from a draft-only offering to easily-portable cans. Just the kind of six-pack I’ll be bringing poolside. Read More