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Sometimes called the Olympics of beer competitions, the World Beer Cup recently awarded medals to three Ohio microbreweries. Hoppin’ Frog’s Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S (Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout) won a gold medal in the wood and barrel aged strong stout category. This excellent beer is often the receipt of medals and accolades, both the original version and the barrel aged version.
Fat Head’s Brewery was a multiple winner with silver medals for their flagship Head Hunter IPA and for their Battle Axe Baltic Porter. The World Beer Cup was some stiff competition with nearly 4,000 beers from nearly 800 breweries from 54 countries. The American-style IPA category had more entries than any other category with 150 entries, so Head Hunter IPA beat 148 of them.
Also winning a gold medal was Rock Bottom brewery of Cincinnati, with a medal for their Sarah’s Two Headed Buffalo in the wood and barrel aged beer category. Congrats to these fine Ohio brewers! Complete list of winners can be found here.
If you want to sample beer from these breweries, come to the International Beer Fest at the IX Center this weekend. There are three sessions to choose from and more info can be found here.
Charlie Papazian, homebrew guru, author, founder of Great American Beer Fest, American Homebrewers Association and current president of the Brewers Association is sponsoring the 4th annual vote for BeerCity USA. For more information a link to vote for Cleveland… click here.
(Grand Rapids is currently ahead in the vote… what’s up with that?)
The Big Tap In – Real Craft Beer Festival is rapidly approaching. Do you have your tickets yet? The VIP tickets especially may sell out if you don’t do it soon. It bills itself as the biggest craft beer festival between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and is back again for the third year. It will be held on April 21st from 1-6 pm (VIP) and 3-6 pm (general admission).
Judging by the past, it will be a combination of bottled beer provided by local distributors, draft beer from local breweries, and a few cask conditioned ales thrown in, too. Their website lists 88 different breweries represented and 22 different food vendors. If it’s anything like last year, many of the food vendors will be offering free samples. And did I mention live music, too? They advertise eight different music entertainment acts.
It’s at a new venue this year; the Covelli Centre, 229 Front Street in downtown Youngstown. Tickets range from $45 to $70, and for a few dollars extra you can add shuttle bus service that will take you to several area hotels (which also have special rates for the occasion). So… get your tickets now at Eventbrite.
The event would not be possible without Vintage Estate Wine & Beer, a beer (and wine and mead) store in Boardman that was rated number one in the world in 2010 by ratebeer.com. Proceeds will benefit Making Kids Count, Inc., in case you need an added incentive to attend.
The National IPA challenge sponsored every year by the Brewing News crowned Fat Head’s Brewery and Saloon’s Head Hunter IPA as the best IPA in the nation! One hundred and twenty-eight (128) India Pale Ales from breweries across the US were entered in the competition. The competition works like the NCAA tournament brackets in that each beer is pitted against another and the winner advances to the next round. The challenge started on Feb 3 with round one in Buffalo, NY, with subsequent rounds held in Grand Rapids, Seattle, Syracuse, and the finals in Buffalo.
Fat Head’s Head Hunter has now won this competition twice. Congratulations to Matt Cole and Fat Head’s! The complete bracket is shown here.
Join us for the 6th annual WINTER WARMER FEST on Saturday, February 25th! This much-anticipated annual craft beer showcase and fundraiser for the Ohio Craft Brewers Association returns to the Powerhouse with 21 of Ohio’s great breweries sampling their winter, limited edition, and other popular beers.
Tickets are $35 and include a souvenir glass, 20 taste tickets for 4 oz samples, complimentary appetizers and live entertainment courtesy of blues artist Austin Walkin’ Cane.
Designated Driver tickets are available for $12 each and include complimentary appetizers and coffee/tea/water.
Tickets are limited…when they are gone, they are gone…get yours today!
Tickets, if available, will be sold “cash only” for $40/each at the door.
PARTICIPATING BREWERIES & BEERS
Black Box Brewing Co.
Ice Porter, 2012 IPA, Settlers Ale
Buckeye Brewing
Cleveland IPA, Nighty Night, Hippie, Cleveland Porter
Cellar Rats
The Rat Tail Ale, The Piper’s IPA, McRat’s Smoked Scottish Ale
Chardon BrewWorks
Pride of Geauga Maple Porter, Milk Chocolate Pomegranate Stout, Hopominable Snow Monster Double IPA
Columbus Brewing Company
Bohdi, Double IPA, Imperial Stout
CornerStone Brewing
Evil Entity X Black IPA, Rowan Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Bourbon Big Sexy Imperial Porter
Elevator Brewing Co.
Winter Warmer, Yule Lager, Three Frogs IPA, Espresso Baltic Porter, Barrel Aged Black IPA
Fat Heads Brewery
Caveman Keller Bier, Bean Me Up Coffee Stout, Head Hunter IPA, BumbleBerry
Great Black Swamp Brewing
Snow Drift
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Barrel Aged Rackhouse Ale, Barrel Aged Blackout Stout, Alberta Clipper
Hoppin’ Frog Brewery
DORIS the Destroyer Double Imperial Stout, Outta Kilter Scotch Red, Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale, Hop Dam Triple IPA
Indigo Imp Brewery
Jester, Gatekeeper, Fiend
Lager Heads Brewing Co.
Barnburner Lager, Tyranny American Pale Ale, Savage Stout, Abbeyville Abbey Trippel
Market Garden Brewery
Winter Porter, Friar Power Tripel
Neil House Brewery
Cranberry Cider, Buckeye Roots Hefeweizen
Ohio Brewing Company
Verich Gold, Alt-ernative Amber, O’Hoppy Ale IPA, Steel Valley Stout, Double Irish Red, Twice Bitten
Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
Bourbon Barrel Belgian Imperial Stout, Anniversary Ale, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Bourbon Barrel Siberian Night
The Brew Kettle
Bourbon Barrel Jack Hammer Barleywine, EXP Galactic Redacted WIPpLe, Dark Helmet Imperial Schwarzbier, White Rajah IPA
Weasel Boy Brewing Company
Bourbon Barrel Aged Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, Barrel Aged Tart Cherry Stout
Willoughby Brewing Company
Oatmeal Stout, Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter, as well as Cosmic IPA and Anniversary Ale brewed specially for Winter Warmer Fest (read about the new beers here)
Wooden Shoe Brewing Company
Lager, Bock, Canoe Pale Ale, Tippecanoe Canal Jumpers Red Ale
As promised, here’s a list of licenses applied for, but not yet approved in Ohio. A1 licenses are required for brewing beer, ale, stout or other malt liquors. A1A licenses are required for serving beer or liquor on an A1 premise (although recent law changes allow for tasting rooms at breweries without the A1A now.)
Blank Slate Brewing Company – Airport Rd, Cincinnati (A1)
Dos Neighbors – Lee Road, Cleveland Heights (A1, A1A)
Double Barrel Brewery – Eastern Ave, Cincinnati (A1)
Buckeye Lake Brewery – Buckeye Lake (A1A) [A1 issued last year]
Morlein Lager House Patio & Lawn, Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati (A1, A1A)
Fat Head’s Brewery – Sheldon Rd, Middleburg Heights (A1) [new production brewery - not a brewpub]
Gerold Fryman – Beall Ave, Wooster (A1)
Hoof Hearted Brewing – Frost Rd, Marengo (A1)
Valley Vineyards Farm – Morrow (A1)
Willoughby Brewing – Erie St. banquet room & patios, Willoughby (A1, A1A) (additional permits for banquet room & patios for existing brewery)
Zauber Brewing – Norton Ave, Columbus (A1)
It promises to be an exciting 2012 for Ohio Craft Beer!
It’s been a great year for Ohio Craft brewing scene with many new breweries opening. I checked the Ohio Liquor Control Board to make sure I didn’t miss any. The following are new permits issued for brewers in Ohio in the year 2011:
ANHEUSER BUSCH LLC – Columbus Ohio. Top of the list, not sure why this one is here as Busch has long had a brewery in Columbus–maybe new location? Who really cares?
ALEXANDRIA’S – brewpub and restaurant in Findlay, Ohio. I’ve haven’t been here yet. Check their Facebook page. Issued 10/25/2011
MARKET GARDEN BREWERY & BAR CENTO – West 25th Street in Cleveland next to the West Side Market and across from Bier Markt. Who doesn’t know about this one by now? Andy Tveekrem’s return to Cleveland is well known among NEO beer lovers. Issued 4/7/2011
LITTLE MOUNTAIN BREWING COMPANY CO – Kirtland, Ohio. Mostly a brew on premise for now, but does brew his own, too. Issued 1/24/2011
COLUMBUS KOMBUCHA CO LLC – Doing business as Luna Kombucha Co at 3478 North High Street in Columbus. They have a brewing license because their product is a fermented tea beverage, but not really beer. Issued 5/3/2011
FOUR STRING BREWING COMPANY in Columbus. Newly issued 10/1/2011 and is now available in some Columbus bars, but official launch party is January 13, 2012 at Woodland’s Tavern. Click here for more information.
BUCKEYE LAKE BREWERY – Buckeye Lake, Ohio, of course. Issued 11/22.
NEIL HOUSE BREWERY – Columbus, Ohio. First was a homebrew supply shop, now brews. Issued 1/7/11
STOIUM GROUP LLC DBA THE BREWERY & PATIO – This is the old Marietta Brewing Co which closed and then reopened under new ownership. Issued 6/10/2011
On my way to Grape vs. Grains in a few minutes (tickets sold out) but there are many many more events tonight through next Saturday night for you to enjoy. In fact, check out Lily’s chocolates tonight from 7-9 pm for a sour beer/chocolate tasting. I wish I could be there! Too many choices!
Go to www.clevelandbeerweek.org for complete listing and for tickets to the major events.
Click here to find out… and for more  pictures!
Don’t miss this one if you’re a “Hop Head”! All high IBU beers from across the nation. Who will win this year? This is the 3rd annual. Bear Republic won the first year, Brew Kettle won last year… and this year? Come found out and taste them all. I’m told tickets are still available. Sessions are 1-4 and 6-9. See you there? List of beers here
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