CBF Archives

After a run of autumnal seasonals, News & Brews tackled a different fall flavor this week — cider.

With apple picking time upon us and stores stocked with cider (alcoholic and otherwise), we opened a four-pack of Columbus-based Mad Moon’s Eat a Peach. Dry, sweet, fruited or flavored, we talk personal preferences, interesting impressions and why craft cider is in comparatively short supply versus beer and other alcohol.

Did you hear Columbus Brewing Co.’s taproom finally opened? We discuss that (again).

We also tease a few notable happenings this upcoming week in the world of local beer. Namely that Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Co. and Land-Grant Brewing Co. both will hold anniversary parties this weekend and, in a bid to make the festivities both more convenient and safer for fans, the Short North Trolley Co. will be shutting patrons between both sites for free that day.

This week’s episode also is the introduction of Hayleigh Colombo, the newest member of the Columbus Business First team (and thusly News & Brews as well), who sits in and shares her love of cider and several stories of Indiana’s quirky alcohol laws.

This week’s News & Brews sets up a seasonal face-off.

The team samples a pair of local-made Oktoberfests — Norden Hoch from North High Brewing and Festbier by Columbus Brewing — and compares and contrasts the malty lagers. Which Columbus creation prevailed?

Beyond the beer, we hoist some metaphorical steins to news from Columbus Brewing, which expects to open its taproom Sept. 18.

In more taproom news, we chat about SIP Local, a new brewpub coming to Clintonville and taking the short-lived space of Actual Brewing. It’s an offshoot of Somewhere in Particular Brewing, which opened on the city’s Northwest side last fall.

I also discuss the recent King of Ohio IPA competition, including kudos for Pickerington’s Combustion Brewing and Columbus’ Seventh Son Brewing, both of which fared well in the annual beer contest.

And finally, Mark Somerson makes a shocking revelation about pumpkin beers and an even more stunning statement about Christmas beers.

Central Ohio is home to more than 50 breweries, the vast majority of which opened in the last six years.

But there are a few that have been in the business for decades — Columbus Brewing, Barley’s Brewing and Smokehouse Brewing, which is only a few years old under that brand, but once was part of Barley’s. Elevator Brewing Co. is part of that class as well, marking 20 years of business in 2019.

Founded by Dick Stevens, who still owns it to this day, it began as a brewery in Marysville supplying the downtown Columbus restaurant of the same name. The brewery relocated to 165 N. 4th St. in 2007 and eventually added a taproom once Ohio law changed to allow such spaces.

For this week’s News & Brews we opened the 380 IPA, a newer offering from old Columbus brand, and discuss the difficulties some older craft brewers may face as they try to keep up with the ever-expanding and evolving industry that is beer.

In alcohol/food/restaurant news, the team discusses the closing of the Three-Legged Mare and why the Arena District has been a tough spot for some restaurants over the years. Over in Grandview Heights, Spagio has a new owner after 38 years of business. What’s staying the same and what’s changing?

I ask if anyone remembers the Mr. Happy and Little Miss children’s book series (it makes sense in context, I swear) and Editor-in-Chief Doug Buchanan returns from a few weeks abroad with craft brewing job leads for anyone willing to travel to Asia.

Forbidden Root won’t open at Easton Town Center for a few more months, but its beer already is here.

For this week’s News & Brews, we cracked open a fresh four-pack of the Chicago brewery’s flagship beer, its Strawberry Basil Hefeweizen. That is one of four Forbidden Root beers that are now being sold around Central Ohio in cans. The brand is opening its second-ever brewpub as part of Easton’s $500 million expansion and expects to be open in November where it’ll offer a wider array of its botanical inspired and influenced beers. But those first sips can be had now.

Tune in to get our panel’s first impressions.

Stick around for a little longer for a recap of a busy news and restaurant week. We discuss Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Co.’s expansion plans, which will up its production capabilities and facilitate a move into cans. Though what it won’t have, at least at first, is a taproom.

The always active folks down at BrewDog in Canal Winchester have plenty of new projects on tap too including a bringing a distillery online over the next year and expanding its already popular DogHouse hotel, which last month was named as one of the World’s 100 Greatest Places for 2019 by Time magazine. Plans call for the addition of four “kennels” which will be suites made inside shipping containers that’ll be deposited out on the brewery property.

Speaking of always expanding, we also have a speculative chat about Easton Town Center. Last week we reported that New York-based Ark Restaurants Corp. and the developers of Easton were in discussions to bring as many as 20 to 25 new restaurants to the Columbus development over the next five years. Why are eateries in such high demand these days and what might this mean for Easton?

Give us a listen.

We also talk about polka.

Ich bin ein Homesteader.

This week’s News & Brews ventures to the wilds of Licking County for the seasonal Oktoberfest coming from Heath’s Homestead Beer Co. The traditional German brew naturally inspires discussion of Oktoberfest (the event, both here and abroad) and Oktoberfests/Marzens (the beer). Can a malty beer hang in these days when so much of the market is focused on hops? Our panel weighs in.

Then we get deep(ish) into German stuff. Things are pronounced correctly and incorrectly. Whom among us has worn lederhosen or a dirndl?

In honest to god German beer news, we discuss the opening of Gemut Biergarten in Olde Towne East, which leads into a talk of Dungeons & Dragons where two News & Brewers share their unenlightened takes on the game and another is revealed to have once been a halfling thief. Someone also sings.

The fall vibe of the beer brings about talk of Halloween decorations and one team member is super excited.

Enjoy. Burp breaks and all.

This week’s News & Brews embraces this steamy summer with a refreshing beer meant for whiling the days away.

The appropriately named Leisurely raspberry saison from Columbus’ Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Co. was cracked open for the podcast for fans and skeptics alike. The brewery has built a reputation for its big barreled stouts and is gaining acclaim for its work with sours as well. So how does it fare with this more mainline beer aimed at the masses?

Tune in for the takes.

And stay for the news.

Though the beer may be leisurely, the discussion was not, touching first on an interesting and innovative business that wants to bring small batches of craft beer from other states into Ohio. Its first efforts can be found in September, but what is Guest Brewer and how does it work? In local beer happenings, Gemut Biergarten is approaching its Olde Towne East opening and in some non-beer talk, get updates on the Scioto Peninsula project.

There are more Willy Wonka references that you might think and, in may be the most controversial conversation in News & Brews history, how do you say “Scioto?”

News & Brews ventured out of state again this week, which is fitting since the biggest beer news of late involves an out-of-state brewery, namely the biggest out-of-state brewery in all the land.

Anheuser-Busch InBev last week acquired Cleveland’s Platform Beer Co. for an undisclosed sum. We discuss why the beer giants would be interested in the Ohio brand — which includes taprooms in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, with more in the works — and what it could mean for their respective businesses, the pros and the cons. What’s the perspective of the craft beer loyalist and does that matter? We devil’s advocate it out.

But before that we enjoy some nice, crisp Spotted Cow from Wisconsin’s New Glarus Brewing, a woman-owned craft beer pioneer that’s only available within that state’s borders. Wisconsin native Carrie Ghose drops into the pod for the first time for some native perspective. Come for the insights (why is the Pick ‘n Save in Milwaukee better than Mars Cheese Castle?), but stay for the accents.

Other news of note include this aspiring brewery owner and why he wants to bring a brewpub to the King-Lincoln area and how interested persons can contribute toward the upcoming opening of a new taproom for one Central Ohio brewer.

Cows, donkeys, pigs, horses — it’s a veritable farm on this week’s News & Brews podcast.

Though one might think the occasion for such discussion would be the Ohio State Fair underway now and that would have been a good hook for a discussion. Alas, that was not the hook for the discussion.

Summer travels have taken the News & Brews team many places in recent months — Russia, France, Chicago, a camp sort of like the one in Dirty Dancing — and travels mean new beers, so Managing Editor Mark Somerson graced the team with Apocalypse Cow, a double-IPA from 3 Floyd’s Brewing that he picked up on his way to Chicago. It’s a cruel farewell to IPA-hating team member Emily Bench to whom we bid adieu.

Beyond discussing that lactose-infused brew, we chat some local beer news including a sit-down with the new CEO of BrewDog USA on her experience and origins, a visit to Lithopolis’ craft brewery and an expanding local venture that dips wine and beer bottles into chocolate.

The many uses of and plays on Apocalypse Now naturally comes up (preemptive apology — 2pacalypse Now is Tupac’s first album, not second) but eventually the conversation steers to beach donkeys, swimming pigs and wading horses.

Oh and there’s a quiz too! You can take it here or answer along while listening.