Ohio Brews

2012 Off to A Great Start for Columbus Brewing Company

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:34:00 +0000

It is safe to say that Columbus Brewing Company is having a very good 2012 so far. First, Eric Bean (head brewer at CBC) has been elected the new president of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. Eric's main goal during his term as president is to get more brewers across the state involved to make promoting Ohio beers easier and more effective. Eric said he would like to be able to organize a large-scale Ohio beer event in Columbus. Multiple breweries are popping up in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton which should help "spread the wealth" instead of there being such a large concentration in Northeast Ohio. Second, CBC is officially expanding their distribution into Northeast Ohio as of this month. They will be starting out with draft beer at various locations and ideally move to bottles by the Spring. To commemorate the move, CBC is going to have a few launch parties around the area. Tuesday, February 7 at 6:00pm at Lizardville in Bedford Heights, Wednesday the 8th at 6:00pm at 101 Bottles in Kent, and Thursday the 9th at 6:00pm at Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood. Congratulation Eric Bean and Columbus Brewing Company!

Cheers!

Events! Events!

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:46:00 +0000

Many events have been added. Check them out here.

Cheers!

The Bottle House: Cleveland's Next Brew-On-Prem

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:32:00 +0000

First, let me apologize for not positing in a while. Things have been quite busy lately so the blog got put on the back burner temporarily. Expect more frequency from this point forward.

Anyway...

I had the opportunity to visit The Bottle House a few weeks ago. Set to (ideally) open in Spring of this year in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, owners Brian and Dave took a break from their work to share some information about the upcoming brewery/brew-on-prem. Neighbors who became friends, Brian and Dave brainstormed the idea after visiting The Brew Kettle in Strongsville, Ohio (about 20 minutes southwest of Cleveland). Witnessing The Brew Kettle's success and subsequent long waiting list, they decided it only makes sense to have a brew-on-prem on the other side of the city for all those folks who normally make the 40-45 minute drive to The Brew Kettle from the east side.

Since then, the idea has really transformed into what is becoming a very unique, cool place. Will it be a brew-on-prem where aspiring brewers can come brew beer? Yes. But why not a space for a chess tournament on a Sunday afternoon? Or perhaps a place where people can come discover local musicians? Heck, why not a temporary space for a fellow local business owner to do a special event? Or maybe just a place to have a beer and relax on a couch for a few hours. Brian and Dave truly envision The Bottle House as a community space and the possibilities are endless. You will not find Sportscenter or CNN rolling all day or even a television for that matter. This will be a place for people to come and actually interact with each other over some well made beer.

The brewery is located on Lee Road just North of Cedar Road. They took a space that was once used by Zagara's Marketplace as cold storage. The steel floors that supported the weight of forklifts are now being reused for the bar counter. They will eventually have house beers on tap, various local selections, and some locally made snacks to munch on. First things first, however, they want to get the brew-on-prem up and running. Although there will be an official opening day, Brian and Dave see The Bottle House continuing to develop to full completion well after the first patrons brew their own beer.

Being that I live on the east side of Cleveland, would I be excited for any brewery to open on the near east side? Of course. But because of Brian and Dave's philosophy and approach, I am particularly excited for The Bottle House.

L'Chayim!

Moerlein Lager House Beer Tokens

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:42:00 +0000

Remember the days when a token was as good as cash to get you a pint at your local saloon? Of course you don't because none of us were alive when such things went on, until now. As part of its continued campaign to get folks excited about the opening in February, Moerlein Lager House is selling commemorative beer token that will be redeemable for drafts. $25 will get you 5 beer tokens (that's $5 per beer for those who flunked out of math) and a nifty little Moerlein Lager House patch to hold them in. If that alone is not cool enough, the coins were minted by Osborne Coinage (the oldest private mint in America) conveniently located right in Cincinnati. You can get your tokens here.

Prost!

Barrel Aged 12 Dogs of Christmas!?

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:52:00 +0000

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company will be releasing a limited amount of Barrel Aged 12 Dogs of Christmas starting the day after Thanksgiving. There will be 999 1.5 liter bottles available and all will be hand numbered by a Thirsty Dog brewer. It clocks in at 10% ABV and will set you back $40. The limited edition beer will be sold at Lizardville in Bedford Heights, Riverside Wine and Imports in Kent, 101 Bottles in Kent, Heinen’s, Acme Fresh Market, West Point Market in Akron, Chalet Premier in North Lima and Vintage Estate Wine and Beer in Boardman.

New Events added:
2012 Beer School Dates (Great Lakes)
Blind Christmas Ale Tasting at Vintage Estates (Various)
Nose to Tail Beer Dinner (Market Garden)

L'chaim!

Vote for Your Favorite Northeast Ohio Brewpub

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:01:00 +0000

Fox 8 Hotlist has 10 brewpubs from around northeast Ohio vying for title of the Best Brewpub 2011. You have until midnight on Friday, December 9th to vote, but you should probably just do it now by clicking here before you forget.

Also, new Events added:
Christmas Ale Fest (Fat Heads)
St. Nikolaus Beer Dinner (Fat Heads and Penn Brewery)

Cheers!

Beer Barons Hall of Fame to Open In Cincinnati

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:46:00 +0000

Being that the Beer Barons Hall of Fame is being created and housed at the soon-to-open Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, it comes at no surprise that the first inductee is Christian Morelein himself. Morelein was a Bavarian immigrant who established the brewery in Cincinnati in 1853.

The plan is to induct two classes of beer barons annually. Plaques commemorating each honoree will be housed in a Hall of Fame banquet and conference room, seating 125, on the third floor of the Lager House at Main Street and Mehring Way, Hardman said. The hall also will house a temporary memorabilia display after each induction.The plan is to invite heirs and descendants of the inductees for a ceremony and plaque presentation and brew a special beer commemorating each inductee in the Lager House's brew pub, Hardman said.

This sounds like a very cool idea with a lot of potential. Most of the major cities in Ohio have a rich brewing history, so any way to remember, commemorate, and honor the roots of that history will do wonders for the current beer market. Read the whole article about the Hall of Fame here

Side Note: New events have been added so you should go check them out

Prost!

On Location: Cleveland Beer Week

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:24:00 +0000

Cleveland Beer Week came and went in a flash, but not before a great deal of beer was enjoyed. I, unfortunately, was not able to make it to Brewzilla because I was out of town for the second weekend of Beer Week, but hit up a few spots that I will gladly relive...

Hoppin' Frog Barrel Aged Beers at Lizardville
So, low and behold, the Winking Lizard on Miles Road finally made use out of their old building by turning it into a nifty little beer and whiskey bar/beer store. With the capacity of about 50-75 people, this quaint little place has a great tap selection, an even better whiskey selection, and an even still better bottle selection for sale in the "store." Whiskey is all fine and well, but my girlfriend and I came for beer that aged in the very barrels said whiskey aged in.

Fred Karm (aka Fred the Frog), owner and brewmaster of Hoppin' Frog Brewery was on site to talk to the folks that were enjoying his barrel aged masterpieces. The event officially started at 6:00, but we went straight from work and got there around 5:40. After enjoying about three bowls of delicious seasoned kettle chips (free!) and a pint of Rogue John John Hazelnut Ale (aged in spiced rum barrels) to curb my post-work hunger, I was ready for the main event. Like I said, the shindig officially started at 6:00 and by 6:05 they were already out of the paddles that they used to serve flights of the featured beers. Speaking of which, the roll call was as follows: Barrel Aged Boris, Barrel Aged Boris Royale, and Barrel Aged Naked Evil Barley Wine.

barrel aged beers

This being a very informal event, as soon as we got our flight I went over and introduced myself to Fred and asked him if he would not mind chatting with us while we try the beers. The difference (he explained) between the two Boris beers is that the Royale is aged in Canadian whiskey casks, while the regular Boris is aged in Kentucky bourbon casks. They were both delicious, but not being a die hard whiskey drinker, I enjoyed the Royale much better because it went down more smoothly. The regular Boris had a strong bourbon nose and a nice vanilla and smoky flavor to it. The Naked Evil found a happy medium in whiskey taste and (to a barley wine fan, like my girlfriend) was just about the best thing ever. It was brewed with a Belgian yeast which complimented the whiskey really well and finished very smooth for being 11.3% ABV. It was a 2011 Great American Beer Festival bronze winner.

Fred the Frog and I

Fred's story of moving from amateur brewer to professional brewer has got to be the quintessential all-American home-brewer-with-a-dream story. I might have to pitch the idea to the Lifetime channel. Fred was brewing like crazy, bottling all of it and quickly running out of space, so he decided to start giving it away. Some folks at the local breweries started to take notice that the beer he was brewing was good. Really good. Before you know it, he is having a weekend meeting with the guys from Thirsty Dog. And a few beers (or maybe five) later, he had a job offer. He worked there for a while, and when he found out they were closing down shop, decided to purchase the equipment from them and start his own place. Thirsty Dog (as you may know) went under new ownership and is still open, but for the last five years Fred has been operating Hoppin' Frog in Akron. Fred sells all his beer in 22oz. bottles and has no intentions of switching to six packs in the foreseeable future. "I have the freedom to keep making new beers all the time without slowing down production." As far as he is concerned, there is no better situation to be in.

Left Hand Milk Stout

Left Hand at Melt
We headed for home around 7:15, but decided to swing by Melt which was featuring beers from Left Hand Brewery. I do love their Milk Stout, but the real draw for me was the left-handed arm wrestling contest! The place was pretty packed, but very few people signed up to actually wrestle so I decided, why not? After all, I had the chance to win an awesome homemade title belt, a $20 gift card, and a chance to compete against the winners from the other stores the following Saturday for the GRAND PRIZE (which was kept a secret, so I am not able to verify it's grandness).

After a tasty Left Hand Milk Stout, I was ready to tango. If only I had a black baseball cap and a tank-top on, and a son I was trying to get custody of, then I really could have felt like Sylvester Stallone in Over the Top (highly recommended movie if you have not seen it). The first bout was over in about 15 seconds and I completely dominated. Considering I only had one other person to beat to be the store champion, I was feeling mighty confident. I had a couple more beers and watched two girls battle it out for a solid two minutes. The bell rang (yes they have a dinner bell) and it was time for the main event. I was battling a guy who actually worked at Melt since they had such a hard time getting folks to participate. He was a bigger guy, shaved head, tattoos, but real nice. I had things under control until right before we started. He looked to his right and said "shot a' whiskey" and it was already poured for him. Before I know it he took the shot and was all revved up!

He just took that shot of whiskey

We started the fight and I held on as long as I could, but I could the see the whiskey running through his veins giving him that extra oomph - and it was all over.

The ship is sinking

The ship has sunk

In hindsight, I also should have requested a shot of something just so I could go toe-to-toe. It was all in good fun and I got the $20 gift card anyway (since he worked there) and a free pint.

Wychwood Witching Night With Hobgoblin at The Winking Lizard
It was a freezing, rainy night so we decided to hit up an event right after work because we were starving...and enough beer can make the sunshine come out, right? We were looking for something a little more low key so we decided on Wychwood Witching Night With Hobgoblin at the downtown Winking Lizard. What says an English Brown Ale more then a cold, rainy, and dreary night? Hobgoblin is a very good beer, with a distinct nutty and chocolate flavor and a slight bitterness. Part of the draw for me was the fact that if you bought the beer, you could get a Hobgoblin mug for $2 more. I got my beer and told the 'tender that I'd like a mug as well. And it was true, I did want a mug until I opened the box and saw what it was. When it is Cleveland Beer Week and the details of an event say you get a free mug, was it wrong of me to assume it would be a beer mug? This little guy is more likely to hold some M&Ms at your next Halloween party than hold a beer anytime soon. It can serve a purpose in it's future, but that purpose will not be for beer drinking.

And so the countdown to Cleveland Beer Week 2012 begins. I will certainly be there and I know you will be too. And remember, drink local whenever possible :)

Cheers

Ken Burns: Documentary Guru Tackles Prohibition

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Be sure to tune in to your local PBS station tonight, tomorrow, and Tuesday night at 8:00pm to see a Ken Burns documentary on Prohibition. Burns has put together many award winning documentaries and this one is sure to not disappoint. Find more information here.

Cheers

Home Brewing: Dan the Man Marzen

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Now before any one gives me any gripe, I know Marzen/Oktoberfest beers should be brewed in Spring so they can ferment all Summer long and be all ready to go for Oktoberfest. However, I am a procrastinator of many degrees so, unfortunately, my beer will be ready for Bartoberfest (friend's 2nd Annual Oktoberfest party) in a little over five weeks. Will it be as good as it could be? No. Will it lager as long at it should? No. Despite that, will all five gallons still be gone by the end of the party? Absolutely. So, without further ado: Dan the Man Marzen (Partial Mash)

What were dealin' with:

1 lbs. German Light Munich
1 lbs. German 2-row Pils
.5 lbs. Vienna Malt

.5 lbs. Cargill Munich
3 lbs. Amber Liquid
3 lbs. Pale Liquid
1 oz. Hallertau (Pellets, 4.50 %AA) boiled 45 minutes.
1 oz. Saaz (Pellets, 5.00 %AA) boiled 15 minutes.

Yeast: Wyeast 2308

Forgot the hops in this one. Also, no sour cream in this beer, but holding the malt extract

There' s the hops

First things first, we brought 1 and 1/2 gallons of water to about 165° and then submerged the grains in a grain bag. We mash that at 156° for 30 minutes. This is where the term "partial mash" comes into play. We are mashing the grains, but this is not an all-grain recipe so we are not mashing all the grains because the majority of our malt (grain) will come from the malt extract.

Next, we hold the bag up above the liquor and sparge. Sparging is a fancy way to say "pour hot liquor over the grain to try to get as much flavor out of the grain as possible." Those of you that have not done this before are probably thinking "you should squeeze the bag to get all them juices out!" No! First, the bag is going to be ridiculously hot after hanging out at 156° for the last 30 minutes. Second, and more importantly, squeezing can result in an undesirable bitter taste from the grains which would, in turn, result in sad faces 4-6 weeks from now.

Tom (left) was one of two guest brewers who came over to get some home brew pointers

Don't be fooled, those arms are at full extension holding up that bag - beast.

After we sparge, it's time to boil! So, we crank up the heat to full blast and slowly pour in our malt extract. The most important thing with the extract is to keep stirring until it is mixed in, otherwise it will sink and burn on the bottom of the kettle. Like I said before, malt extract replaces a great deal of grain you would otherwise need to use in an all-grain recipe.

Guest brewer number two (Molly) takes on the important task of stirring the malt in while I pour

For this recipe we boil for 60 minutes, but we must remember to not start the timer until the liquor is actually boiling. Watch the pot closely while the boil is starting to form because it is very likely it will boil over, and quickly. Once we have our boil, we play with the temperature until we can keep a steady boil without overflowing. Once we find the perfect temperature, we relax and enjoy some beers.

Nice steady boil

Delicious Imperial Hefeweizen Tom brewed at the Brew Kettle

If you look back up at our ingredients we add our Hallertau hops 15 minutes into the boil and our Saaz hops 45 minutes into the boil. Hops added toward the beginning of the boil will add to the "hoppy" taste of the beer while hops added toward the end of the boil are more for aroma.

Yes that is the same picture because we did not take one when adding the hops :-x

So, after the boil we want to get our wort down to the appropriate temperature to pitch our yeast as soon as possible! There are some fancy tools that can be purchased that will cool your wort fast. However, until I purchase one of those, we do it the old school way. This consists of submerging as much of the kettle as possible in cold water and continuing to stir the wort to allow the heat to escape. Once the water the kettle is submerged in gets too hot, empty it out and do it all over again. This process will need to be repeated for as long as it takes to reach yeast pitching temperature. Adding ice can help once you get down to that last stubborn 10 degrees or so. Important Note: Now that the boil is over, anything and everything that comes in contact with the wort needs to be sanitized first!

Water going into the sink, not the kettle :) Probably should not have had that dirty sponge sitting there...

Stir Stir Stir

Sanitizing, this solution kills AIDS/HIV virus, seriously.

Once our temperature is close to pitching temperature, the wort can be siphoned into the container it will do it's primary fermentation in. This will help to cool the wort the rest of the way and leave behind all the gross muck and guck left over at the bottom of the kettle.

Look Ma, Physics!

Muck

The end is near! Now our beer is in the right container. We double-check to make sure the temperature is correct and also take a hydrometer reading. The hydrometer will measure the density of the liquid. We will have an original gravity (OG) reading right before pitching the yeast and a terminal gravity (TG) reading after fermentation is complete. Comparing the two will help to determine the alcohol content of the beer.

Turkey baster makes putting beer in the hydrometer tube very easy :)

Give us your reading oh wise one

Last step (of the first step, ha!). We pitch our yeast like we are Justin Masterson (hello Indians fans!). Some yeast varieties suggest doing a starter which allows your yeast to get all revved up and ready to go which will allow your beer to start fermenting faster (probably within 12 hours). In this case, we decided to not do a starter, but our beer was still fermenting within 24 hours. Once the yeast it pitched, we seal the container, give it a little shake, and insert our airlock. The airlock allows carbonation to escape without letting contaminants in.

Gorge yourself yeast, gorge!

Sleep soundly beer, I cannot wait to drink you

So, that is step one in the brewing process. Next will come secondary fermentation and then (in this case) lagering! To lager we will drop the temperature of our kegerator to about 40° and let that bad boy get nice and clear. Like I said earlier, this lagering should technically be done all summer long, but no worries. If all goes correctly with this beer, our results should look like this:
Original Gravity: 1.056 (we were at 1.061)
Terminal Gravity: 1.014
Color: 12.37 SRM
Bitterness: 22.9 IBU
Alcohol (%volume): 5.4 %

And this:

More brews will be coming in the near future!

Prost!

Rat Tail Ale Distribution Has Officially Begun

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:35:00 +0000

Congratulations is in order to the fine folks at Cellar Rats Brewery for officially launching distribution of their signature beer Rat Tail Ale. At this point their reach is limited, but in due time I am sure it will be easily accessible all around the state if not further! Stay up to date via their facebook page to find out when it will be available near you.

Prost!

Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Last minute, but Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. is having a tasting at Olive's at Ludlow Garage located at Fifth Avenue and Vine. 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Being a hophead I strongly recommend Northern Liberties IPA.

Cheers!

Fat Heads Brewer Gets Invited to Brew at Shepherd Neame in England

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:45:00 +0000

Matt Cole from Fat Heads brewery has been invited to help create and brew a beer at the world famous Shepard Neame brewery in England. Shepard Neame is the oldest brewery in all of the UK. There is no word yet, but hopefully he will figure out a way to haul a keg of that brew back to the states to have on tap at Fat Heads! Congratulations Matt!

http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/

Cheers

It's Firkin Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:20:00 +0000

The world of (Ohio) beer this weekend:

Great Lakes Dinner and Beer Tasting at Jungle Jim's In Fairfield, Ohi o
Light of Day performing at Cellar Rats
Barley's Centennial IPA on firkin
Jungle Juice Citra Wheat on firkin at Fat Heads

L'Chaim!

NPR Interviews Sam McNulty and Brewmaster Andy Tveekrem from the Newly Opened Market Garden Brewery

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:10:00 +0000

Dee Perry hosts the NPR segment 'Around Noon' in the northeast Ohio area. Today she featured a 'Summer Food Show' that highlighted some of new food places that have opened around Cleveland including Market Garden Brewery. Sam McNulty is the owner and operator (along with Bier Markt, Speakeasy and Bar Cento), while Andy Tveekrem is responsible for the beer recipes. The guys share some inspiration behind the beers and why they thought it was a good idea to open another brewery just around the corner from Great Lakes Brewing Company. Find the streaming interview here. Market Garden's stint comes in around minute 20.

Enjoy!

Source:
www.ideastream.org

It's Firkin Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:35:00 +0000

Not the busiest weekend for beer...

Friday:
Burning River Fest - Great Lakes Brewing
Centennial IPA on firkin - Barley's Brewing Co.

Saturday:
Christmas in July - Beer Engine
Scene AleFest 2011 - Tremont, Ohio

Man Behind Great Lakes

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Patrick Conway, founder of Great Lakes Brewing Company recently spoke with Janet Cho of the Plain Dealer about how GLBC got started, Christmas Ale, and some of his favorite memories.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Great Lakes Brewing Co. founder Patrick Conway loves to tell the story of a tipsy patron who wanted to buy some beer at the gift shop.
"I want Christmas Ale," he slurred, "and I want a lot of it."

The bartender refused, saying the patron had already had quite enough to drink.

After squabbling, the man finally left - only to come back first thing in the morning, slap $3,000 cash on the bar, and buy out all the Christmas Ale in the shop - 60 cases.

Conway still laughs at the punchline and flashes his impish grin, shaking his head at the lengths to which people will go to get their hands on his family's Christmas Ale.

Not that he's complaining.

The cultlike devotion (and occasional hoarding) that the brews have inspired have made Great Lakes Brewing the nation's 22nd-largest craft brewery in terms of output (91,189 barrels in 2010).

Behind the success is Conway, a 63-year-old Irishman known as a trailblazer and environmentalist, one who learned frugality from Depression-era parents and a taste for better beer from the best brewpubs in Europe.

Conway came up with the idea of starting his own brewery and brewpub in the early 1970s, while attending Loyola University's campus in Rome and soaking up the pub scene in Germany, Belgium and England, and while bartending in Chicago during graduate school.
Today, his nearly 23-year-old company, while facing increasing competition, has just capped off a $7 million expansion in Ohio City that doubled its beer-making capacity to 240 bottles a minute.

The company also is hiring for a third shift to keep its bottling line jangling 24/7.
Both the brewery and restaurant, which he co-owns with his brother Dan, anticipate another year of record sales (up to $30 million this year) and a third straight year of 20 percent growth.

If that weren't enough, next weekend marks Great Lakes' 11th Annual Burning River Fest, a two-day fundraiser he started and named for when the Cuyahoga River was so polluted it caught fire eight times.

The event has raised more than $246,000 for efforts to promote a cleaner Cuyahoga, a healthier Great Lakes, and a purer source of water for their craft beers.
To make it truly feel like Christmas in July, Conway will also untap 50 kegs of Christmas Ale for thirsty environmentalists.
As a businessman whose products are 90 percent water (he jokes that commercially brewed beers are 99 percent water), Conway said he can't afford to not protect the water supply.

"The Great Lakes is one-fifth of the world's fresh water and 75 percent of the U.S.' fresh water," he said.
"For us, it's our Yosemite, it's our Grand Canyon."

Children of immigrants
Patrick Francis Conway is the second of nine children and the eldest son of Jack and Margaret "Marge" Conway. His father was a self-made tax lawyer, while his mother was a former stenographer for Eliot Ness, the Cleveland safety director and head of the crime-fighting Untouchables.
Pat and wife Jeanne have a grown daughter and son.

Daniel John Conway, 50, co-owner of the brewery and brewpub, is the youngest of the five brothers. Dan and his wife, Eorann, have five daughters, ages 13 to 21.

Being reared by Irish immigrant parents who grew up during the Depression fueled a lifelong habit of saving, scrimping and reusing whatever they had.

Pat remembers spending childhood vacations visiting national parks, watching his father pick up other people's litter, and supplementing their meals with vegetables grown in the back yard of their Rocky River home.

"We didn't call it 'sustainability' back then," Dan said. "We called it 'common sense' and working with nature."

Wandering through some of the world's poorest countries after graduate school, Pat was struck by the way people made the most of every scrap, from not wasting food to flattening tin cans to shingle their roofs.

"They're so poor, but they used everything they had, and look how wasteful a country we are," he said.

When he returned home to open his own bar, one of the first people he called was Dan, who was then working as commercial loan officer at Huntington Bank.

Dan not only invested in the company, he also started pitching in at the restaurant and refining the business plan. After about a month of juggling both jobs, he joined the enterprise full time.

"We named it 'Great Lakes Brewing Co.' because we ultimately wanted it to grow into something that could serve the region," Dan said.

While Pat and Dan are equal owners of brewery and beer pub, Pat is the frontman of the company.

He's usually the one making presentations, shaking hands, working the room and leading tours of the brewery, while Dan is more often backstage, crunching numbers, paying the bills and making sure the beer gets where it needs to go.

"Pat is probably better at being the spokesman for the company, and that's fine by me," Dan said.

"I see what other work needs to be done and focus my work accordingly. I'm the one that deals with the lawyers, bankers and accountants."

Their parents also instilled in them a deep sense of family and civic pride, which survives in the names of their Conway's Irish Ale (named after their traffic policeman grandfather, Pat Conway, whose photo adorns the labels), Eliot Ness lager, Burning River pale ale, Edmund Fitzgerald porter, Lake Erie Monster pale ale and Wright Pilsner (named after Wilbur and Orville Wright).

Look for a post on Ohio Brews this Sunday about the shenanigans of Burning River Fest!

L'Chaim!

References:
Cleveland.com

New Kid On The Block

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:57:00 +0000

For those of you that have not heard, there is a new microbrewery joining the Ohio family. As of June 27, Market Garden Brewery at 1947 West 25th Street, Cleveland, Ohio is officially open! The brewery might be new, but the Brewmaster has been brewing almost as long as I have been alive. For the past 20 years Andy Tveekrem has brewed for Dogfish Head (Milton, DE), Frederick Brewing Co. (Frederick, MD) and Great Lakes Brewing Company. In addition to beer, there is also a brewpub and coming soon they will be Cleveland's first micro-distillery. The brewery is owned by the same company that operates Bier Markt, Bar Cento, and Speakeasy. I look forward to sampling the beers asap and will report back. Check out their official website: http://marketgardenbrewery.com

Prost!

I Will Have As Much Alcohol In My Beer As I See Fit, Thank You Very Much

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Just when it looked like it was going to be slipped in with the budget bill, Ohio lawmakers decided not to raise the alcohol level allowed in beer sold from 12 to 18 percent. Now to the average beer drinker this is not a big deal. The majority of beer is under 12 percent, but there are A LOT of beers we are missing out on that push the 12 percent limit. Barleywines, Imperial Stouts, and some Belgians to name a few can be found at 15 percent or as high as 18 percent. Some speculate that there might still be a ripple effect from the Four Loko debacle. However, if you try to put craft beer and Four Loko into the same argument you should be subjugated to a full year of drinking only Olde English 800. And remember, it is only funny to drink it as a joke once every 3-5 years. It seems bizarre that Ohio is allowed to sell liquor that is 75 percent alcohol or more, but 18 percent beer is just unthinkable. Alas, if we want 13 percent beer or more we will just have to keep making it!

Cheers

Moerlein Lager House to Reopen Along Cincinnati Riverfront

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:51:00 +0000

Construction has already begun on what will be the revitalized Moerlein Lager House opening in Riverfront Park in Cincinnati. The brewery was originally opened by Christian Moerlein on Elm Street in 1853. No beer brewed within those walls was more famous than the Select Lager which was distributed as far as Panama and Puerto Rico. The newly constructed building will house the brewery, restaurant, banquet space, live entertainment, and panoramic views of the park and waterfront. The building will be LEED certified (meaning it will be very energy efficient) and when all is said and done will employe 200 people. Check out the official page of the project here.

Cheers

Event: Afternoon With the Brewers and Homebrew Competition (Barley's)

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:46:00 +0000

June 12, the winner of the 2011 homebrew competition, hosted by Barley's Brewing Company will be announced. In addition, last years winner Andy Schultz will be there with his Wit's End Belgian Wit beer on tap that he helped recently brew. There is still time to enter the contest! Albeit unless you have a beer about ready to go the May 28 deadline might be a little too close. Nevertheless it is a hell of a good time. Drink beer brewed by amateurs, mingle with the Barley's brewers, and enjoy some great food. The event runs from 1:00-5:00pm at Barley's Ale House Number 1, 467 North High Street, Columbus.

Cheers!

It's Firkin Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Friday again already!

West Side Ecumenical Ministry Kentucky Derby Party - Great Lakes
Music: Whooz Playin' (Fri) Hatrick (Sat) Cami and Cora (Sun) - Cellar Rats
The Big Brew (Tribute to homebrewers around the world) - Columbus Brewing and the world
Music: East Coast Float (Fri), Mike Perkins, Fauxgrass Quartet (Sat) - Jackie O's
Music: Radio 1 - Marietta Brewing
Turbo Shandy Citrus Ale Release - Hoppin' Frog
Derby Day Hat Contest (Sat), Mother's Day Brunch (Sun) - Kelly's Island

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Mother's Day!

Event: Brew at the Zoo (Various)

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Thu, 05 May 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Careful out there

Come down to the Akron Zoo on June 15 and enjoy a beer tasting from local breweries as well as appetizer while you take a stroll through the zoo. There is something liberating about walking around with an alcoholic beverage in a public place that does not normally allow alcohol, isn't there? If you are an Akron zoo member the cost is $15 if you are not $21. All beer and appetizer tasting are included in the price. Full beers and additional food will be available at an extra cost. Registration is required and can be found here.

Cheers

It's Firkin Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:08:00 +0000

So, starting with today I am going to do a little post talking about the coming weekend events. I'll obviously mention any big events going on, but also mention some of the specials, happy hours, etc. that breweries might have going on. Enjoy your weekend!

2nd Annual Big Tap In - Boardman, Ohio
Barley's Brewing Company - Alexander's Russian Imperial Stout (aged in Woodford Reserve barrel, on firkin)
Cellar Rats - Light of Day Duo performing 7:00pm to 11:00pm
Weasel Boy - Megan Terese acoustic pop/R&B singer release party
Marietta Brewing - Open mic night

New Zealanders Invent Home Beer Factory

noreply@blogger.com (Darren) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:10:00 +0000

So, a couple of New Zealanders who are way smarter than I am have created a contraption that will brew six gallons of beer, ferment, filter sediments, chill, carbonate, and server it. It is officially named The WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery. I find home brewing to be very personal, which is why making your own beer is so rewarding. This is a really nifty invention, but a lot of that personal connection to your beer would be lost somewhere in that machine. What do you guys think? Oh, and I forgot to mention it retails for about $4500. Find the article about it on wired.com here.