As I write this, we are getting another 5 to 10 inches of snow in Ohio. The warming beers of winter are disappearing from local taps however, so Spring must be coming. Celebrate its arrival by attending the “Biggest craft beerfest between Pittsburgh and Cleveland.” It’s the 2nd Annual Big Tap In, a real craft beer festival to be held on April 30 at the Shepherd Event Center in Boardman (near Youngstown). This is a nice big venue and at last count there were over 50 breweries represented. The event sold out last year, and their website currently says the VIP tickets ARE sold out. The general session is from 3:30 to 6:30 pm and costs $40. There will be live entertainment and over 20 local food merchants will be serving tasty samplers. (Have you ever had hop candy?) Last year had over 1200 attendees and this year it’s even bigger. This is an event you don’t want to miss, but get your tickets before they are sold out at www.bigtapin.com.
Willoughby Brewing Company went under new ownership in January, and they are refocusing on the beers. They’ve invested in updates for the brewery and are planning more. Brewers Thomas Gaboury and Rick Seibt have reformulated most of the recipes and introduced a new IPA, Moonshadow IPA, as well as the seasonal Hop Jam Black Rye IPA that won it’s first round NIPAC (Brewing News’ National IPA Championship) match against Mad River Brewing, winner of “Small Brewing Company of the Year” at last year’s GABF. Willoughby’s Peanut Butter Coffee Porter will now be on tap all the time, and they’ll be introducing more seasonal brews each month with an Altbier, Wild Irish Red and a Best Bitter on tap by the time you read this. Check out the NEW Willoughby Brewing! Monday nights are craft beer nights with happy hour prices all night long, and they are now open seven days a week, with happy hour prices at the bar all day Sunday.
Combine Ohio’s fest with others such as Gravity Head in Indiana and the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival and you’ll have plenty of beer tasting this winter (and early spring).
Buckeye Beer Engine continues their fantastic beer dinners. On Tuesday, February 9, and Tuesday March 9, they will have beer/food pairing dinners, the latter featuring Two Brothers Brewery. They are also continuing their special weekly keg tappings. You need to check their web site (www.buckeybeerengine.com) and get on their mailing list to keep up with what’s going on. You’ll also get notice of other events and specials (and coupons) for their upcoming third anniversary celebration (March 13).
While you’re in Toledo for the Glass City Beer Fest, you will want to take time to stop in a Maumee Bay Brewing Co. They have some new beers you should try, such as the Brewedwitch Barleywine which is 9.8% abv and 87 IBUs. It has been aged for four months before it was released and has flavors of caramel, fig, dark fruit, and sherry. Another new one, and a first for Maumee Bay is a double IPA named Amarillo Brillo. (Any Zappa fans out there?) This one has aromas and flavors of peaches, pine and mint, and is 8.4% abv and 101 IBUs.
In Athens, at Jackie O’s, Brad Clark is planning a Febuary 19 release of The Oil Of Aphrodite. This beer is another imperial stout that has an extremely rich malt profile, made with Maris Otter malt, chocolate rye malt, dark Belgian candied syrup, and lots of oats. On St. Patrick’s Day he will release the Scottish Ale and O’hooley’s Irish Red, both malty beers above 7.5% abv. Clark has no planned barrel-aged releases because he’s too busy filling them and building a new fermenter room and installing three new tanks! Check their website for updates: www.jackieos.com.
Andy Tveekrem (most recently at Dogfish Head, but formerly at Great Lakes Brewing Co.) is back in town helping Sam McNulty (of McNulty’s Bier Markt) start up a brewery in the Ohio City area of Cleveland. According to Cleveland’s Scene Magazine, the newly planned Market Garden Brewery will be situated next to the West Side Market and will feature a restaurant and brewhouse with a 3,000-square-foot beer garden with trees, climbing vines and community tables in between.