Ohio Beer Guide » Breweries

The Most Refreshing Beer in America!

Brew Muse — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:29:40 +0000

Fat Head’s does it again!!!

click here for story

Another Brewpub closed

Brew Muse — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:29:22 +0000

Yet another brewpub has closed; the Brown Derby Roadhouse in Medina closed on Memorial Day weekend. Many brewers have passed through this brewpub. One is now brewing at Gordon Biersch in Columbus, one brewmaster is at Mountaineer Brewing in West Virginia, one went on to brew at the Brew Kettle, and another is brewing at the recently opened Lagerheads in Medina. Other local brewers have helped brew there, but not been the “official” brewer.

The brewing equipment has been taken out and moved to Florida. The site is reportedly going to revert to a company owned Brown Derby, and will be remodeled before reopening.

I always enjoyed eating/drinking there. I am sorry to see them gone as a brewpub.

More new breweries?

Brew Muse — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:30:28 +0000

I’ve already reported about the planned Market Garden Brewery in Ohio City. But there are at least two other planned breweries in Ohio. One is Neil House Brewery in Columbus, and the other is Lager Head’s in Medina.

Neil House is currently a home brew supply shop in Columbus (link to their website is above), and they plan to be brewing by April. Lager Head’s on Abbey Road in Medina is currently a pub & smokehouse specializing in BBQ and good beer (8 taps), with plans to start brewing their own.

Chardon Brew Works – now open!

Brew Muse — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:37:24 +0000

Chardon Brew Works & Eatery is now open on the square in Chardon. The first and only brewery in Geauga County since prohibition, I’m told, opened on March 15, just in time for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration on the 17th. General Manager Mike Chesnut says they have an 80-seat restaurant and a banquet center, and much of their food is cooked with beer. They have six taps which will have two of their own beers (a “house” beer and a seasonal) and four guest microbrews.

Currently they have two beers from Cellar Rats Brewery (Madison) and two from Willoughby Brewing. Their own house beer is Working Man Pale Ale. The current seasonal is Mac’s Irish Red and the next seasonal will be Pride of Geauga Maple Porter.

Brewer/owner Michael Nedrow has a Brew-Magic® (1 keg) brewing system; the same type of system that Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head first started his business on. Calagione still uses the system for experimental beers. Known for its ability to make consistent uniform batches of beer, it can also make several batches in a 6-8 hour day.

Chardon Brew Works opens at 11 AM each day, except Sunday, when they are open 10 AM – 3 PM for brunch.

For more info: Chardon Brew Works, 205 Main St, Chardon, Ohio 440-286-9001

Hoppin’ Frog wins People’s Choice at Winter Warmer Fest

Brew Muse — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:18:35 +0000

Click here for article and Channel 5 news clip.

BREW Kettle wins best barleywine award!

Brew Muse — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:35:31 +0000

Don’t miss this year’s Ogrefest at the BREW Kettle featuring BTK’s own Jackhammer Barleywine which won first place at the recent (Feb 13) 5th Annual Barleywine competition held at Cole’s in Buffalo, NY. The competition included barleywines from all across the U.S. See Examiner.com article. Congratulations, Jack Kephart!

For those who don’t know, Ogrefest is a week long celebration of high gravity beers. 24 taps of constantly rotating BIG beers!

Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA in Top 25 Beers in the world!

Brew Muse — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:49:08 +0000

I got a phone call from a very excited Matt Cole today. Matt is the brewer at Fat Head’s Saloon and Brewery in North Olmsted. Draft Magazine publishes an annual list of the 25 best beers in the world, and Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA made the list! This is quite an honor, and was the only Ohio brewery to make the list, which was dominated by West Coast and Belgian breweries.

Here’s what Draft Magazine had to say about Head Hunter IPA: “A mix of amazement and curiosity rippled across the beer-soaked land when word broke that a brewery in Cleveland bested a plethora of West Coast brewers at this year’s IPA festival at the Bistro, the biggest IPA competition west of the Mississippi. After a pint of this beer, however, you’ll cast all hesitations aside: It lumbers over the tongue with caramelized malt and a hop display that cannot be rivaled. This isn’t your finesse IPA; there isn’t an ounce of subtlety to it. It’s just a punch-you-in-the-mouth brew for those who truly love their hops.”

For the complete list of the top 25, click here. Congratulations, Matt!

Andy’s back in town!

Brew Muse — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:14:49 +0000

If you’ve had your head in the sand (like I have), then maybe you haven’t heard the news. Andy Tveekrem, a former Akronite, who was formerly the brewmaster at Great Lakes Brewing, and more recently at Dogfish Head in Delaware is back in town. I’ve heard the rumors, but I’ve been too busy traveling around the country (for work) to report to you. Members of the local home brew clubs and the microbrew community have been talking for a couple of months. There have been Tveekrem sightings and rumors have been flying, almost since last September when he was seen at the Beer Engine. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported it January 12, and today the Akron Beacon Journal picked up the same article.

Tveekrem has teamed up with Sam McNulty, owner of McNulty’s BierMarkt, Bar Cento, and Speakeasy to open a new microbrewery and beer garden called “Market Beer Garden” across the street from McNulty’s Bier Markt. With Great Lakes Brewing around the corner, and McNulty’s good beer bars and now new brewery, is this the start of Cleveland’s own “brewery district”? Just down the hill in the Flats is Rock Bottom Brewery, and across the river is Cleveland Chophouse & Brewery. That will be four breweries and several good beer bars within 1.5 miles of each other.

The Cleveland Beer scene keeps getting better! The Plain Dealer article said they plan a June opening.

Cleveland Beer Week: It’s Firkin Alive!

Brew Muse — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:59:10 +0000

It’s Firkin Alive! is yet another Cleveland Beer Week event that has limited ticket availability. It will be held at the Indigo Imp brewery on Thursday October 22 at 6:30 pm.

It promises to be the best “in brewery” event of CBW! They will have 10 cask-conditioned ales to taste, paired with different cheeses from Heinen’s.

Fat Head’s discovers Gold in California!

Brew Muse — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:46:25 +0000

Matt Cole getting into his work.

For the first time in it’s 12-year history a non-California IPA won a medal at the Bistro’s IPA Festival… and not just any medal, the GOLD!

Click here for the details.