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Hops on the Ohio

This has got to be one of the most unique beer festival venues ever. And do you want to be at the first tapping in the NATION for Stone’s Vertical Epic 10.10.10? Check this out:  Hops on the Ohiohops-image

Ohio wins 6 medals at GABF!

GABF 2010Ohio wins 6 medals at the Great American Beer Festival. Winners were announced this afternoon at the “members only” session. The awards were also announced live on a web cast. Winners were:

Hoppin’ Frog won the gold medal in the field style category for their Frog Hollow Double Pumpkin ale.

Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA won a silver medal in the American Style India Pale Ale Category, out of 142 entries. the largest category the the Great American Beer Festival.

BREWKettle won a silver medal for their Red Eye PA in the Imerial Red Ale category, out of 43 entries, and a bronze medal for their Jack Hammer Barleywine! This is a first GABF medal ever for BREWKettle and they were the only Ohio brewery to win two medals!

Columbus Brewing Co won the bronze medal out of 24 entries in the Kellerbier/Zwickelbier category, for their Summer Teeth.

And last, but certainly not least, Jay Wince of Weasel Boy Brewing in Zanesville won a bronze for their Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, out of 76 entries in the imperial stout category. This also is a first for Weasel Boy!

Congratulations all!

The Most Refreshing Beer in America!

bumbleberryFat Head’s does it again!!!

click here for story

Another Brewpub closed

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.

All aboard the beer trains again!

trainBeer trains are back! Fun ride through the Cuyahoga Valley, while tasting beer and sampling appetizers from Chef Marc, designed to complement each beer. Next one is April 9.

More info here or www.cvsr.com

Head Hunter IPA - BEST in the nation!

Head Hunter IPAFat Head’s Head Hunter IPA wins the National IPA Championships! Click here for story.

More new breweries?

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!

Chardon Brew WorksChardon 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

National IPA Championship - 2010

UPDATE! On March 13th, Head Hunter IPA beat Ithaca’s Flower Power to advance to the Final Four!. The final four and finals will be held next Saturday in Atlantic City! Good luck, Fat Head’s!

Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA has advanced another round in the 2010 Brewing News National IPA Championship.  India Pale Ales (IPAs) from all across the US have entered the competition, 128 in all. The competition is judged like basketball’s NCAA tournament with each beer being judged against one other beer in each round. Several Ohio beers survived the first round. BREW Kettle’s Red Eye PA and Fat Head’s Head Hunter survived the second round and Head Hunter has now made it into the fifth round, the “Elite 8.” Brackets can be found here.

Round 5 will be held on March 13, with the Final Four and championship rounds to be held on March 20 in Atlantic City. Best of luck to Matt Cole and Headhunter IPA! We’re rooting for you!

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

Click here for article and Channel 5 news clip.