Ohio Beer - The Beer Thrillers

Species X Beer Project Announces Closing

B. Kline — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:38:07 +0000

Species X Beer Project Has Just Announced They Are Closing

Just moments ago Species X Beer Project has announced that they will be closing. (This article will be going live at 1:30 PM and the announcement was made at 1:00 PM). We announced their opening – Species X Beer Project Opening in Columbus – on January 24th, 2024.

The Species X Beer Project was located at 408 N Front St. Columbus, OH 43215.

This is extremely sad, and very indicative of the beer culture and landscape currently. Sadly more and more of these stories are becoming more and more common place across America. From the larger regional and big breweries down to the small local town craft beer pubs.

We would like to wish the best for all involved in their future endeavors.

The Announcement

You can read the announcement here:

With a heavy heart, we will be officially closing Species X Beer Project permanently as of today, Thursday, October 3rd, 2024.

The current state of the industry is a hard pill to swallow. This, combined with cut-throat competition from both well established large and local breweries, made for a perfect storm shortly after opening our doors earlier this year. Befriending local EDM groups, local tech companies, local streamers, local universities, and having other events certainly helped, but it unfortunately was not enough to keep the business thriving.

I am beyond grateful and proud of my hard working team, and I am forever grateful to our families, friends, associates, investors, fans, and customers for the unbelievable amount of support in making my dream come to life.

Which brings me to my next point: If you are a local brewery, restaurant, or bar looking to hire people PLEASE REACH OUT AND INTERVIEW MY TEAM. They are skilled, passionate, and know how to get things done.

I hope we left a lasting legacy despite our short lifetime here, and I have some little side projects in mind to keep it alive in one form or another – be-it by another name and/or another form.

I had the time of my life living out my dream this year, and thank you all for the support.

-Beau Warren

#ohiocraftbeer #columbuscraftbeer #closures

–Species X Beer Project (Facebook Post)

For More Information on Species X Beer Project

The following comes via Untappd.

Species X Beer Project is a micro brewery from Columbus, OH. They have 26 unique beers and over 4,600 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.80 (as of 10.3.24). Their Untappd description reads: “Brewing beer with species of tomorrow. In addition to being a brewery, Species X Beer Project is a continuous research endeavor seeking the next groundbreaking species for brewing beer, through both computational and biological means.”

You can follow them at these social media platforms:

Species X Beer Project – Official Website
Species X Beer Project – Facebook
Species X Beer Project – Instagram
Species X Beer Project – Twitter
Species X Beer Project – Untappd

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

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MAPS OF BREWERIES

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Humble Monk Brewery Forced to Relocate Amidst Unforeseen Challenges

B. Kline — Wed, 08 May 2024 18:43:38 +0000

Humble Monk Brewery Forced to Relocate Amidst Unforeseen Challenges

Humble Monk Brewing is Moving

Humble Monk Brewery Forced to Relocate Amidst Unforeseen Challenges

Humble Monk Brewery, a well-known Cincinnati craft brewery in the Northside neighborhood, has announced an unexpected move due to “unforeseen circumstances.” According to a recent Facebook update from the brewery, the owners are actively searching for a new location but have not yet confirmed where the brewery will be relocating.

The brewery has been given a deadline of June 22 to vacate its current premises, adding urgency to the search for a new home. Despite the relocation challenges, fans of Humble Monk can still enjoy their favorite brews, as the brewery will continue selling its craft beer through packaged cans and kegs. In addition, merchandise remains available for purchase online.

Stay tuned for updates on the future home of Humble Monk Brewery and what’s next for this beloved Cincinnati taproom.

(This comes off the news of yesterday – Brink Brewing Co. Expands Production and Patio Space in Cincinnati’s College Hill.)

Humble Monk Brewery was located at 4100 Colerain Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45223.

For More Information on Humble Monk Brewery

The following comes via Untappd.

Humble Monk Brewery is a nano brewery from Cincinnati, Ohio. They have 88 unique beers and over 11,500 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.69 (as of 5.8.24). Their Untappd description reads: “A local Nano-Brewery that carries a variety of craft beers with Belgian staples – Taproom, Free NYPD Pizza delivery, can bring in own food, pet friendly and provides online carryout or curb-side pick-up orders, outdoor beer garden, free parking, handicap accessible.”

You can find them at the following social media platforms:

Humble Monk Brewery – Official Website
Humble Monk Brewery – Facebook
Humble Monk Brewery – Instagram
Humble Monk Brewery – Untappd

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

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If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

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Brink Brewing Co. Expands Production and Patio Space in Cincinnati’s College Hill

B. Kline — Tue, 07 May 2024 18:22:24 +0000

Brink Brewing Co. Expands Production and Patio Space in Cincinnati’s College Hill

Brink Brewing Co., an award-winning Cincinnati craft brewery, is nearing completion of a significant expansion at its College Hill location. The project includes a new production space, a dedicated canning line, a barrel-aging room, and a larger patio, with construction expected to wrap up this summer.

Located at 5905 Hamilton Ave., Brink Brewing is expanding into the adjacent building at 5909 Hamilton Ave., adding an additional 2,400 square feet to its current 3,200-square-foot space. This expansion will enable the brewery to significantly boost its production capacity and packaging capabilities.

Brink initially considered expanding outside College Hill, but after discussions with the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC), they decided to keep the investment local. According to Andrew McCleese, founder and director of operations, “We explored opening a second location, but the costs were high. Instead, we opted to grow right here in College Hill.”

The brewery officially purchased the adjacent building in September 2023, and construction began shortly after. The $300,000 project includes a $180,000 investment in new equipment like a canning labeler, palletizer, walk-in cooler, and pallet stacker. The expansion is expected to allow Brink to produce 85% of its beer in-house, up from just 30% in previous years.

Production Boost and Future Plans

In 2023, Brink Brewing produced 1,200 barrels of beer, ranking as the 18th-largest brewery in the Cincinnati area. With the new canning line and additional space, the brewery plans to produce up to 900 barrels in-house, continuing its relationship with Impact Brewing for contract brewing of its flagship IPA and core brands.

“We’re leaving room to add more tanks in the future if needed,” said McCleese. “This expansion gives us flexibility to grow our production and canning operations as demand increases.”

Increased Distribution and Visibility

Thanks to a new partnership with Heidelberg Distributing, Brink Brewing has significantly expanded its brand presence. The brewery’s products can now be found in Great American Ball Park and at major events like Taste of Cincinnati, further boosting its visibility in the region.

Brink has also seen success in retail, securing placements in 72 Kroger stores by 2021, alongside multiple awards, including three consecutive Great American Beer Festival gold medals for its Moozie milk stout. The brewery has been recognized as the Best Very Small Brewery in the United States two years in a row.

Expanded Patio and Community Growth

Brink’s expansion isn’t just about production. Its patio space is doubling in size to 3,000 square feet, providing a more inviting space for guests. This upgrade is part of a collaboration with CHCURC and Cincinnati’s outdoor improvement program.

“We were one of the first businesses to invest in College Hill when there wasn’t much happening here,” said McCleese. “It’s been incredible to grow alongside the neighborhood.”

Brink Brewing Co. opened its doors in 2017, founded by Jack Duncan, Mark Landers, and Kelly Montgomery, who turned a homebrewing hobby into an award-winning brewery. McCleese, a long-time friend, joined early on, helping the brewery maintain its focus on small-batch, organic growth.

For More Information on Brink Brewing Company

The following comes via Untappd.

Brink Brewing Company is a micro brewery from Cincinnati, Ohio. They have 465 unique beers and over 68,000 ratings with a global average rating of 3.87 (as of 5.7.24). Their Untappd description is currently blank.

You can find them at these social media platforms:

Brink Brewing Company – Official Website
Brink Brewing Company – Facebook
Brink Brewing Company – Instagram
Brink Brewing Company – Twitter
Brink Brewing Company – Untappd

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

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Beer Review: Java the Stout (Jackie O’s Brewery)

BKline — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 01:25:00 +0000

Java the Stout Can Art

What better beer to review on Black Friday than a stout, and a Star Wars related / themed stout at that! There is a long history of Star Wars themed beers on the blog, you can find them if you use our search feature and type in STAR WARS, or see the list below:

I love doing pop culture related and themed beer reviews. Its much more fun than just doing a review of IPA #29292821 or Pale Ale #TK-422 (…do any of my Star Wars fans get that reference?). I have done quite a few to say the least; stemming from Back to the Future, to Spaceballs, to Scrooged, to Simpsons references, to Star Wars, to pro wrestling… to just about everything under the sun (or suns if you live on Tatooine). I’ll provide a link to most at the end of the review here.

There is always a bevy of pop culture related beers in the craft beer industry. From can art to names to logos, to even brewery names, they are often puns or quotes or pictures of different movies, characters, etc. Just this month alone I did a review with a Godfather pun (The Growfather), a Panda / Mandalorian cross review (The Pandalorian) and a Simpsons beer – I Voted for Kodos (and soon to be reviewed – I Voted for Kang).

As always, if you know of any Star Wars, or pop culture themed beers that you know of, or would like to see me review, or have access to, always get ahold of me, and I will gladly do a trade, or buy, or try to find said beer to review here on the blog.

For this beer, we have quite a bit to break down I think. First, lets start with the can art:

Java the Stout (by Jackie O’s) can art

There is a LOT going on here in this picture. Obviously, front center is Jabba the Hutt flying in / on Vader’s Advanced Tie X1 (oh yea… I went full nerd on that). In the background you have a ton of TIEs (TIE LN – the generic TIE Fighters from A New Hope) and X-Wings and lots and lots of lasers. You also have a Star Destroyer being blown up, as well as the Death Star II being blown up. There is also the Cloud City from Bespin (Empire Strikes Back) with what I assume is Godzilla or some other kind of giant reptile creature scaling it. The Milenium Falcon can also be seen in the background near the Death Star. I also spy a giant Moth / butterfly creature, I’m not sure what this is or what its a reference too, so I am a bit fuzzy and curious about that one. Apparently the lasers that are destroying the Star Destroyer stem straight from the eyes of the moth / butterfly creature, so maybe there’s some kind of reference out there that I’m missing (most likely).

Now, lets move onto discussing just who the “Java” is in reference too…

Jabba the Hutt (from Wookiepedia)

To quote the Wookiepedia:

“If I told you half the things I’ve heard about this Jabba the Hutt, you’d probably short-circuit!“―C-3PO^[src]

Jabba Desilijic Tiure, more commonly referred to as Jabba the Hutt or simply Jabba, and formally styled as His Excellency Jabba Desilijic Tiure of Nal Hutta, Eminence of Tatooine, was a Hutt gangster and crime lord, as well as a member of the Grand Hutt Council, who operated and led a criminal empire from his palace on the Outer Rim world of Tatooine. Jabba was a major figure on Tatooine, where he controlled the bulk of the trafficking in illegal goods, piracy and slavery that generated most of the planet’s wealth. He was also highly influential in the entire Outer Rim as one of its most powerful crime lords.

During the Clone Wars, Jabba’s influence and power over the Outer Rim, specifically its hyperlanes, was sought by both the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, who both courted Jabba’s approval. When Rotta, Jabba’s son, was kidnapped, the crime lord promised his support to whoever returned his son. When the Separatists were revealed to have orchestrated Rotta’s kidnapping, Jabba pledged his support to the Republic.

Jabba continued to operate in the Outer Rim after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire, preserving his power base, despite the interference of Darth Sidious, the Galactic Emperor. After the destruction of the Death Star by the Rebel Alliance, the Emperor sent Darth Vader to negotiate a deal with Jabba to secure raw materials for Imperial military production. Jabba’s alliance with the Empire allowed him and the Hutts to survive the Imperial crackdown against criminal elements in the Outer Rim, as well as rid the Hutt of his competitors.

After the smuggler Han Solo failed to repay him for lost cargo, Jabba placed a high price on his head. Solo was eventually delivered to him by one of his bounty hunters, Boba Fett, as a gift from Darth Vader. However, this capture brought him to the attention of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, who sought to rescue his friend from Jabba’s imprisonment. As he attempted to execute the Jedi and his allies in the Great Pit of Carkoon, Jabba was choked to death by Leia Organa. With the Hutts unable to decide who would inherit Jabba’s criminal ventures, many of his slaves, including the Niktos, were free, and his palace was abandoned after the droid pool was deactivated.

Source: Jabba the Hutt – Wookiepedia Page

And that was just the brief of him, not the entirety of the article. Click the link above (at the source) to read his full entry! But, for a quick gist of him – Jabba the Hutt is the one who had Boba Fett capture Han Solo and with Darth Vader using Han Solo as a trap for Luke, got him frozen in carbonite, and then delivered to Jabba where he kept him as a ‘prize’ in his audience chamber. This set off the key events of the end of Empire Strikes Back and the beginning of Return of the Jedi. Jabba the Hutt was also the one who sent Greedo after Han Solo in A New Hope. (He’s also the feature of the full length Clone Wars movie, as well as makes an appearance in The Phantom Menace, as well as in several other mediums and stories in Star Wars EU [Expanded Universe]. To sum him up – he is the ‘Don’ or ‘Godfather’ or ‘Capo’ of his crime family.)

Ok, whew, that was all a lot to digest; especially if you’re not a nerd. (And really, if you’re not, why are you still reading all this gibberish? Its gotta be pretty much nonsensical to you by this point!) I think we have a good basis now, from the can art, to the backstory of Jabba the Hutt, so lets move on to the beer and the brewery.

Jackie O’s Brewpub

On my trip out to Indianapolis and back, on Day Six of my trip, I stopped at Jackie O’s Brewpub outside of Athens Ohio. Everything being different due to COVID-19 and the pandemic, only the beer garden outside was used for drinking and sitting. I got a flight while there, as well as picked up the mix – a – six to take home (which this was a part of).

Untappd has this to say about Jackie O’s: Jackie O’s Brewery is a micro brewery from Athens Ohio, established in 2005, and has 675 unique beers and 738K+ ratings, with a global average rating of 4.02. The Untappd description reads: Established in 2005, Jackie O’s Brewery has evolved over the years to include an experimental Brewpub, Public House Restaurant, Production Brewery & Taproom, Bake Shop and the Barrel Ridge Farm – all of which are located in Athens, Ohio / Southeastern, Ohio. Jackie O’s specializes in brewing techniques that revive traditional methods and also incorporate contemporary elements and influences. We strive to brew one of the most diverse beer portfolios in the country, with a detailed and unique focus on barrel & wood aged beers, wild ales, and blending. It is liked by 17K+.

This was one of the top recommended breweries for me to visit on my trip, alongside Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis, Levity Brewing in Indiana Pennsylvania, and Urban Artifact in Cincinnati. The flight of beers I had at the brewpub didn’t disappoint, neither did any of the beers I took home (including this one).

So… we discussed the can art… the legacy and origins and reason for the “Java the Stout” (Jabba the Hutt), the brewery – Jackie O’s, whats left to discuss before actually reviewing the beer?

Ah…. the when / where I drank it. So Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving, due to the mandate that no on-site alcohol sales could be made at bars and breweries in Pennsylvania after 5PM by Governor Wolfe, I met my friend Drew at his place to do some Friendsgiving Drinking. We also did a stream for the night for his streaming page – Knights of Nostalgia. We streamed Secret of Mana on…. his brand new Playstation 5. Yes, this was the first time he was getting to play the system (as well as myself), and… the first game we test drove it with was an old SNES remastered game. Ironic? Or just funny? I’ll let you be the judge. But, I will say, the controller for the PS5 was very cool, and the game was a lot of fun (this was the second part of our series of playing the game, as its a long RPG, it will take us several sittings and streams to beat it).

During the stream – I started with Java the Stout, progressed to a blueberry pancake Double IPA (DIPA) by Decadent Ales, and finished off the night with a bottle of Yuengling’s Hershey’s Porter.

Finally… ok… finally… I think we have all of our Padawans in a row… I think we can get on to reviewing the beer!

Java the Stout by Jackie O’s Brewery

Beer: Java the Stout
Brewery: Jackie O’s Brewery
Style: Stout – Coffee
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: A caramel centered Stout accentuated by Ridge Runner coffee. Instead of simply adding coffee to a stout, we build a stout around the coffee. Course ground coffee beans are added in the conditioning tank. The beans add a robust roasted character and turn this Stout fully opaque. Our best selling seasonal since 2008!

Oh gorgeous, beautiful stouts, how I love thee. Dark and black as my soul and heart, yet so inviting… as … not my soul. Java the Stout is typical in that its like most other stouts; dark black – Razor Ramon hair black, but with a beautiful creamy off-white foamy head. Great carbonation on the beer, and nice lacing on the glass. This is ‘typical stout black’ but as always – thats a good thing here. The foam head is almost more brown than white, but I would still probably label it as ‘off white’, but the bubbles are varied and different size, always a sign of a quality crafted beer.

Aroma is a dark, roasted, coffee heavy, caramel, chocolate, heavy hard hitting powerful… the list of descriptors can almost go on and on here. This is pound for pound one of the best (non – pastry stout) smelling stouts I’ve had in a long time, if not ever. And I’m not even a coffee fan. Maybe its just the ‘hotness’ of drinking coffee, I dunno, but I do not like coffee, but I don’t mind coffee in my beers one bit (in fact, I tend to love coffee stouts). Coffee is pound for pound what you get most out of the nose on this, but there is notes of caramel malt, chocolate, roasted malts, and the faintest hint of vanilla.

From first sip to holding the glass (or can) over your mouth to make sure every last drop falls into your gullet, this is one fantastic beer. Every drop is to be savored, just like its color, its black gold. I’ll be like one of those millennial Instagrammers “this is fire” with lots of fire emojis and beers, or fire – beer – fire alternating emojis… or whatever. But this is just an amazing, fantastic beer. You got a fair bit going on, but its pretty straight forward too. This is a coffee stout. A coffee beer, through, and through, and through. The coffee is very good, and strong, but there are also other notes hiding around the edges of the coffee too that can’t be ignored. The roasted malts provide a strong backbone to the beer, giving it a strong caramel note and finish to it, and helps take off some of the edge of the coffee flavor without removing the coffee flavor. More like melding it together, taking a frayed edge and making it smooth and run seamlessly into the next. The malt backbone is strong and gives a wonderful, full heavy mouthfeel, with no off flavors, no cloying, no clingyness, nothing to detract or take away from the beer. There is some notes of chocolate as well, in my tastes, though I think it becomes more milder as you drink, and this could be from the malt, but not 100% sure. There is also a bit of smoothness to it, possibly vanilla, but again, not 100% sure. Regardless, the flavors that surround the coffee flavor works together well, and lifts up the coffee notes, not detracts from, or over complicates the beer. I really like the way the malt and the coffee work in this beer and I think thats the strongest reason why the beer is just so good, everything accentuates / accompanies / emphasizes and works together to attain a great tasting beer. Also at 6.5% its strong in taste, but not strong in ABV or alcohol, so it doesn’t taste boozy or overpowering, and won’t leave you drunk or getting there by the end of the first can. Perfect campfire beer, or perfect Netflix and chill, or Disney+ and watching The Mandalorian beer….

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.93 (as of 11.28.20)

Ok, lets break down some of the nerdy pop culture beers I’ve reviewed:

Star Wars:

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

Beer Review: Game of Thrones: My Watch Has Ended (Omnegang Brewery)

The Simpsons:

Beer Review: I Voted for Kodos (Second Sin Brewing Company)
Beer Review: I Voted for Kang (Second Sin Brewing Company)

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Pro Wrestling:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Other:

Search for ‘Star Wars’ on The Beer Thrillers

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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The Trip to Indianapolis: Day Three: Salt Fork State Park, Southside Brewing Company, Blackhand Gorge, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Land-Grant Brewing Company, The Wandering Griffin

BKline — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 01:23:00 +0000

Salt Fork State Park

The subtitle I used for the recap article about Day Three was “I woke up in Washington and ended up in Dayton, how did I get here?” And its pretty accurate. Counting West Virginia (which I was only supposed to be in for all of about six to eight minutes) I traveled in three states and a fair bit of distance. So lets discuss how I got from Washington (Pennsylvania) to Dayton (Ohio) all in one day, and what all I did therein.

Also, before we go on, I believe my picture above of the lake at Salt Fork State Park is an optical allusion (that or maybe I’ve finally fully lost it and I’m going nuts); but to me it feels like if you stare at the picture long enough it looks like the waves are moving. Let me know if you see it… or if I have just lost my marbles. (Maybe its both?)

Day three saw me leaving my hotel outside of The Meadows Casino around 9:30AM, and heading to Ohio. Unfortunately, I have to go through West Virginia to get to Ohio in this part of the region… and that involves me getting pulled over by a West Virginia State Trooper. Sigh. So it goes I guess, but it does suck, and is a needless 190$ expense to add to the total cost of my trip, it also made me a bit later getting to my first stop which was the Salt Fork State Park.

Salt Fork State Park

There is a large beautiful lake at Salt Fork State Park, as well as several hiking trails over by the golf course. The lake was gorgeous and so serene, and at 10:30-11AM the park and lake area was completely empty. Just me, some blobby dead jellyfish looking things on the beach, lots of deer footprints, and the sad, quiet, solemn sound of the waves of the lake lapping onto the beach. I sat by the beach for a fair bit of time, just taking in the quiet and solitude, the solemnity of the here and now and the sereneness of it all.

The wooded trails there were nice though easy and not much to see, but they were quiet, serene, and peaceful. The whole place had a very serene atmosphere, a malaise or laze-faire peace and serenity to it all. Seeing nobody in sight pretty much the entire time I was in the state park certainly helped add the elusive nature of the place, like I had stumbled back in time and found a beach and lake and small wooded grove that only I knew about and nobody else ever would.

From here I traveled further into Ohio on my way to Columbus. Stopping briefly at a brewery / winery / restaurant / pizzeria on a hill. The restaurant was called Georgetown Tavern on the Hill; the brewery located there was called Southside Brewing Company. Had a gorgeous view of a vineyard and down an impressive hill.

Georgetown Tavern on the Hill – Southside Brewing Co.

The pizza was very good, and the beer was refreshing and nice on a beautiful, gorgeous, sunny day.

Blueberry Wheat

Beer: Blueberry Wheat
Brewery: Southside Brewing Co.
Style: Wheat Beer – American Pale Wheat
ABV: 6%
IBU: 30 IBU
Untappd Description: Traditional wheat beer with a hint of blueberry.

It was refreshing, and nice and there was a hint of blueberry. Perfectly acceptable on a sunny day in early November as a quick-stop pint to grab while breaking up the drive through Ohio.

My Untappd Rating: ***.5
Global Untappd Rating: (Only 9 ratings, not enough for a global rating yet.)

Next up, I stopped at Blackhand Gorge. Which was a series of trails on two sides of a main road. On one side, you had a trail along the creek / river which also included being able to walk down into what was the remains of the Erie Canal; and on the other side you had a walk that took you through a rock tunnel and you could also climb to the top of this giant rock plateau. The one side of the river was more of a bike trail that stretched for miles and miles, the other was a hiking trail. Both were very cool, and had numerous spots to stop and take pictures.

Blackhand Gorge

The drive to Blackhand Gorge was interesting. At one point on the highway a firetruck was coming up behind me, so I got over for it, and soon after it passed me, its hose came unattached from the top, and followed behind the firetruck like a long kite tail until it eventually completely unattached. The firetruck unaware the entire time kept speeding on. I was making sure to keep a good 10 – 15 feet back from the hose, which was trailing for probably about 20 – 30 feet from the firetruck itself. Once it became unattached and flew back, I had to quickly swerve so it didn’t hit the car, and it nearly clipped the car behind me who was riding my tail pretty aggressively.

After the Gorge it was finally time to head into Columbus. On the way there, I passed the Longerberger Basket building, office, headquarters, what have you. Reminded me of my aunt who used to sell their baskets, as well as my (ex) mother in law who did as well.

Longerberger Basket Building

Once in Columbus, the first brewery to hit was Wolf’s Ridge Brewing. Parking was about a half block away, and was only 3$ for 6 hours, which for a city, is fantastic. Also, next to the parking lot was Elevator Brewing, where they were working on inside – unfortunately they weren’t open yet, and were still doing the work on the building, so I had to skip them. Wolf’s Ridge Brewing though more than made up for it.

Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Company

Due to COVID, instead of eating and sitting inside, they turned the alley to the side of their brewery into a make-shift patio with a construction set barrier around the place. I had two full drafts there while reading and talking to an amazing bartender / server. Very beautiful and sweet lady who chatted with me about their brewery, my trip, Indianapolis, Harrisburg, and all kinds of things.

Buchenrauch

The first beer I got was the Buchenrauch. I can’t turn down a Rauchbier when I see it on a menu. I just can’t. Always have to give it a try, just to see how the brewery handles doing such a hard beer style. Luckily (and unsurprising for anyone who knows Wolf’s Ridge Brewing) they absolutely nailed it.

Beer: Buchenrauch
Brewery: Wolf’s Ridge Brewing
Style: Rauchbier
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 20 IBU
Untappd Description:

2016 Gold Medal winner: San Diego International Beer Competition

2016 Gold Medal: Alltech Commonwealth Cup

2017 Silver: Alltech Commonwealth Cup

2016 Bronze: Indiana Brewers’ Cup

2015 Bronze Medal winner: San Diego International Beer Competition

This traditional smoked lager style hails from Bamberg Germany. The name literally means “beech smoke,” which pays homage to the time honored tradition of smoking the malt over beech wood to create the signature smooth smokiness. Mahogany in color and rich in flavors of campfire smoke and crusty bread. Buchenrauch is crisp and savory. The lager yeast and cold aging provide smooth drinkability and will leave you wanting more than just one.

Delicious, lovely beer. Compared to the medals and awards this beer has won, my recommendation means very little, but I do certainly highly recommend it. If you are in the Columbus area, this is worth the stop at Wolf’s Ridge Brewing alone.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.69 (as of 11.27.20)

Dire Wolf

Beer: Dire Wolf
Brewery: Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Company
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
ABV: 10.4%
IBU: 50 IBU
Untappd Description: 2017 Gold: Beer Army Beer Wars

2016 Silver Medal: Best of Craft Beer Awards

2015 Gold Medal winner: San Diego International Beer Competition

Canis Dirus, or “fearsome dog,” is the scientific name for the Dire Wolf. One of the largest known breeds of wolf, the Dire Wolf went extinct at the end of the last ice age. Similarly, the Russian Imperial Stout was a beer style destined for extinction until craft brewers in America began to resurrect historical styles. Our Imperial Stout is named for the Dire Wolf because it is big, bold, and fearsome. Brewed with copious amounts of oats and brown sugar. Black as night with a dense tan head and chewy texture. Notes of dark chocolate, caramel, and espresso stand against a hefty bitterness to balance this monstrous beer.

Another style I absolutely love – Russian Imperial Stouts (RIS). For any Game of Thrones geeks out there, the name is great too. This was a boozy, heavy, delicious, rich, strong and very powerful beer.

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 4.04 (as of 11.27.20)

Sadly, I had to move on and say goodbye to the bartender and the great brewery. I had enough time to hit one more brewery in Columbus before heading out to Dayton, my stop for the night (to shorten the trip for the next day). The second brewery I got to try out in Columbus was Land-Grant Brewing Company. Which was kind of set in a hipster like location, right across the street from BrewDog Ohio. Their ordering system was all on the phone, and was actually a bit of a challenge, as you had to pick your flight of beers all from their online menu which made things a bit more difficult than need be, but I don’t begrudge any breweries right now with strong COVID-19 / coronavirus safety protocols.

At Land-Grant Brewing, I ordered a flight that I had to wolf down pretty quickly to be able to get to Dayton in time for both the brewery there and the hotel and to call it on the day, and be somewhat near Indianapolis for tomorrow. According to Untappd, Land-Grant Brewing is a micro brewery; obviously located in Columbus Ohio, it has 531 Unique Beers, and over 163K ratings, with an average rating of 3.7 (as of 11.27.20). There is no Untappd description for the brewery.

The flight I ordered was:

Beard Crumbs
Make Mine Irish
Skull Session
Son of a Mudder
Bottomless Coffee

Beard Crumbs by Land-Grant Brewing

Beer: Beard Crumbs
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Stout – Oatmeal
ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 42
Untappd Description: Beard Crumbs is a smooth dark stout teeming with notes of chocolate, coffee, and an extra punch of holiday cheer via the addition of carmelized raisins. It delivers the joy of an oatmeal raisin cookie, minus the crumbly clean up.

It’s a festive ale that old Saint Nick himself would love.

This was a fun, tasty oatmeal stout. Ginger, nutmeg, or cinnamon rounded out the chocolate and coffee to make it feel more ‘festive’ and like a Christmas or Thanksgiving beer.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.71 (as of 11.27.20)

Make Mine Irish

Beer: Make Mine Irish
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Stout – Coffee
ABV: 8.4%
IBU: 33
Untappd Description: Sometimes a well brewed cup of coffee isn’t quite enough on its own. Sometimes a well brewed glass of beer needs a little something extra to push it over the top. Both benefit from a warming dose of whiskey. For that reason we brewed this hearty Irish Coffee Stout with Stauf’s whiskey-barrel-aged coffee beans, creating a compound of smooth chocolaty stout, roasted coffee, and rich, smoky whiskey. So when you’re craving a beer, a coffee, or a whiskey, might as well make yours Irish.

A good ‘Irish’ coffee stout. Strong and bold and powerful. Good full stout flavor even in a taster, very nice.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.89 (as of 11.27.20)

Skull Session by Land-Grant Brewing

Beer: Skull Session
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Lager – Red
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 15
Untappd Description: This easy drinking Scarlet Lager owes a tip of its cap to a timeless autumn tradition. A chance to clear your mind before Saturday’s main event. This beer draws its ruddy hue from Red X malt, while maintaining a bright, classic balance from the addition of Tettnang and Chinook hops. This is a lager that’s in formation and ready to march.

An interesting lager. A lot going on flavor wise, but still pretty crispy. A fun and interesting take on the lager style. Wouldn’t mind trying some more Red Lagers in the future especially back home; see how other breweries do the style.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.63 (as of 11.27.20)

Son of a Mudder by Land-Grant Brewing

Beer: Son of a Mudder
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale – American
ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 30
Untappd Description: Nevermind the conditions. This Brown Ale’s father was a Mudder, and his mother was a Mudder. This is a true and true American Brown Ale with a subtle hop presence at the turn and toffee, caramel, and coffee notes waiting at the finish line. When they’re calling for rain, dig in deep and grab a Mudder. It’s a sure thing.

I love brown ales, and I think the older I’m getting (ugh, scary thought) the more I’m enjoying them even moreso. This was no exception. Fantastic brown ale that is true to the style.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.6 (as of 11.27.20)

Bottomless Coffee by Land-Grant Brewing

Beer: Bottomless Coffee
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Lager – Vienna
ABV: 5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Perfect any time of day, this easy drinking Vienna Lager gets a rich, roasty pick-me-up from a big old pot of Stauf’s India Malabar Coffee beans—roasted right here in Columbus, Ohio. Grab a stool, get comfortable, and we’ll keep your cup topped-off.

Another interesting lager take. A coffee Vienna lager. Not your normal thought for a lager is coffee. This works really well though actually, and I really enjoyed it, more than I thought I would. I always love it when a beer exceeds my expectations.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.51 (as of 11.27.20)

Sadly, I pretty much had to wolf these beers down and bolt, and couldn’t stay and enjoy the ambiance of the place. In an outdoor patio next door looked like there was a big game of trivia going down. Not sure if this was tied in with Land-Grant Brewing or with the BrewDog from across the street. It might have been a communal area or for just the one brewery. If I had to guess, I would say it was tied in with Land-Grant Brewing or maybe the old school bar nearby too. I don’t think it was tied in with BrewDog. But it looked impressive with a big seating area, a huge screen for the trivia, and a lot of people…. hopefully socially distanced and wearing masks when not drinking.

The inside of Land-Grant Brewing Company

But, I was off now to my last stop, and had to book it too. I had to get to Dayton, and had to get there fast. I was heading to The Wandering Griffin, a brewery just outside of Dayton (technically considered Beaver Creek, Ohio) and right by my motel stop for the night. From Land-Grant to The Wandering Griffin its a 1 Hour and 1 Minute drive if Google Maps is to be believed. I wanna say I made it there a bit faster than that… but not going to incriminate myself.

The Wandering Griffin (courtesy of their Facebook and media pages)

I get to Dayton (or Beaver Creek) just before shutting down. I sit outside on their patio and enjoy a pint of Oktoberfest (2020). The place had an Applebee’s turned brewery vibe to it, or pick your own chain restaurant type place. Chili’s, Red Robin, Jiffy State, or whatever is local to your area type place. Not taking anything away from the place, it was nice, great patio area, nice bartender / server / worker, and the beer was good too.

According to Untappd, The Wandering Griffin is a brew pub in Beaver Creek, Ohio. They have 41 Unique Beers with 2,400+ ratings and an average global rating of 3.66 (as of 11.27.20). Their description reads: “We are The Wandering Griffin Brewery. We brew some really killer beer. We have lots and lots of room (over 10,000 square-feet) for you to drink our killer beer. Our floor is brown. We also have one really big ass patio. You can drink our killer beer there to. We also make some really killer grub. Did we mention that our beer is really good? We look forward to seeing you soon. Really. Parking? We have the largest parking lot in Dayton. Bring the bus! Brewery, full-service restaurant, beer garden and 3 bars. Great space for your event – large or small! Conveniently located off 675 exit 15 near WSU, WPAFB and Nutter Center.”

I ordered the Oktoberfest (2020), and went out to the patio to sit, it soon started to drizzle slightly, but nothing horribly, and I had a table umbrella over my head, so I enjoyed my pint.

Oktoberfest by The Wandering Griffin

Beer: Oktoberfest (2020)
Brewery: The Wandering Griffin
Style: Lager – Amber
ABV: 6%
IBU: 28
Untappd Description:

Prost! Our 2020 Oktoberfest is brewed using a blend of select German hops, Pale, Munich, and Vienna malts. Together, these ingredients bring notes of freshly toasted bread and a touch of fruit character to the brew. At 6% ABV and 28 IBU, this year’s Oktoberfest is a big yodel to beer’s biggest party…Even if we’re doing it from 6′ apart.
Küss unseren Arsch COVID!!!

I enjoyed it. It was a little weaker than some Marzens – probably because (according to their Untappd page for it) its a Lager – Amber rather than a Marzen, but it was still serviceable, especially after I’ve already stopped at two breweries in Columbus and the one earlier in the day (like a lifetime ago) in Georgetown. Was a nice enough end cap to the day.

My Untappd Rating: ***.50
Global Untappd Rating: 3.63 (as of 11.27.20)

After bidding adieu to the bartender / server I hopped the two blocks over to my motel and finally crashed for the day. Day three in the books. It brought me from Washington Pennsylvania to Dayton Ohio. As I carried my stuff into the motel, it started raining (more than a drizzle, but not hard), my friends at home said it had poured earlier in the day. Fun note – this would be the only rain and “bad weather” on the entirety of my trip. And it was overnight while in Dayton. Can’t say a bad thing about the weather I had in early November while traveling from PA to IN. I got extremely fortunate there. So as Tuesday came to a close, I had another wonderful day on my trip. I went to a State Park, went to another hiking place (Blackhand Gorge), visited four breweries in three different cities of Ohio (Georgetown, Columbus, and Dayton) and pretty much traveled the entire way across Ohio. Tomorrow brings on Day Four and takes me into Indianapolis to finally make it to the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library – the reason and purpose for my trip. So make sure to come on back to check in with us here at The Beer Thrillers for that! We still also have Days Five, Six, and Seven to get through! Be sure to come back to read the conclusion to the whole trip!

Thanks for reading everyone. Hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday, etc. Make sure to shop craft beer and not just scoop up the Goose Island Bourbon County crap, help the local breweries in these hard times, especially as the virus numbers keep getting higher and higher and shut downs look imminent. Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

The Trip to Indianapolis – Full Articles:

Day One: Thousand Steps Trail, Juniata Brewing Company, Ghost Town Trail, Levity Brewing
Day Two: Rock Furnace Trail, Allusion Brewing Company, Couch Brewery, Riverview Park, Hop Farm Brewing Company, The Meadows Casino
Day Three: Salt Fork State Park, Southside Brewing Company, Blackhand Gorge, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Land-Grant Brewing Company, and The Wandering Griffin
Day Four:
Day Five:
Day Six:
Day Seven:

The Trip to Indianapolis – Recap Articles:

August (2019) Road Trip Series:

Rickett’s Glen (2020) Road Trip Series:

Monocacy Battlefield Road Trip:

Visiting Reading Pennsylvania:

A Visit to Reading
The Birthday Trip to Reading Pennsylvania – The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

A Road Trip to The PA Grand Canyon:

Visiting Wellsboro PA and the Grand Canyon

Hiking Hawk Rock

Hiking Hawk Rock and Visiting Liquid Noise Brewery

Hiking Pinnacle Trail and Pulpit Rock

Hiking to Pinnacle Overlook, Pulpit Rock, Visiting 1787 Brewing and Schaylor Brewing

Hiking Around Ephrata Pennsylvania:

Hiking Around Ephrata Pennsylvania – Pour Man’s Brewing, Black Forest Brewery

Hiking Sunset Rocks and Checking Out Maxie’s Brewhouse:

Hiking Sunset Rocks and Checking Out Maxie’s Brewhouse in Shippensburg Pennsylvania

Other Brewery Hopping Articles:

My Article for Breweries in PA:

Touring Breweries Around Harrisburg

My Podcast About Breweries in Central PA:

Beers with Strangers – A Beer Thriller in Hershey

Some other brewery tour and road trip articles:

Also, be sure to check out some of our other beer reviews in recent history:

Little Fish Brewing Company Expanding into Dayton

BKline — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:34:38 +0000

Little Fish Brewing Company in Athens, Ohio

Great news for the Athens Ohio brewery Little Fish Brewing Company, as they are expanding into Dayton Ohio. Early Wednesday the Athens based brewery announced that they signed a letter of intent with Windsor Companies to open a second location in Dayton at Webster Station, which is in downtown.

This won’t be immediate however, as the construction is due to begin in Spring 2021.

In a statement at the release of this announcement, the marketing director, Carli Dexter, for Windsor Companies said: “Downtown is really growing into an exciting hub for small and independent restaurants and bars, shopping, entertainment and living. We couldn’t be more excited that Little Fish is going to be a part of that.”

The location, 112 Webster Station, was the former site of Midwest Tools. Windsor Companies purchased the location in September of 2020. Little Fish Brewing Company will be the first tenant signed on to lease at the location.

I got to stop at Little Fish Brewing Company on my trip from Harrisburg Pennsylvania to Indianapolis Indiana and back. The brewery in Athens with its gorgeous outside venue, and wonderful building, was a fantastic little brewery, and the beer and food were excellent. You can see my trip article when I visited Little Fish here: Trip to Indy – Day Six.

I had an excellent, although sadly short, time there, and the bartenders were both very wonderful, talkative, and knew their beer. Great people working there that is for sure.

Their new location in Dayton will be focused primarily on sour beers, specifically wood barrel aged ones. Little Fish has made sure to let their customers know you will be able to enjoy all of their beers at both locations in the future; at both the Athens and the Dayton taprooms and beer gardens.

Little Fish Brewing Company is five years old, having started in 2015 by Sean White and Jimmy Stockwell, natives of Athens Ohio. But, they assure everyone they are no strangers to the Dayton area as well. As part of their release, Stockwell said: “Dayton is growing, and we very much look forward to being part of its future. We’re excited to become part of the vibrant restaurant and brewery scene and to bring a piece of the spirit of Athens to this strong community.”

Their Untappd description reads: “Our philosophy is to brew simple, rustic, and beautiful beers. While farmhouse ales and barrel-aged sours are close to our hearts, we equally love to brew and drink a meticulously crafted lager or a hop-forward pale ale. Nothing is off the table as long as it pairs well with friends and family! We strive to make our brewery a reflection of our beliefs. Our electricity is sourced from 100% renewable energy: solar & wind power. Almost every beer we make contains a majority of Ohio-grown ingredients by weight (starting with the base malt), and many of our beers are 100% Ohio-grown. Finally, we regularly support social justice and environmental causes that we believe in. Thanks for choosing our beer, and for appreciating the love & passion that goes into it!”

Read below for their official Facebook announcement, posted today – Wednesday, 11.18.20, with photos courtesy of their Facebook page:

“Athens brewery to find new home in downtown Dayton

Little Fish Brewing Company signs letter of intent to open taproom and brewery on Webster St.

ATHENS, OH – Athens, Ohio-based brewery Little Fish Brewing Company announced today that it has signed a letter of intent with the Windsor Companies to develop a second location in downtown Dayton. Construction is projected to begin in spring of 2021.The Windsor Companies acquired the buildings at 112 Webster Station, formerly known as Midwest Tools, along with a few surrounding properties in September 2020. The brewery is the first tenant to sign on to the project, which is within walking distance of downtown, Day Air Ballpark, the Riverscape and the Fire Blocks District.“Downtown is really growing into an exciting hub for small and independent restaurants and bars, shopping, entertainment and living,” said Carli Dexter of The Windsor Companies. “We couldn’t be more excited that Little Fish is going to be a part of that.”The future Little Fish location will be dedicated to the production of wood- and barrel-aged sour beers. Patrons will be able to enjoy these, as well as other Little Fish beers from the Athens location at the taproom and beer garden. Also featured will be a farm-to-table kitchen developed by Little Fish’s Executive Chef, Becky Clark.Stockwell and White are no strangers to the Dayton area. Little Fish distributes beer here to local craft beer centric bars, breweries, and bottle shops.

“Dayton is growing, and we very much look forward to being part of its future,” said Jimmy Stockwell, Co-Founder of Little Fish. “We’re excited to become part of the vibrant restaurant and brewery scene and to bring a piece of the spirit of Athens to this strong Community.”Little Fish Brewing Company was founded in 2015 by Athens natives Sean White and Jimmy Stockwell. While the brewery brews many styles of beers, it focuses on farmhouse and sour ales made with Ohio-grown and processed ingredients. Notable awards include the 2016 World Beer Cup Gold Award for Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 2018 World Beer Cup Bronze Award for Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 2020 Great American Beer Festival Silver medal, wood & barrel-aged fruites sour beer.”

Little Fish Brewing Company Facebook Announcement

Little Fish Brewing Company’s Facebook page

Screenshot of Little Fish Brewing Company’s Facebook announcement

As I said earlier, I got to visit them for just a brief bit on my travels, but I came away very highly impressed with them. And have become big fans. I have been recommending them to all of my friends who are asking about travel and brewery recommendations in the area. If you are in Athens (or come 2021 – Dayton) make sure to stop by and give them a visit. You won’t be disappointed, I can guarantee that. The staff, the beers, the food, are all wonderful.

To read more about their announcement, you can see this article from Dayton.com: “Popular Athens Brewery Expands to Dayton.”

For more brewery news on my blog, you can follow the news below:

You can read about more brewery closures here:

And in better, happier news, check out our articles on brewery openings:

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

Shipping News:

To see all about my trip to and from Indianapolis, you can check out the following articles:

The Trip to Indianapolis:

Also, be sure to check out some of our other beer reviews in recent history:

You can check out the tabs at the top of each page to visit our BEER REVIEWS, BEER EDUCATION, TRAVELOGUES, etc. Be sure to check out all the latest beer reviews, as we’re pumping a lot out in recent time.

Thanks for reading everyone, stay safe, be careful, and cheers!

-B. Kline

The Trip to Indy – Day Six Recap: How I Spent 4 Hours Hiking the Wrong Way at Hocking Hills and Returned to West Virginia (Jackie O’s Brewpub, Little Fish Brewing Co, Mountain State Brewing, Morgantown Brewing Company)

BKline — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 04:24:00 +0000

Day six, next to last day, and I spent the first four hours and some odd minutes hiking Hocking Hills. I woke up, despite waking up early, I kinda left later than I wanted (a trend, waking up at 6AM, but not leaving til 9AM when I should have left already, sigh). Drove the hour and a half to Hocking Hills, getting there around 11AM, and getting lost. Note: Google Maps will take you to the edge of the road closest to the State Park. Put in “Old Man’s Cave Visitor Center”.

Cedar Rapids at Hocking Hills State Park

I arrive, get out, and despite (what I realized at the end when leaving) that I parked right where I was SUPPOSED to begin my hike, I went to the port-o-pots (had to go!) and from there saw a trail, so I took that red trail because it had signs saying “Cedar Falls”…. well, little did I know, that Hocking Hills is all set up (at least mostly all) as one way hike paths. So the three mile red path that got me there, was not the correct way to go. I cheated a bit and still went down to the rapids, and then took the blue path to Ash Cave, then the yellow path to connect back to Whispering Cave, Hemlock Bridge, and back to the visitor center. I never even got to see Old Man’s Cave, despite it being the biggest thing about the park, and right next to the visitor center. Oh well. Gives me things to do for the future. I hiked 12+ miles in 4 hours, and I hadn’t eaten yet, so I leave around 3:30PM.

Jackie O’s Brewpub

My first stop was Jackie O’s Tap Room / Brew Pub outside of Athens. They didn’t do anything other than snacks, so I just got a flight, grabbed a mix six pack to take home, and after spending my time there, I then went to the next Athens area brewery…

Little Fish Brewing Co

Little Fish Brewing Co. Here, I got a lamb panini / taco thing that was pretty interesting and good. Had a beer (they didn’t do flights), and then made my two hour and forty minute drive to Fairmont West Virginia.

I arrive at 8:40PM in Fairmont at a brewery called Short Story Brewing, which Facebook listed as closing at 9PM…. but they did last call at 8:30, so I wasn’t able to drink. She recommended Rambling Root bar and for breweries Mountain State and Morgantown in nearby Morgantown.

Mountain Stain Brewing

Hopped back in the old mobile that is really racking up miles, drove the 5 minutes or so to Morgantown, and stopped at Mountain Stain. It kind of reminded me of an Outback Steakhouse, Texas Steakhouse, Applebee’s conglomeration. Had a flight there, and they were ok. Wish I would have done their guest flight too, since it had several breweries from the area (including that Short Story Brewing) that I’ve never had before, so I would have at least been able to try a larger range, but it was getting on 10PM and they were closing up, and so I figured I’d quickly hit Morgantown because they close at 11PM.

Morgantown Brewing Company

Morgantown Brewing Company was a nice front street type brewery that was the neighborhood bar too. Talk ranged from politics, to philosophies, to weather, to crops, to TV shows, from the nearby tables. I sat back and sipped my pint til closing time.

Made it to my motel, checked in, and watched the latest episode of The Mandalorian (wow! wow! wow!).

Tomorrow brings me to Day 7 and my final, complete, road trip back home. I will do much more in-depth reviews, pictures, etc, for the days in a few days, when I’m able to soak things back in, get back to normalcy, and not be rushed by the seven day road trip. I’ll also post lists of what all breweries I hit, mileage, steps, my route, etc.

Enjoy, and see you all here tomorrow for the conclusion!

-B. Kline

The Trip to Indianapolis:

The Trip to Indy – Day Five Recap: The Start of the Return Voyage – Visiting Cincinnati and Kentucky (Taste of Belgium, Moerlein Lager House, Braxton Brewing, Taft’s Ale House, Urban Artifact)

BKline — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 04:40:00 +0000

Woooo-eeee. Another long day in the books… Day 5 and the start of the return to Pennsylvania.

Woke up in the hotel, drove to Cincinnati, stopping about an hour into the two hour drive to walk a one mile little park area called Brum’s Woods, just to give my legs a wake up and keep myself from falling asleep. But once I got into Cincinnati, I fell in love, immediately.

I got to park right near the Cincinnati Red’s stadium – Great American Ball Park. For 5.50$ I got two hours on the meter. I walked along the river front, walked along the one street, and found this Taste of Belgium restaurant. …I couldn’t help but go in.

A Taste of Belgium

Next thing I know I’m having Rodenbach, Avobode, and other high quality Belgian beers. And its only 11AM. I finally manage to pull myself away, and walked the Roebling Bridge into Kentucky and back, and then I stop in at the Christian Moerlein Lager House.

The Moerlein Lager House

Another fine brewery establishment. This was great, got to drink upstairs at the bar (something I never realized I would be so grateful for, since we can’t do this back in Pennsylvania anymore), and talked to a wonderful young sweet bartender who told me all about Cincinnati and we discussed the changing laws. She was saying they were expecting a news conference today about some new restrictions. From my view, I could see Paul Brown Stadium while I drank my pint.

After saying goodbye, I went back to my meter, put another 5.50$ in, and then went to the Underground Railroad Museum. If you are in Cincinnati, this is something you should definitely do. It is extremely powerful, and a very well done museum.

I then got back in my car and drove to Braxton Brewing Company in Kentucky. Now…. I hate to speak ill of a state…. but Kentucky was horrible. The brewery was AMAZING. But getting to it… and then leaving it… was so extremely aggravating. I have no idea why… but it was only 1.5 miles and it took me twenty minutes to get there, and fifteen minutes to leave. Apparently Kentuckians don’t know how to do round-a-bouts correctly. I have no idea what was going on with that.

Braxton Brewing Company

But, let me just say, the brewery was amazing. And Adam – the bartender – was one of the best bartenders I’ve gotten to spend time with and talk to in a while. I promised him I’d make a shout out to him in this blog post, so there you go. Dude is straight up nice, knowledgeable, and great bartender. If you stop in at Braxton Brewing, make sure you say hi to him, he is a class act. He too mentioned the governor of Ohio, and his own governor, doing an announcement at some point.

After making it back into Ohio, and Cincinnati, thankfully, I went to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Where I puttered about acting like I know what art is. I don’t. No clue. My ex-wife went to school to be an art teacher, and I have zero understanding of art. I always want to put a sign over urinals in bathrooms at art museums that just say: “THIS IS ART. YOU ARE MAKING ART.” And see if people will take pictures of it and believe it.

After the art museum, I then went to Taft’s Ale House.

Taft’s Ale house

This is another one of those beautiful stories of a church being turned into a brewery to preserve the building. Also, if you see the logo its Taft in a bathtub, so if you know the story of that, you’ll understand why I find that so amusing. (I’ll elaborate on that in the full write-up.)

After Taft’s I then went to Urban Artifact. It came as the most highly recommended place for me to visit from all of my friends, and I am so completely glad I did. Wow, every beer was absolutely amazing and fantastic. All sours. All sooo sooo sooooooooooo good. I picked up plenty of beers for Deuene Hoffman, and myself, and a t-shirt for myself, bid them a fond adieu, and then drove to Wilmington Ohio, where I was hoping to hit up a cidery right before they closed up, but unfortunately I got there at 10:05PM and as I walked up they closed the doors. So next time I’m in the area, I’ll try and hit it up again, I’m not a huge cider person, but if its there, its there, might as well. And figured this would be a great ending stop to the day. Oh well, so it goes. The cidery is called TinCap Cidery. In case you are ever in Wilmington Ohio, there is a cidery.

Ok, tomorrow will be Hocking Hills and some more legit hiking again, as well as Jackie O’s in Athens, and then on to Ohiopyl Saturday and the end of my trip sadly. My bank account I think is looking forward to this trip being over the most… …and my liver.

Well, stay healthy out there everyone, cheers!

-B. Kline

The Trip to Indianapolis:

The Trip to Indy – Day Three Recap: Started in Washington and Ended Up in Dayton – How did I Get Here? (Southside Brewing Company, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Land-Grant Brewing Company, The Wandering Griffin)

BKline — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 04:40:00 +0000

Had a slow start to the day leaving Washington Pennsylvania (not Washington D.C and definitely not Washington the state). Drove out of Pennsylvania, and I have to cut through West Virginia for all of twenty minutes before entering Ohio…. when I see sirens. And sure enough, I’m pulled over going 64 in a 45MPH zone where it just dropped from 65MPH. Ugh, there’s a start to the day. And to boot, I find out my driver’s license expired on the 28th of August (day after my birthday), which is interesting that none of the places I’ve used my license at (like the Casino last night) took notice or said anything.

Salt Fork State Park

My first stop of the day was Salt Fork State Park. Where I sat along the beach and listened to the lapping of the lake’s waves for a while, then hiked the surrounding trails by the camp ground and golf course.

On my way towards Columbus I stopped at my first brewery of the day in Georgetown Ohio – George’s Tavern on the Hill, with a winery and brewery as part of it’s location. The brewery was called Southside Brewing Company.

Southside Brewing Company

After this, I then made my way towards Columbus. This is a long, slow drive, especially now that I was a bit leery of speeding too much.

I stopped at Blackhand Gorge and did several of the hikes there, including the tunnel and the quarry. Both gorgeous views and interesting sights. After this it was time to make my way into Columbus itself.

Where I wish I could have stayed longer, but sadly it was already 5PM when I got to Columbus. Also with it being a Tuesday, and with COVID still going on, it was hard timing myself up with breweries. For example I missed Weasel Boy in Zainesville which I was recommended, but anyway, in Columbus I did get to visit two breweries before moving on.

Wolf’s Ridge Brewing

First stop was Wolf’s Ridge Brewing. Where I had a delicious rauchbier and a fantastic Russian Imperial stout. I highly recommend stopping here. The food looked great too (I didn’t eat there).

Next, I was on to Land-Grant Brewing Company.

Land-Grant Brewing Company

Sadly I didn’t have time to fully stay and appreciate Land-Grant or cross the street to BrewDog because I needed to get to Dayton by 8:30. That was my final destination and stop, and there was a brewery right near a hotel, which is becoming a popular thing for me. So I wanted to hit that before it shut down. I definitely will be coming back to Columbus in the future, and hopefully on a weekend and hopefully without a pandemic going on.

The Wandering Griffin (photo courtesy of their Facebook page)

My last stop for the day and got there as they were doing their final pours. I had their Oktoberfest which was good (can never turn down an Oktoberfest). I didn’t get as many pictures of the breweries today as I had wished, but, so it goes.

Tomorrow’s itinerary is Indianapolis to visit the Vonnegut Museum for his birthday. I’ll be posting on our Instagram and Facebook and Twitter pages when I get to places, and I’ll do my update at the night like usual. See you then!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

The Trip to Indianapolis:

A Trip Out to Indy

BKline — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 04:32:37 +0000

Indianapolis (photo courtesy: Wikipedia)

Just like last summer (August 1st-3rd) when I took my daughters on a trip up to Elk Country, to Kinzua Bridge, to Pittsburgh, to Bushy Run, and back home; I am again taking a road trip.

This time, it’s a solo trip, just myself. So wish me luck that this reads as a “Tale of There and Back Again” and no Reading shenanigans happen again.

Unlike the trip with my daughters, this is being a bit more ad-hoc and I am kind of doing things on a whim. With them I had a very planned itinerary of where we were going, what days, what times. However, for my trip the main focus point is getting to Indy for Wednesday the 11th (Veterans Day) which is Kurt Vonnegut’s birthday and visit the Vonnegut Museum and Library.

Vonnegut Museum (photo courtesy of Forbes – through IBJ / Jeff Newman)

I do have a list of some breweries I will be hitting, but not a guarantee I will hit them all. COVID-19 is throwing a bit of a monkey wrench in my plans for what breweries are open certain days, plus unlike last time, I’m traveling Sunday through Friday whereas last time it was a Thursday – Friday- and Saturday.

You can read about my trip last year here:

August Road Trip Series:

I didn’t go into a crazy lot of detail about all the places we went to in the articles, but you can still read them and get an idea of what I did hit up. In later travelogues for the blog I’ve gone into a bit more detail on my crazy travels with Drew or Ming or by myself.

For my first day of travel – tomorrow – Sunday, November 8th – my places of visit will be:

Thousand Steps Trail (Mount Union, PA)
Juniata Brewing Company
Ghost Town Trail
Levity Brewing Company

Hopefully everything goes according to plan. Tomorrow is a few hikes, a few breweries, and then Monday will be the outskirts of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh area, and then Tuesday I will drive through Ohio and Columbus make my way towards Indianapolis. Where Wednesday I will spend the day in Indianapolis. Then Thursday I will make my way back through Ohio through Cincinnati. Friday I will be making may way back home.

Fingers crossed.

I will most likely be doing a “recap” of each day once at the hotel at the end of my days, so be on the lookout for that.

Be sure to leave some comments letting me know where to stop and check out on my travels. Let me know what your favorite breweries and places to visit are, I’d love to hear them!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Indianapolis

The Trip to Indianapolis: