The Ohio Craft Brewers Association is organizing the Ohio Brew Haul, a campaign to encourage craft beer drinkers to buy beer to-go from their local breweries from May 14-17 in conjunction with American Craft Beer Week. Ohio breweries have kept their businesses afloat during the state-ordered closure of bars and restaurants by selling beer for carry out, curbside pickup, home delivery and direct shipping.
While Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced last week that breweries, restaurants and bars can re-open outdoor seating starting May 15 and indoor seating starting May 21, many breweries will still offer their carry out, delivery and shipping options for customers who wish to continue to enjoy their craft beer at home.
From May 14-17, participants are encouraged to post photos of their Ohio beer purchases to Instagram with the hashtag #OhioBrewHaul. 10 posters will be chosen throughout the four-day period and will receive prizes provided by the OCBA. Those who purchase Ohio Brew Haul merchandise will be eligible to earn five bonus passport stamps on the Ohio On Tap app.
The campaign is a fundraiser both for the non-profit Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) and for its member breweries. Orders for limited edition Ohio Brew Haul merchandise will be taken from May 14 through May 31 at the OCBA online store (http://bit.ly/ocbastore) with net proceeds from each sale split between OCBA and an Ohio craft brewery chosen by the customer.
A map tool is available online at ohiobrewhaul.com to help craft beer drinkers identify which breweries near them are offering carry out, home delivery and direct shipping. The tool also provides info on other ways to support local breweries, identifying those that are offering food, selling gift cards or have an online merchandise store.
Share your Ohio Brew Haul!
We want to see what great Ohio craft beers you score during the Ohio Brew Haul! Share photos of your purchases on Instagram with the hashtag #OhioBrewHaul. We’ll choose ten winning posts over the four days from May 14-17 and reward them with some great prizes from our online store. Want a chance to win an insulated stainless steel growler or our Drink Beer Made Here flag? Now’s your chance!
Be creative! Half the winners will be chosen at random, half will be chosen based on the Ohio Brew Haul theme. Show us your cars/trucks/vans, show us big stacks of cans/bottles, re-create your favorite scene from Smokey & the Bandit… whatever best shows off your Ohio Brew Haul!
Buy Merch, Give Back
Each purchase of this limited edition Ohio Brew Haul merchandise will help to support both the Ohio Craft Brewers Association and your favorite Ohio craft brewery*! Buy a shirt, poster or stickers (coming soon!) and they’ll donate half of the net proceeds to the brewery of your choice; just select from the list of over 200 OCBA member breweries at checkout.
Here’s even more incentive: purchase an Ohio Brew Haul shirt or poster and we’ll send you instructions on how to get five bonus stamps on the Ohio On Tap passport app**!
**Instructions will be emailed to customers after purchase. We are accepting Ohio Brew Haul merchandise orders through May 31. Please allow 2-4 weeks after that date for delivery.
“Ohio’s craft breweries contribute a great deal of positive impact in their local communities,” said OCBA executive director Mary MacDonald. “We created this campaign to give people a fun way to support the breweries that make their neighborhoods, towns and cities such great places to live and work.”
Founded in 2007, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is a nonprofit guild that exists to promote, preserve and unify Ohio’s craft brewing industry. We aspire to be recognized as the industry leader at both state and national levels for preserving the art of making high-quality, unique craft beer; to serve as the unified voice for craft brewers across the state; to advocate on behalf of the Ohio craft beer industry; to contribute to systemic, local community development by driving economic and job growth, while creating experiences that bring people together; and to serve as a beacon for local production and manufacturing through craft beer, resulting in diverse choices for consumers.
