Frank’s 8 delicious Happy Hour Ohio beers: Week 2
Did you enjoy this week’s list? Boy, I know I sure did! But we’re just getting warmed up. We have another week of Happy Hours, and four more opportunities to sample some of the tastiest brews Ohio has to offer. Join me for one or all during the second week of our virtual conference.
Monday Happy Hour: Siren Shores, Great Lakes Brewing Co, Saison
One of Great Lakes “Legendary Series” beers, this brew features (I kid you not) pink peppercorns and passion fruit. Are we getting dangerously close to Devin’s exotic cocktail territory with ingredients such as pink peppercorns and passion fruit? Perhaps, but this is a saison, and brewers have wide latitude with what you add to a saison.
Apparently, saisons have traditionally been “kitchen sink” types of beer…you add what you have available to complete the flavor profile, even if what you have is pink peppercorns and passion fruit. It works (taste-wise), trust me!
Tuesday Happy Hour: Hefe & Wedge, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Hefeweizen
Sure, the classic hefeweizen might be the poster child for the Reinheitsgebot, but this Wolf’s Ridge Beer is breaking all the rules, adding orange zest to up the flavor profile. We won’t call the Beer Police on you, though; you’re to delicious to be locked up.
Wednesday Happy Hour: Fruit Hoops, Platform Beer Co, Sour Ale
Sour ales are the wild horses of the beer world, in my opinion, because traditionally, you never quite knew what you’d be getting in the way of yeast and bacteria. Thankfully, these happy accidents were usually quite delicious.
Thursday Happy Hour: Gose Face Killah, Streetside Brewery, Gose
Whether you’re a fan of Wu-Tang, or the film Mystery of Chessboxing, this is the beer for you. It’s a Gose, so again we’re a bit on the sour side, and Goses sometimes add salt and coriander to give you more exotica for your beer. Here’s to the Heritage Ohio Annual Conference…cheers!
Frank’s 8 delicious Happy Hour Ohio beers: Week 1
Are you looking forward to Devin’s cocktail of the day? Boy, I know I sure am! Each day for our Happy Hour, Devin will unveil an exotic new drink that you can mix and drink along with Mr. Miles.
But then I got to thinking…what is there for the Joe Schmos of the conference? What about us hard-working blue-collar Bob & Betty Buckeyes of the pres & revit movement? If you’re like me, you’re just not into those hoity-toity drinks. So, rather than be left out, I’ve endeavored to find 8 different Ohio beers, a unique one for each day, that us conference-goers who aren’t into the frou-frou drinks can still enjoy. I’ve posted my Week 1 list for Monday-Thursday below, and I’d like to invite you to join me for a delicious Ohio beer. We’ll toast virtually to the vibrancy of downtown revitalization and historic preservation in Ohio, and celebrate Heritage Ohio’s foray into virtual conferences with a cold, frosty one.
Monday Happy Hour: Ziegler, Madtree Brewing, Lager (Oktoberfest)
Just like the stores that feel compelled to stock their Christmas items during the dog days of summer, we’re starting off with a delicious seasonal beer…it’s just the wrong season. No matter, though. It’s in stock and it’s delicious. Note: if you can’t source a Madtree Oktoberfest, we do consider Great Lakes Oktoberfest an acceptable substitute.
Tuesday Happy Hour: Sun-Kissed Wheat, Homestead Beer Co, Ale
We come to our senses on Tuesday with a summer themed wheat ale. It is, after all, still summer.
Wednesday Happy Hour: The Building Doctor IS In and my recommendation for maximum Happy Hour enjoyment is to join me as we partake in a Swizzle from Rhinegeist. What is a Swizzle, you ask? Just a wonderful melange of cider, lemongrass, and ginger wrapped up in a handsome aluminum can. While it’s technically not a beer, it’s MY “beer” list, and I’m bringing it to Happy Hour. Besides, we can still proudly Prost! (as the German Cincinnatians like to say) with this delicious Ohio cider.
Thursday Happy Hour: The Scots know how to do a lot of things well, including the fellows from Brewdog who whip up this delicious IPA, Elvis Juice. We’ll get lost in its piney, hoppy, citrusy loveliness while the preservation pros dispense their best advice to a new generation of up-and-comers.
Check back Friday 8/28 for my Week 2 of delicious Ohio beers.
Preservation + Pints (Or Shots)
By Sarah Marsom
Craft breweries and distilleries have swept Ohio by storm. Many breweries are hoping to revitalize the state’s history as a beer capital, and many distilleries are using historical beverages to inspire their contemporary palates. Here are a few places you should try!
Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus (Columbus)—both a popular bar and eye catching building in Columbus. Elevator Brewery’s history dates back to 1897. Located in the Bott Brothers’ Billiards building, this contemporary bar thrives on its historical elements—the billiards tables from the 1800s, stained glass entry, tile floors, decorative ceilings, and a well preserved bar. The Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Columbia Building. You can go to www.elevatorbrewing.com for more information.
Image source: elevatorbrewing.com
Rhinegeist (Cincinnati)—Rhinegeist means “ghost of the Rhine”, and bringing a ghost back to life is exactly what this beer company did! Located in the historic Over-the-Rhine brewery district, Rhinegeist is revitalizing the beer industry, which made the area thrive in the late 1800s. Prohibition put 38 breweries out of business and left countless German immigrants unemployed. In the recent past, developers have been revitalizing the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood; Rhinegeist has sparked new life into Christian Moerling Brewing Company’s old bottling plant. Want to learn more about the building’s history and Rhinegeist? Take one of their guided tours. You can learn more at www.rhinegeist.com.
Image source: rhinegeist.com
*Cincinnati is also home to underground brewery tours! This town’s beer history is deep!
Homestead Beer Co (Licking County)—while the brewery is not in a historic building, Homestead Beer Co has its headquarters in the very historic community of Granville, and the name evokes wonderment of the original farm settlements, which created a thriving Licking County in the 1800s. Homestead Brewing does not use modern yeast strains, instead preferring yeast which could have been used by grandfathers of the past to brew. With brew names such as 1805, Five Points Irish, and Barnraiser, one knows the people behind Homestead use the past as inspiration to create contemporary drinks. Go to www.homesteadbeerco.com to learn more.
Image source: homesteadbeerco.com
E.S. Distillery (outside Fremont)—located in a 120-year-old barn, the Ernesto Scarano distillery is worth a visit. This craft distillery is supposedly the smallest legal whiskey distillery in America. Www.esdistillery.com for more information.
What are some of your favorite bars, breweries, or distilleries in Ohio with historic elements? Add your favorites to the list in the comments section below.