Dayton On Tap

Sixth Annual Brew-Ha-Ha: West V. Midwest

January 17, 2017 By Brian Petro

Dayton is in the midst of a craft beer explosion. There are daily notifications that new breweries are opening or that current breweries are planning to expand. In Montgomery county alone, there are well over a dozen breweries. From Crooked Handle in the south to Hairless Hare in the north, breweries are popping up all over. However, the fuse for the craft beer movement was lit on the West Coast. Anchor Brewing Company was bought by Fritz Maytag in 1965, just as the brewery was going to sink quietly in a sea of macrobrews. He resurrected the brand, inspiring other west coast beer enthusiasts to take their home brews and start offering them to the public. It has now been fifty years, and the west coast still rules the roost when people look at raft beers. As of 2014, roughly one of every four breweries were located in California, Oregon, and Washington. It would take all the breweries in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio to make a comparable amount. That is a lot of breweries. A wide variety of beer. The Montessori School of Dayton thinks that the Midwest has come a long way in the craft beer game, and is ready to put breweries head to head at the 6^th Annual Dayton Brew-Ha-Ha on January 28^th from 6 to 9 PM.

We all know the Midwest is best. Time to prove it!

Most years have had a theme focusing on the flavors of the Midwest. Kevin J. Gray, curator of the beers and co-chairman, laid out the format: “We thought it was time to go head to head with the giants—to pick a bunch of really interesting beers from the Left Coast and pit them against the best that Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and the other Midwestern states had to offer.” In a Montessori school, the environment is important. They want students that are “eager for knowledge, who will initiate learning in a supportive, stimulating, and thoughtfully prepared learning environment.” Mr. Gray asserts that they will be creating an environment that is welcoming to everyone, from those just dipping their taste buds into craft beer to those who have explored every style and flavor profile. There will be Beer Ambassadors there to answer questions and direct you to the beers best suited for your tastes. For the home brewers looking to do a little research, members of DRAFT will be there to answer any questions you may have.

Three hours is a long time to be sampling beer. Fortunately, there will be some other events at Brew-Ha-Ha. Chicago’s Gyros And Dogs will be offering hot dogs, gyros, pita sandwiches, and other delights to compliment the beer. There is an online silent auction running now through the end of the event, where you can pick up some fantastic gifts and help support the school. Some items listed are from Proto Build Bar, Day Yoga Studio, Sherwood Florist, Dayton Funny Bone, and more! This festival has been growing every year, bringing beer lovers together from all over the Miami Valley and educating them about the amazing craft beer options in the region.

Eat, drink, and support the Montessori School of Dayton!

This year, they are working hard to expand that knowledge to the fine breweries on the Pacific coast.

Tickets for the event are on sale right now! General Admission is going to be $40, with a limited amount of VIP tickets costing $50. That extra $10 get you in to the event at 5 PM, giving you one more hour to sample the beers they are providing. Proceeds from the event will go to the school’s improvement fund. The funds from this year’s event will be going to help install an energy efficient roof on the school.

While the west coast has created some iconic beers, the Midwest has crafted beers that can stand up to anything that is being brewed there. On January 28, the Montessori School of Dayton hopes you join them in deciding where the best beer in the country is brewed.

Cheers to The First Year at Crooked Handle

December 22, 2016 By Dayton Most Metro

Being A Nerd Is Not Dead: Welcome D20!

December 19, 2016 By Brian Petro Leave a Comment

This place is going to become a critical hit.

Anyone who has ever sat down for a session of games knows the drill. The players all gather around a table, or several tables, and start to spread out cards, dice, and meeples. Beverages are chilling in the fridge, and friendly banter is flowing. Then the games begin. Sometimes you sit down to a long, intense game of Arkham Horror. It could be a night of a few quick games of Ticket to Ride, Smash Up, or King of Tokyo. Or you look at the four games just mentioned and wondered what the hell are you playing. When you started gaming, it was Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Of course, when you started gaming the drink options were Mountain Dew or Coke. Board games have expanded in the last five years like craft beer started to in the mid-to-late 90’s. There are stores full of European style and other modern games like there are stores full of craft beer from all over the world. These two forces have been emerging in other cities, and have finally made it to Dayton in the form of D20: A Bar with Characters.

The story above is probably familiar to Andrew Sparks, co-owner of D20. He has been a game enthusiast for as long as he could remember. His D&D game was strong, and it grew into a lifelong love of games and gaming. It is something that his wife and co-owner Chrissy Sparks have in common. They also share a love of craft beer, something he developed during his time managing Belmont Party Supply. D20 emerged from the realization that if this was something their friends enjoyed doing, why not invite other people to do it as well? After another bar concept had fallen through, he found a vacant cell phone store on Whipp Rd. to be the perfect place for his new concept. Then Andrew and his crew went to work.

There is a little something for everyone!

When you walk in and look around, everything in the bar was hand selected and hand made by Andrew. Even the stacks and stacks of games were brought in from his collection. There is a handful that are donated, but the vast majority are his. The tap list, covering twenty taps in all, were also hand selected by them. Not a beer person? They have already thought of that. Knowing that a gaming place was going to attract a wide variety of people, they offer a selection of cocktails and mocktails. Mead and ciders are available, as are teas and other non-alcoholic options. You need to pace yourself when someone pulls out Carcassonne. If you are planning on playing through dinner, have no fear. The owners have worked that out as well. Their neighbors at Peking Garden are willing to walk next door to deliver, and a wood-fired, artisan pizza place will be moving in soon. During their soft opening, they had more than a few visits from Cousin Vinny’s.

Their soft opening was a huge success. So much so that the owners extended it an extra three hours to accommodate all of their guests. But they are not going to rest on the huge buzz of opening night. They have events planned soon. They are working with the Ohio Pathfinder Society (Dayton Chapter, of course) to set up some game nights at their venue. They are also planning their affairs, introducing people to games like Cards Against Humanity and Settlers of Catan. Andrew is looking for games that are easy to explain to new gamers, introducing them to games that are different that old standbys. Though if you want, Monopoly, Life, and Stratego are available for you to play. There are games for everyone.

Roll a twenty-sider to decide your next beer…

Andrew and Chrissy want to turn D20 into a gathering place. With comfortable couches and plenty of tables, seating and unique games to explore, they are well on their way. The air was thick with chatter, and the bartenders were keeping busy with patrons celebrating a victory or tending the sting of a narrow loss. Craft beer enthusiasts in the area can come in and enjoy a few pints, and gamers can sit down and either learn a new game, like Hive, or play a familiar one with friends. Either way, Dayton has a great new hang out south of town. Game on!

D20: A Bar with Characters is located at 2144 East Whipp Rd Kettering, OH 45420. You can contact them at (937) 221-9873. Information about the bar, their tap list, and coming events is listed on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

(Not A) Dive Bar Tuesday: The Dark Horse Tavern

December 6, 2016 By Brian Petro

Welcome to the Dark Horse Tavern!

In 1831, Benjamin Disraeli wrote the book The Young Duke. It is a book about a young orphan who comes into a vast sum of money and starts to squander it before the love of a woman shows him the error of his ways. During his party days, he spent a good deal of time at the track, betting on the horses as he drank and wooed the ladies. There was some excitement at the track that day; “a dark horse which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed in the list, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph.” Disraeli penned the first written usage in history of the term “dark horse” to describe a victory that comes from an unexpected place. The book became a bestseller, and the phrase entered the English language. Daytonians don’t think of obscure British literature when a friend mentions a dark horse. They reflect on some of the best barbecue in the city, well-prices drinks, and an experience that they thought they had lost three months ago.

The Dark Horse Tavern (209 Byers Rd, Miamisburg, OH 45342) closed abruptly at the end of July when owner Dennis Williams discovered the difficulty of operating a thriving bar and a construction company. Something gave, and unfortunately for their loyal patrons it was the Dark Horse. However, people saw the potential of a favorite bar and restaurant in its just-off-the-beaten-path location. Nikky Vontz was an employee there many years back, in the heyday of the restaurant. She knew that with the right people in place, it could get back to those glory days. In the three months they were closed, she negotiated with Mr. Williams to get the Horse up and running again. Her persistence paid off; on November 19th, the Dark Horse Tavern was back and ready for business!

Patrons who were familiar with the previous incarnation of the space would not notice anything was amiss. The upstairs was clean and ready for patrons, and there were few cosmetic changes to the bar or restaurant area. The big smoker in the back was getting the meat ready as quickly as people were ordering it, covering a menu that is “tailored after the forerunners in the cowboy cooking method.” That method provides a little something for everyone, from fantastic sandwiches to plates covered in hickory smoked deliciousness and smothered with sauce. They have lighter fare if you are looking for a good piece of fish or a light salad for the evening, and a kids menu for the younguns. From what we tried, and heard from others, the food was fantastic. We heard that even some visiting Texans were impressed by the brisket and ribs the Dark Horse was serving. That says something about what you are about to experience when you eat here.

The drinks are where you may start seeing some differences. The whole staff here is new, and that is the way Nikky Vontz wants it. As the general manager, she is responsible for the smooth running of every aspect of the restaurant. She wanted a clean slate to work from, and she has it. Nikky is making sure that the cocktails, beers, and wines that flow from her staff are appropriately portioned and not too stressful on the wallet. The talent she is working with has hit the ground running. The bottles behind the bar are neatly lined up and ready for efficiency, and she is going to be running specials over the next few months to introduce us to the new menu. The first specialty: The Bad Lands, their house margarita. There are six taps and a wide bottle selection that will appeal to every palate, from Bud Light to local craft IPAs and stouts. The taps will constantly be rotating with the seasons and the tastes of the patrons.

The second floor is ready for the holidays!

Moving forward, Ms. Vontz has big plans. She is currently booking bands for spring of 2017, and the spots are starting to fill up. Karaoke has come back to Tuesday night, and trivia will be returning on Wednesday nights. Ladies’ Night will occupy the Thursday night slot and some low-key musical acts on Friday nights. Large groups (up to fifty people) can use the upstairs space, complete with your bar and a food selection that you create from their menu. If you can’t make it to the tavern for the food, have the tavern bring it to you! They will cater off-site events. Ms. Vontz is looking forward to the Dark Horse Tavern offering their room for charity events, with one or two in 2017 that she already has in the works. The new management gives new life for this Dayton staple, and they are going to make the most of it.

When a restaurant closes that abruptly, it is a long shot that it will reopen. The new blood running the bar and ownership took that shot, and are going to work hard to make sure they are successful. The Dark Horse Tavern is open for business again. Everything has changed there, but nothing changed. Welcome back to the Dayton restaurant scene Dark Horse Tavern!

The Dark Horse Tavern is located at 209 Byers Rd, Miamisburg, OH 45342. They are open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 AM to 12:30 AM, and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 AM until 2 AM. You can contact them at (937) 866-6960, or through their Facebook Page.

900 Bottles of Beer

December 4, 2016 By Lisa Grigsby

The first Wednesday of each month Mike Schwartz from Belmont Party Supply picks 9 beers for folks to sample and then teaches beer school at Trolley Stop in the Oregon District. Novice or expert, there’s always something to learn about the beer, the hops used, the barrels used for aging or some other aspect in the process that affects the flavor of the liquid.

And this Wednesday, December 7th at 7pm will be Beer Tasting #100 and that’s a big reason to celebrate! That means 900 beers have been tasted and rated by the crowd’s that show up for this monthly event.

If you want to be at #100 plan on arriving early, these do sell out on a regular basis. We even hear there will be free t-shirts for the first 25 in attendance. Cost for the tasting is $25 and includes light snacks.

Check out the list of beers available for this tasting:

Heavy Seas Below Decks Barrel Aged Barleywine
NorthCoast 2016 Barrel Aged Rasputin
Mad Tree Bourbon Barrel Aged Axis Mundi
Against the Grain /Hoof Hearted Clearly Everybody Wants Some
Stone Unfiltered Enjoy By 12.25.16
Jackie O’s BA Noble Sorrel
Spencer Holiday Ale
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
Three Floyds Dreadnaught

Beavercreek Brewery Sets Opening Date

November 21, 2016 By Dayton Most Metro

Wandering Griffin Brewery & Pub, the first independently owned microbrewery restaurant in Beavercreek, announced it will have a soft opening on Wednesday, November 23 starting at 6 am followed by its grand opening on Friday, December 2 at 6 am. During the grand opening, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon. The Mayor of Beavercreek will be in attendance.

Wandering Griffin, managed by principle owners Brian Young and Tony Griffin in conjunction with a number of investors, offers patrons a unique dining experience with its 1930s art deco dining room and bar, 1860s reclaimed wood taproom and coffee bar. It has extensive lunch and dinner menus and full bar service.

Chefs Kenneth Mangus and Jason Breitenstien, formerly of Coco’s Bistro and Winds Café respectively, head up the kitchen and have created lunch and dinner menus that feature locally-sourced and housemade appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrées, including tater tots, beef on weck, pork belly grilled cheese, gourmet pizza and pan seared salmon. The bar includes handcrafted beers, an array of wine and signature cocktails. The brewery and pub also offers a large partially covered patio with a bar and outdoor televisions.

The full-service coffee bar, aptly named Wanderlust, is located in the heart of the brewery and pub. The coffee bar is open daily 6:30 am – 3 pm and will offer drive-through service from 6 am – 10 am on weekdays and 7 am – 10 am on weekends.

Wandering Griffin isn’t offering its own craft beer yet, but expects to start brewing mid to late 2017. Brian Young states that, “This is a very exciting time for the beer scene in the greater Dayton region, and we are happy to be a part of it. Our aim is to provide a variety of locally-brewed craft beers and guest taps until we’re brewing our own. When we do brew our own, we plan to offer a variety of styles, including lagers.”

Wandering Griffin is located at 3725 Presidential Drive, Beavercreek, Ohio 45324. It’s open 11 am – 11 pm Monday – Thursday, 11 am – midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 am – 10 pm Sunday. Wanderlust coffee bar service begins daily at 6:30 am. Food service begins daily at 11 am.

For more information, visit wanderinggriffin.com or call 937-956-5216.

Whiskey Rebellion This Saturday at Warped Wing

November 16, 2016 By Lisa Grigsby

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Joe Head from The Century Bar with Warped Wing brewmaster John Haggerty

Warped Wing Brewing Co. will release Whiskey Rebellion and other rare Barrel Aged beers on Saturday, November 19rd. Festivities begin at noon at the brewery located at 26 Wyandot St, just north of the Oregon District.
Help celebrate the 2016 draught and can release of Whiskey Rebellion. A Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout, Whiskey Rebellion was born in collaboration with Dayton’s only bourbon house, The Century Bar. In addition to the can and draught release, they’ll be tapping some rare barrel aged beers from our Brewmaster, John Haggerty’s cellar along with other Whiskey variants. The special tappings will be on the hour from 12-5pm. They’ll also be serving up live Bluegrass music from local bands. For football fans they’ll be bringing in extra big screen TV’s for your viewing pleasure.
Attendees can also pick 2-Packs of 16oz cans of Whiskey Rebellion, that will be exclusively available in the taproom so pick them up while they last.

Warped Wing Brewing Co. is a craft brewery inspired by Dayton’s rich history of innovation and invention. They are committed to carrying that spirit forward in today’s craft beer scene by brewing new proprietary beer styles and our own “warped” interpretations. They also focus on creating unique seasonal and specialty beers.

They have a full-scale production brewery in the heart of downtown Dayton in the site of the old Buckeye Brass & Iron Foundry circa 1938. They brew and distribute their beers to local restaurants, bars, grocery and retailers in the Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus markets.

Yellow Springs Brewery’s Cans Get a Redesign

November 9, 2016 By Kevin Gray

On Friday, November 11^th, Yellow Springs Brewery will be holding a Metamorphosis Party to celebrate the official unveiling of their new can designed. The can design will be an extension of the new logo the brewery unveiled late last month.

Why the makeover? Co-owner Lisa Wolters explains that, “We were not unhappy with the old logo, but when we tried to apply it to our package, it didn’t lend itself to what we had in mind.” Namely, while the cans themselves looked great, the brewery name in the logo was hard to read, obviously a situation not conducive to retail sales.

The new logo retains the eagle from the original logo, but in the update, the eagle becomes the main focal point. “Eagles can mean a lot of things — freedom, strength, vision — but to Yellow Springs Brewery, the eagle suggests a certain spirit. A spirit that means you have the freedom, strength, and vision to reach higher, to not just accept the status quo, to embrace new perspectives and to dream,” explains Wolters. “It a was simplistic idea,” she elaborates, “the American entrepreneurial spirit. That’s who we are.”

The brewery’s new logo and can designs are a creation of Don Pendleton, a nationally recognized artist residing in Dayton. Pendleton has a connection with Yellow Spring Brewery’s salesperson Shawn Combs, who worked with Pendleton at Alien Workshop. Nate Cornett, the brewery’s other co-owner, and Wolters were fans of Pendleton’s work and were eager to have his help on redesigning the cans.

With its geometric shapes and muted colors, the new logo is reflective of Pendleton’s work. The burnt yellow and the purple were retained to tie into the existing Yellow Springs branding (which will be slowly phased out). The new cans will feature a single signature color per brand, so consumers will be able to differentiate beers like Zoetic from Captain Stardust. The logo itself will tie the brands together and retain consistency among labels.

The brewery’s taproom doubles as a gallery for local artists, and at The Metamorphosis Party, Pendleton’s art will be on display and for sale (for a sneak peak, check out his website. < http://www.elephont.com>). The party starts at 3 pm with a lineup of special Captain Stardust and Zoetic tappings (the Stardust variants include versions with coffee, biscotti, strawberry daiguiri, grapefruit, and one served on nitro. There will also be a habanero Zoetic variant). Stick around as they unveil additional limited releases throughout the night: Gindust (5 pm), Zoetic with mango (6 pm), Captain Stardust with sour cherry (7 pm) and Zoetic with grapefruit (8 pm).

The party runs from 3-10 pm and will feature merchandise with the new logo, a photo booth, and food available to purchase from Harvest Food Truck. The brewery is located at 305 North Walnut Street, Suite B; Yellow Springs, OH 45387. For more information, contact Lisa Wolters at 937-767- 0222 or find them on the web at www.yellowspringsbrewery.com.

Holiday Beer Tasting To Benefit House of Bread

November 1, 2016 By Lisa Grigsby

The winter season holds many gifts for beer lovers in the form of big, bold ales designed to fend off the cold chill of a long winter’s night.

The 2nd Annual Beerry Christmas Dayton has gathered up a couple dozen of these winter warmers for a joyous holiday celebration on Saturday, November 5th to benefit the House of Bread, a non-profit community kitchen serving hot, nutritious, lunchtime meals to anyone in need 7 days a week to anyone hungry that shows us at their door between 11:30am and 1pm.

There are so many holiday ales, porters and stouts to choose from every holiday season, this event is perfect to sample many of them before you commit to buying your holiday stash!

Here’s how the event works:

Buy a ticket (just $25 in advance- buy online, or $30 at the door)
A sponsorship from Westminster Financial has helped us keep our ticket prices low.

Show up at Kettering Tower (corner of 2nd & Main St.) between 4-7pm

Get your Souvenir tasting glass and 15 tickets, each good for a 4 oz sample
Thank you to Iworks Laser & Vision Center for our adorable glassaware!

Choose from 25 beer, each paired with treats from Whole Foods that include

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ginger Snaps
Yogurt Covered Pretzels
Butter Toffee Peanuts
Milk & Dark Chocolate Covered Marshmallows
Toasted Coconut Chips

Oh, and be sure and get your picture taken with Santa. Bonus- if the picture turns out great, you can use if for your Christmas Card this year- plenty of time to have them made! Our photo booth is run by Liftoff Entertainment and sponsored by the fine folks at Andrew Gaydosh & Asociates, the Real Estate Experts!

New Additions to the event this year include a Chinese Raffle. Buy tickets for $5, $3 for 10 or 8 for $20 and put them into the box corresponding with the prize you most covet. Some of the goodies include a deluxe beer cooler, Beer Advent Boxes, Restaurant Gift Cards and more.

Bonbright Distributors has donated lots of beer glassware and you can score some of these collectibles by bringing a donation for the House of Bread, from their most wanted list. Here’s what Executive Director Melody Bennett has told us they most need:

Coffee
Salad Dressing (Ranch & Italian)
Peanut butter and Jelly (in non-breakable jars)
Pancake mix and syrup.

Held in the heart of downtown, Beerry Christmas Dayton celebrates these winter ales created specifically to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season. From Belgians and Barleywines to Stouts and Sours, these beers are rich, robust and full of complex flavors.

While the beer list is not complete, we’re waiting on arrivals, here’s what we can confirm:

Ballast Point Cinnamon Raisin Commodore
Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Death by Coconut
CM Christkindl
Fat Heads Holly Jolly
Goose Island Festivity
Great Lake Christmas Ale
Great Lakes Ohio City Oatmeal Stout
Heavy Seas Winter Storm
Holly Jolly
Java Man
MadTree Thundersnow
Nutcracker Ale
Rhinegeist Dad
Sam Adams White Christmas
Southern Tier 2xmas Double Spiced Ale
Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale
Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs
Thundersnow
Warped Wing Esther’s Li’l Secret
Winter Storm
60 Minute IPA

So come toast to the spirits of the season. We look forward to seeing you on Sat, November 5th…Cheers!
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For the 3rd Year Warped Wing & Esther Price Brew A Beer

October 28, 2016 By Dayton Most Metro

From left, Doug Dressman, Esther Price vice president of operations, Jim Day, Esther Price President and CEO and John Haggerty, Warped Wing Brewmaster

What’s this year’s Esther’s Li’l Secret creation? Sorry, we’re not telling. It’s a secret. But there’s one way to find out. Come to the official ELS release party at the brewery. Rumor has it you won’t be disappointed.

Esther Price had a dream. To open a store. And share with the world her made-by-hand, made-with-love confections. So for 30 years, to the bliss of taste-testers, otherwise known as family and friends, she perfected a timeless selection of delectable confections. In 1952, the doors to her first store in Dayton, Ohio swung open. And the world rushed in. Esther’s chocolates quickly became, and remain, the Midwest’s most beloved. Her Secret? Some things are better sipped than said.

This partnership created a Scotch Ale in 2014, last year it was a milk chocolate brown ale and we’ll have to wait another week to see what this year brings.

To celebrate the 2016 release, Warped Wing will be kicking off a sweet spun event on November 3 rd at the brewery beginning at 5pm. The party will feature the release of this year’s secret beer along with a special Esther Price Candy pairing to compliment this year’s offering.

This is the first opportunity to taste the beer before it hits the retail market November 7th. The beer will be available on draft in select restaurants and bars. It will also be available in one-of-a-kind collectable 4-Pack 16oz cans in retail establishments’ as well as our taproom.

Beer List for Dia De Las Cervezas Revealed + Ticket Give Away

October 25, 2016 By Dayton Most Metro

Ohio’s craft brewers are concocting frighteningly flavorful beers and the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is launching a haunting event to celebrate them. The inaugural Dia de las Cervezas, a costumes-encouraged beer tasting, will take place on Saturday, October 29 from 5:00 – 9:00 pm at the significantly-spooky Top of the Market in Dayton. Thirty-plus Ohio craft breweries will sample brews old and new at an event that will also feature live music, food trucks, a costume contest and more.

Schedule for Dia de las Cervezas
•4:00 p.m. – VIP and Enthusiast Member early entry and beer sampling begins
•4:00 – 9:00 p.m. – The Deli and food trucks open (Pa’s Pork and The Drunken Waffle)
•5:00 p.m. – General Admission entry
•5:00 – 9:00 – face painting, tarot card readings
•5:00 – 6:30 p.m. – music by Team Void
•6:45 – 8:45 p.m. – music by The AmpFibians
•8:00 p.m. – costume contest
•9:00 p.m. – Dia de las Cervezas ends…procession to Hauntfest on Fifth

General Admission: $40 advance, $50 at the door Includes 40 tickets for 2 oz. samples.

VIP: $60 advance, $75 at the door Includes the above, plus early admission at 4:00PM, access to a VIP-only area, and special beer.

Designated Driver Ticket: $20 (May enter with VIP or GA) Includes a non-alcoholic beverage and a food voucher. Sampling strictly prohibited.

You must be at least 21 years of age to attend. Buy tickets online.

DMM Giveaway: We’ve got a pair of tickets to giveaway- To enter our giveaway share this article on your Facebook Page and leave a comment below on why you should win these tickets! Winners: Tracy Hieatt & Power Skirt

Participating breweries include:
Black Cloister Brewing Company (Toledo): Barrel Aged True Scotsman Scotch Ale, Flapjack-O-Lantern Pumpkin beer made with Barrel aged maple syrup

The Brew Kettle (Strongsville): White Rajah, Strangeville, El Lupulo Libre

Carillon Brewing Company (Dayton): Sour Porter, Coriander Ale

Cellar Dweller Craft Beers (Morrow): Corporal Khaos Pale Ale, Eye Opener Hazelnut Coffee Cream Stout, Jeremiah Morrow IPA, Uncle Ronnie Pale Ale, Experimental Hop Ron Mexico.

Christian Moerlein Brewing Company (Cincinnati): Shiver Chai Porter, Bay of Bengal Double IPA
Crooked Handle Brewing Co. (Springboro): Roadside Peanut Butter Porter, Witcher Pumpkin Ale

The Dayton Beer Company (Dayton): Midnight Dream Russian Imperial Stout, Codebreaker DIPA

Eudora Brewing Company (Dayton): Oktoberfest, Mother Fuggle Brown Ale

Fat Head’ s Brewery (Middleburg Heights): Pumpkin Chucker, Alpenglow, Head Hunter, Sunshine Daydream

Fifth Street Brewpub (Dayton): Single Hop Amarillo, Jo-Jo’s Midnight Stout

Fifty West Brewing Co. (Cincinnati): Doom Pedal White Ale, Punch you in the EyePA, Shred Red IPA, 50W Lager

FigLeaf Brewing Co. (Middletown): Basmati Cream Ale, Saison Rouge (Red Saison), Isotrope (IPA), Ponderous (Porter)

Four String Brewing Company (Columbus): Brass Knuckle, Payback Pilsner, Switchblade IPA

Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland): Nosferatu, Eliot Ness

Hairless Hare Brewery (Vandalia): Barrel Aged Brown Barrel Bomber, Barrel Aged Buckeye Nation,
Hoppocrisy Session IPA, Dusty Roads Imperial Wit, Rye The Hell Knot

Homestead Beer Co. (Heath): Pumpkin Ale, Snake Oil Super Pale Ale

Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery (Athens): Dark Appartion (Russian Imperial Stout), Meigs County Black (Black IPA)

Lineage Brewing (Columbus): Passion Fruit/ Guava Berliner Weiss, Golden Brett ale aged in wine barrels, Spaceship #6 IPA

Little Fish Brewing Company (Athens): Notes from the Understory (Paw Paw Brett beer),

Woodthrush (Biere de Garde), Double Harvey’s (Imperial Milk Stout)

Lock 27 Brewing (Centerville): Mouth Breather IPA, Oat Rodeo Stout, Mashie Niblick 90p (Scottish Ale)

Lucky Star Brewery (Miamisburg): Mucho Michelada, OjOs LoCoS (Mexican Lager)

MadTree Brewing (Cincinnati): Blood Orange PsycHOPathy, BBA YOBR, PSA

North High Brewing (Columbus): Pale Ale, Thunderkiss Milk Stout

The Phoenix Brewing Company (Mansfield): Mary Jane Chai Baltic Porter, Black Aggie Russian Imperial Stout, Undertaker Imperial Red Rye IPA, Santa Muerte Spiced Imperial Chocolate Stout

Pinups and Pints (Medway): Pinup Pale Ale

Platform Beer Company (Cleveland): Lair Slayer, High Brow, Esther (Belgian Dark Strong Ale), Speed Merchant, New Cleveland, Palesner

Seventh Son Brewing (Columbus): Wilderman (Autumn Farmhouse Ale), Proliferous DIPA

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company (Akron): Ol Choco (Milk Stout), 12 Dogs of Christmas, Citra Dog (American IPA)

Toxic Brew Company (Dayton): Toxic Blonde, Uno Mas Mexican Lime Lager

Urban Artifact (Cincinnati): Whirligig (Wild Blueberry Ale), Finn (Berliner Pale Ale), Pickle Gose (Pickle Gose)

Warped Wing Brewing Company (Dayton): Creepshow Smoked Porter, Irreverent Red IPA, Trotwood Lager, Gamma Bomb IPA, 10 Ton Oatmeal Stout, Barn Gang Saison

Yellow Springs Brewery (Yellow Springs): Captain Stardust (saison), Zoetic (american pale ale), Barrel Aged Bloodsmoke (imperial smoked red ale), S’more Handsome (variant of our american brown ale w/ marshmallow, chocolate & graham cracker), Andy Paxitup (fresh hopped IPA – VIP ONLY)

Big Beers gets even Bigger!

September 26, 2016 By Kevin Gray

A preview to the annual rare beer festival, this time with no ABV cap.

Dayton has a lot of great festivals, but there’s one that stands above the rest in terms of selection of rare beers. Big Beers and Barley Wines, which returns this Saturday, October 1, to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Roundhouse, is a festival for beer geeks, put on by beer geeks. Organizers work for months in advance with breweries and distributors to cherry pick the line-up of nearly 90 beers, carving out one-off beers, pub exclusives, and limited releases and combining them with vintages of old favorites, beers seeing their festival debut, and beers created exclusively for the event.

This year promises to be the biggest yet. While previous Big Beers have showcased giant barley wines and imperial stouts, those beers were capped at 12% alcohol by volume (ABV) by Ohio law. Not so in 2016—the cap was lifted on August 31^st. Mike Schwartz, a founding member of the event team and owner of Ollie’s Place, Belmont Party Supply, and BrewTensils, drove the planning team to think big for this year’s line-up. “Big Beers and Barley Wines’ goal is to bring as many rare beers to the beer connoisseur as possible,” Schwartz explains. “This year with the alcohol cap removed, we have put the emphasis on Big Beers!”

Big Beers and Barley Wines will be the first regional festival to present these huge beers, and Gus Stathes, the main beer buyer for the event (and beer guru at Ollie’s Place) has been like a kid in a candy shop, lining up beers that were not available in Ohio before. “We’ve always focused on securing the most exciting and special beers that we can get our hand on for this festival,” explains Stathes. “This year’s list is more exciting in that without an ABV cap, we have access to a much more broad spectrum of options.” Beers like Hebrew Jewbelation 17 and Deschutes Abyss 2015 are scheduled to see their Ohio festival debut, alongside local and regional giants like Hoppin’ Frog T.O.R.I.S. The Tyrant triple oatmeal imperial stout, Dayton Beer Company’s Midnight Dream Raspberry Imperial Stout and a Evil Twin’s Molotov Heavy, an enormously hoppy triple IPA.

But don’t let the focus on huge beers prevent you from trying those with a more “modest” ABV. Look for cellar projects from Green Flash like Oculus Savage and Nocturna Morta Boysenberry. Quaff Brothers killed it last year with their Orange Melvin and are promising more of the same in 2016. This year, they’ve teamed up with MadTree to create Gus Juice, a Gnarley Brown barrel-aged variant with honey, cocoa nibs and cinnamon named after one of the festival’s organizers. MadTree also has three rarities on the docket under their own name: a brown ale called Ford the Mill, a wild ale named Chamomile Levanto, and a 2015 BA Coffee Axis Mundi.

Want to go even more local? Nearly all of the Miami Valley local brewers will be attending. Warped Wing BA Abominator was a hit last year and returns this year, this time infused with Maple. Toxic’s Barrel Aged Night Ender is also scheduled to make an appearance—a boozy variant on an already deceptively boozy imperial stout. Fig Leaf, which is opening in Middletown the first week in October, will debut their Ponderous Porter—try it at the festival days before you’ll be able to try it at the taproom. And when you’re ready for dessert, seek out Eudora’s Mother Fuggle on chocolate covered bananas—a dessert beer indeed.

What makes the event even better than the fantastic beer line-up is the worthwhile cause it supports. “Not only is Big Beers & Barley Wines the premier craft beer tasting event in the region, 100% of the proceeds benefit the Resident Home Association of Greater Dayton, Inc.,” explains Peter Roll, RHA Executive Director. “Resident Home provides services to people with developmental disabilities where the primary source of funding is Medicaid dollars. Those dollars do not fully meet the needs of the people we serve. Events like Big Beers help us provide for those unmet needs. This helps us buy clothing, pay for uncovered dental services, purchase new eye glasses, pay for leisure activities and other things on our clients’ wish lists.”

Established in 1966 by a group of parents with developmentally disabled children, RHA has expanded to now provide homes, daily living support and services to around 80 adult individuals in the community. Pam Skelly is the event organizer with RHA. She notes that, “Big Beers is near and dear to my heart as it is with so many other participants—Big Beers gives us the chance to enjoy and talk beer with fellow beer geeks.” Skelly also emphasizes how the event funds the RHA wish list: “The RHA wish list helps us to support the hobbies and individual interests of the people we serve. The people we serve derive so much joy from the little things in life—a country concert, a night out for pizza and a movie, jewelry-making parties and so much more; supporting these hobbies and interests is so very important. We could not do any of this without the support of the Dayton beer community.”

The Dayton-based non-profit employs a staff of full- and part-time resources and works with other organizations such as Sinclair Community College and Choices in Community Living to extend their reach into the community. The web of support that RHA provides their clients through their various programs and partnerships gives their clients the assistance to live and work with a high level of autonomy within the community. Roll adds, “When you support Big Beers, you are supporting a very worthy cause and we very much appreciate our patrons.”

All proceeds from the event go to the RHA. This year, Big Beer and Barley Wines Beer Fest will be held inside the Roundhouse at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on October 1, 2016 from 4 to 8pm.

Early ticket sales have surpassed previous years’ numbers, so the organizers are expecting a possible sellout and they are advising would-be attendees to get tickets as soon as possible. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door (if available). Tickets may be purchased at Ollie’s Place, Belmont Party Supply, BrewTensils, 5th Street Wine & Deli, The Barrel House, Bee Gee’s Market, Chappy’s Tap Room, Kings Table, Lucky’s Tap Room, South Park Tavern, Thai 9 and Trolley Stop or on the web at www.bigbeersdayton.com.

Warped Wing Does It Again

September 20, 2016 By Dayton Most Metro

When night falls, spirits rise. A ghostly figure, a redheaded woman, drifts the city tracks, eternally lost.
The anguish of the departed, a man who impaled himself on an orchestra pit chair, chills a historic theater.
Forlorn howls and scraping claws-wolves, buried with their owner, alive-seep from a nearby mausoleum.
CreepShow Smoked Porter. Smokey. Malty. Dark as Dayton without a moon.

Join Warped Wing at 26 Wyandot Street, for the CreepShow Smoked Porter Release Party on Thursday, September 22!

According to Ratebeer.com this seasonal smoked porter is tan/brown in color with dark malt flavors such as roast, chocolate, vanilla along with a mildly assertive smoked malt flavor and aroma. Finishes dry with a smoky after taste. ABV: 6.66% – IBU: 40

New Halloween Beer Festival

September 13, 2016 By Dayton Most Metro

Ohio’s craft brewers are concocting frighteningly flavorful beers and the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is launching a haunting event to celebrate them. The inaugural Dia de las Cervezas, a costumes-encouraged beer tasting, will take place on Saturday, October 29 from 5:00 – 9:00 pm at the significantly-spooky Top of the Market in Dayton. Thirty-plus Ohio craft breweries will sample brews old and new at an event that will also feature live music, food trucks, a costume contest and more.

Dia de las Cervezas is sponsored by Boelter Beverage, Brewers Professional Alliance, Cavalier Distributing, Cellar Dweller Craft Beers, Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, Crooked Handle Brewing Co., Fat Head’ s Brewery, FigLeaf Brewing Co., Frantz Ward, Hairless Hare Brewery, Lock 27 Brewing, Seventh Son Brewing, Warped Wing Brewing Company and Yellow Springs Brewery.

“The Dayton region’s craft beer boom and its embrace by residents has been exciting to witness,” said Mary MacDonald, Director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. “We’re thrilled to debut a new craft beer event, Dia de las Cervezas, here and hope that our fun-loving consumers will play along and arrive in Halloween attire to sample our breweries’ hauntingly delicious craft beer.”

Schedule for Dia de las Cervezas
4:00 p.m. – VIP and Enthusiast Member early entry and beer sampling begins
4:00 – 9:00 p.m. – The Deli and food trucks open (Pa’s Pork and The Drunken Waffle)
5:00 p.m. – General Admission entry
5:00 – 9:00 – face painting, tarot card readings
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. – music by Team Void
6:45 – 8:45 p.m. – music by The AmpFibians
8:00 p.m. – costume contest
9:00 p.m. – Dia de las Cervezas ends…procession to Hauntfest on Fifth
Participating breweries include: Black Cloister Brewing Company (Toledo), The Brew Kettle (Strongsville), Carillon Brewing Company (Dayton), Cellar Dweller Craft Beers (Morrow), Christian Moerlein Brewing Company (Cincinnati), Crooked Handle Brewing Co. (Springboro), The Dayton Beer Company (Dayton), Eudora Brewing Company (Dayton), Fat Head’ s Brewery (Middleburg Heights), Fifth Street Brewpub (Dayton), Fifty West Brewing Co. (Cincinnati), FigLeaf Brewing Co. (Middletown), Four String Brewing Company (Columbus), Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland), Hairless Hare Brewery (Vandalia), Homestead Beer Co. (Heath), Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery (Athens), Lineage Brewing (Columbus), Little Fish Brewing Company (Athens), Lock 27 Brewing (Centerville), Lucky Star Brewery (Miamisburg), MadTree Brewing (Cincinnati), North High Brewing (Columbus), The Phoenix Brewing Company (Mansfield), Pinups and Pints (Medway), Platform Beer Company (Cleveland), Seventh Son Brewing (Columbus), Thirsty Dog Brewing Company (Akron), Toxic Brew Company (Dayton), Urban Artifact (Cincinnati), Warped Wing Brewing Company (Dayton) and Yellow Springs Brewery (Yellow Springs). Beer list to follow closer to the event.

Dia de las Cervezas takes place on Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 5:00 – 9:00 pm at Top of the Market in Dayton (32 Webster Street, Dayton, OH 45402). General admission tickets are $40 in advance ($50 at the door) and include a souvenir glass with 40 tasting tickets. VIP tickets are $60 in advance ($75 at the door) and include the general admission benefits, early entry at 4:00 p.m. as well as access to a VIP members only section with food and beer. Designated Driver tickets are available for $20 each and includes a non-alcoholic beverage and a food voucher. The event is 21 and over with ID required for admission. Tickets are available online . Dia de las Cervezas is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Ohio Craft Brewers Association.

Founded in 2007, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is a nonprofit guild that exists to promote and preserve Ohio’s unified 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.

Take Me Out To The Ball Park For Beer Tasting

August 5, 2016 By Lisa Grigsby

For the ninth year, Heidelberg Distributing takes over Fifth Third Field for a celebration of beer. Guests will have the chance to visit 28 tables and select up to twenty 4oz samples to taste, as well as play corn hole, frisbee golf on the field. There are thirteen gluten free beers and fifteen featured Ohio beers and plenty of beers you’ve probably never tasted, as well as some classics.

When you buy a ticket to the Great American Beer Tasting ($30 in advance, $40 day of) you’ll get a $10 Uber credit with every ticket purchased! Use promo code “GABT2016” for a $10 credit to and from the ballpark thanks to Heidelberg Distributing and Budweiser’s “Make a Plan to Make it Home” initiative! Your ticket also includes a custom pint glass, and a raffle ticket for Budweiser and Dragons merchandise. This event runs from 2-6pm, Sat, Aug 6th.

There are also some special time released tastings that will be available in the left and right field corners. Each corner will have the exact same special samplings- but product is first-come, first served wile supplies last.

2:15pm – Goose Island Gillian: A wild ale aged in wine barrels with strawberries, honey and white pepper, slightly tart and pleasantly sweet with an effervescent body. Made with fresh ingredients sourced locally from family farms in the Chicago area.

3:00pm – Rogue Sriracha: Made from Huy Fong original hot chili sauce and sun ripened Rogue Farms ingredients.

3:40pm – Breckenridge Tequila Barrel Aged Ophelia: This barrel-aged specialty single starts with our spring seasonal, Ophelia. Ophelia is a delightfully balanced hoppy wheat ale featuring Mosaic and Palisade hops that lend aromas of mango, papaya and guava. We let Ophelia rest in fresh tequila barrels for 11 weeks to create something entirely new. The barrels bring out the subtle sweetness of the malts. A peppery flavor and crisp mouthfeel remain, followed by mellow tequila flavor.

4:20pm – Brooklyn Descreet: A base sour beer featuring barley malt, wheat and spelt. Aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels, each containing 15 pounds of fresh raspberries. Finally, the beer was bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces lambicus and Champagne yeasts.

5:00pm – Lindeman’s Framboise: Magnificent aroma, delicate palate of raspberries with undertones of fruity acidity. Elegant, sparkling clean natural taste.

Here’s the tasting list, so you can plan out your stops for the day:

TABLE 1
Leffe Blonde: Rich, golden abbey ale with spicy aromas of clove and vanilla; sweet and silky

Leffe Brune: Dark, Belgian Brown Abbey Ale, roasted aroma with hints of coffee and toffee-chocolaty sweetness, soft, with a dry finish.

Boddingtons Pub Ale: Dark golden-colored ale with aromas of fruits & bananas.

Kirin Ichiban: Beautiful golden color with notes of European aroma hops.

TABLE 2
Alaskan Amber: Richly malty and smooth on the palate, with just enough hop backing to provide the perfect balance. Notes of both caramel and a light fruitiness.

Alaskan Icy Bay IPA: Made from glacier-fed water and a blend of Cascade, Bravo, Calypso, Summit and Apollo hops and premium two-row pale and specialty malts.

Alaskan Kicker Session IPA: A light caramel or toffee malt background and light-medium mouth feel makes this session ale a fuller-bodied and satisfying brew.

DuClaw Sweet Baby Jesus: Its lightly sweet, malty flavor is accented by strong notes of chocolate, coffee and peanut butter, and balanced by a subtle hop character and moderate 6.2% ABV. Finishes smooth, dry and roasty.

DuClaw Dirty Freak: Medium bodied, 5.8% ABV brown ale is a feast for the senses from its dominant blend of warm, roasted malt, coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavors barely restrained by a gentle hop bite, to its tantalizingly satisfying finish.

DuClaw Funk: Sets the rhythm with a soulful fusion of American wheat and hops, before unleashing a stunning encore with big notes of blueberry and Meyer lemon.

TABLE 3 {DRAUGHT}
Hoegaarden: Wheat beer with hazy color; slightly sweet with coriander and orange; slightly citrus.

Breckenridge Agave Wheat: This true American-style unfiltered wheat has something a little special – the nectar of the great Salmiana Agave. Agave compliments the refreshingly light quality of the wheat and adds a subtle note of flavor that expands this beer’s uplifting taste profile. It’s familiar, yet creative.

Uinta Ready Set Gose: Inspired by 16th century brewers in Goslar, Germany, this fully organic, salted wheat beer is snappy and tart with a remarkably refreshing finish.

TABLE 4
Blue Point Toasted Lager: Named for the “toasted” characters of the original, direct-fire brick kettle. The World Beer Cup Gold Medal winning flagship brew is made with six different malts. Toasted Lager’s balanced flavor of malt and hops makes for easy drinking and the special proprietary lager yeast produces and exceptional, long-lasting smooth finish.

Blue Point Hoptical Illusion: American-style IPA. A collection of rare hops, hand-selected by the brewers, is added five different ways. Adding it five ways allows the “Essence of the Hop” to really shine through and give this beer its signature resiny, citrus-burst punch.

Breckenridge 471 IPA Barrel Series: Eureka!: We rest 471 Double IPA in whiskey barrels for two months. Then, it goes back into tanks for a healthy dry hop treatment. Oaky, whiskey maturity from barrel-aging combined with the fresh aroma and flavor of hops.

Breckenridge Imperial White IPA: offers flavors of honey, clove and banana from its Belgian yeast. Lemongrass adds a soft overlay reminiscent of tea. Citra and Amarillo hops impart pleasant hop flavor with aromas of tropical fruit and pine.

TABLE 5
Breckenridge Breck Lager: a delightfully crisp standard American lager. Clean and bright with the color of sunflowers, it greets you with a soft, malty, sweet aroma that’s grounded by hints of grains and earth.

Breckenridge Avalanche Ale: We blend pale and caramel malts – and just a kiss of bittering hops – to create a refreshing-but-flavorful, anytime beer. Aromas of pale grains, a semi-sweet middle and a clean-as-Colorado-snow finish make this their best-selling beer.

Breckenridge Breck IPA: A painstaking and elaborate hop treatment was used to deliver an IPA with a distinctively prominent floral and fruit aroma. The perfect malt bill delivers a satisfying and soft mouthfeel that complements hop aroma and bitterness. A rare malt variety is the secret ingredient.

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter: An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure. A vanilla kiss in a rich, dark sea.

Breckenridge Mango Mosaic: Mosaic hops naturally give off aromas of guava and mango, lending a unique sweetness to the hop character of this pale ale. To build upon the tropical attributes of the hops, we’ve added a healthy dose of mango.

TABLE 6 {GLUTEN FREE}
Angry Orchard Old Fashioned: Made with a blend of American apples like Gala and Fuji. It is then aged on oak with dried tart cherries, California grown navel orange peel, and charred bourbon barrel staves.

Angry Orchard Knotty Pear: Made with juice from a blend of culinary pears, including Bartlett, Doyenne de Comice, Bosc and D’Anjou, along with apples grown in the US.

Omission Lager: a refreshing and crisp beer, brewed in the traditional lager style. The aromatic hop profile offers a unique, easy-drinking beer for those looking for a lighter and approachable beer style.

Omission Pale Ale: bold and hoppy, this is a hop-forward American Pale Ale, brewed to showcase the cascade hop profile. Amber in color, floral aroma, complimented by a caramel malt body.

Omission IPA: Bright, hop forward Northern Style IPA. The heavy-handed use of Summit and Cascade hops give it notable pine, citrus and grapefruit aromas and flavors. The bitterness is what you would expect of a NW IPA but the beer is balanced and smooth due to the perfect level of malt sweetness. The finish is crisp, clean and refreshing. It’s a true IPA lovers IPA.

Blake’s El Chavo: Sweet, heated blend of habanero pepper, mango and famous Blake’s apples.

Blake’s Flannel Mouth: Made with a wide array of late season table and dessert apples. This succulent combination gives it a sweet flavor that finishes incredibly smoothly.

TABLE 7 {GLUTEN FREE}
White Claw Black Cherry: Hard Seltzer with a clean base and natural Black Cherry flavor.

White Claw Ruby Grapefruit: Hard Seltzer with a clean base and natural Ruby Red Grapefruit flavor.

White Claw Lime: Hard Seltzer with a clean base and a hint of natural lime flavor.

Truly Spiked & Sparkling Pomegranate: Clean, crisp and refreshing with a hint of Pomegranate sweetness complimented by a slight tart flavor.

Truly Spiked & Sparkling Colima: Made from Colima limes from Colima Mexico. Slightly tart with a crisp but subtle sweetness.

Truly Spiked & Sparkling Grapefruit & Pomelo: Grapefruit and Pomelo tempt your taste buds with slightly tart and tangy notes and an undercurrent of sweetness.

TABLE 8
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed: This mouthwateringly delicious IPA gets its flavor from a heavy helping of citra and mosaic hops. Don’t worry, no fruit was harmed in the making of this beer.

Sierra Nevada Otra Vez: Tangy twist on the nearly extinct Gose style. Combines the zip of prickly pear cactus with a hint of grapefruit for a bright and refreshing finish.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest: Collaboration with Germany’s Mahrs Brau brewery. This authentic version of the festival beer is deep golden in color with a rich malt complexity, but with a noticeable spicy hop character from the use of the nearly forgotten Record hop varietal.

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum: A 100 IBU, whole cone hurricane of flavor, aggressively hopped, dry-hopped, and torpedoed with our exclusive new hop varieties for ultra-intense flavors and aromas.

TABLE 9
Samuel Adams Nitro IPA: Bold Hop bitterness and surprisingly smooth. A cap of nitro creamy mouthfeel reveals a brawny hop intensity and character beneath it with notes of resinous pine and citrus for a flavorful, lingering finish.

Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale: The frothy white head of this distinctive nitro brew softly cascades into bright gold. Smooth velvety taste with a light wheat character and hints of orange while an undercurrent of peppery spice adds a bright finish.

Samuel Adams Rebel Grapefruit: Brewed with real grapefruit for an added punch of citrusy goodness that amplifies the tropical fruit and citrus notes from the hops.

Atwater Going Steady: This citrusy session’s got enough Cascade hop and grapefruit flavor to go around, with just enough of the good stuff to make whatever it is you like doing a little bit better.

Anderson Valley Fall Hornin: Has inviting aromas of caramelized malt and baking bread with highlights of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and seasonal spices. Pleasantly creamy mouthfeel and silky body embrace the sweet caramel flavors and tang of spices, with just a hint of hops, that ends in a smooth, round finish.

TABLE 10
Shock Top Belgian White: Unfiltered Belgian Style wheat ale, naturally cloudy, with a light golden hue and a slight taste of orange.

Shock Top Lemon Shandy: Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with spices and with natural lemon flavor added.

Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat: a unique, small-batch hybrid of unfiltered Belgian wheat beer brewed with sweet cider to produce a brew that is crisp, refreshing and flavorful.

Yuengling Original Black & Tan: combines Dark Brewed Porter and Premium Beer to create a brew that is rich and dark in color, with a well-balanced flavor that finishes smooth and satisfying. It has a faint sweetness with hints of caramel and coffee from the dark roasted malts.

Yuengling Dark Brewed Porter: generous portions of caramel and dark roasted malts deliver a rich full-bodied flavor and a creamy taste with slight tones of chocolate evident in every sip.

Yuengling Oktoberfest: Copper in color this medium bodied beer is the perfect blend of roasted malts with just the right amount of hops to capture a true representation of the style.

TABLE 11
Moosehead Radler: A refreshing blend of beer infused with a hit of natural fruit flavors.

Victory Radler: Spin on a German classic, connecting lemon freshness with the infinite smoothness of a crisp lager.

Victory Berliner: Pale in color with a noticeable haze, this Berliner Weisse pours with fluffy white foam. Malt aromas combine with woody, spicy, and vanilla notes. Tart and sour flavors balance will with a floral, mildly sweet finish.

Victory Summer Love: German hops and pale malt blend beautifully to create this refreshing taste of summer.

TABLE 12
21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat: This American Wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon, for a flavor that’s surprisingly crisp, dry and refreshing.

21st Amendment Monk’s Blood: Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with imported malts, cinnamon and vanilla and aged on dried black mission figs with oak spirals.

Highland Pilsner: A finely nuanced pilsner featuring German Hallertau Blanc hops and three other Hallertau regional varietals. Saphir, Perle, and Hersbrucker hops add notes of stone fruit, pepper and lush grass to the German pilsner malt body. Cold fermented with lager yeast for a crisp, dry finish.

Schlafly Pumpkin: Blends the spices of the harvest with full-bodied sweetness for a beer that tastes like pumpkin pie. Pounds of pumpkin form a malty foundation that supports the fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

TABLE 13
Goose Island IPA: Highly hopped. A hop lovers dream as this classic ale adds a fruity aroma set off by a dry malt.

Goose Island Four Star Pils: crisp hop aroma. Clean and refreshing finish. This golden-hued pilsner has a light, fresh body and clean finish. Bright, refreshing carbonation mingles with German and American hops to give this pilsner a unique Goose Island spin.

Goose Island Green Line: This honey-colored American Pale Ale has a crisp hop aroma, citrus flavor, and notes of biscuit and lightly toasted malt.

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat: Spicy aroma of cascade hops followed by crispy fruity ale flavor.

Goose Island Oktoberfest: Brewed in the traditional Märzen style this Oktoberfest pours a brilliant copper over rose color with a bone white head. Notes of toffee and burnt sugar in the aroma and flavors of sweet dried apricots are delivered in a dry malty body with the mild earthy bitterness that is the hallmark of Hallertau hops.

TABLE 14
Goose Island Halia: This Belgian-Style Farmhouse Ale is aged in wine barrels with whole white peaches, resulting in bright effervescent fruit notes with a soft, hazy body that finishes slightly tart and sweet with the pleasant character of ripe, juicy peaches. Halia means “remembrance of a loved one” in Hawaiian. It was brewed in loving memory of a dear friend of a Goose Island brewer.

Goose Island Matilda: Made with a rare yeast that suggests a fruity spicy flavor.

Goose Island Sofie: A subtle, spicy white pepper note, a hint of citrus from the orange peel and a creamy vanilla finish make Sofie an intriguing choice for champagne drinkers and beer drinkers who are fond of Belgian saisons.

Goose Island C.A.L.M. Radler: Cucumber And Lime Mint radler starts out as a balanced wheat ale with a light and crisp flavor and a creamy smooth body that is then blended with a sparkling cucumber, mint, and lime soda to create a perfectly refreshing summer radler.

TABLE 15
Traveler IPA: Marries the refreshment of the American Craft Shandy with the bold hop flavor and aroma of an American IPA. Made with citrusy hops and real grapefruit.

Curious Traveler: Modern take on a classic European Shandy. Started with an American craft wheat ale, which delivers a crisp, light body. Added fresh lemon and just a touch of lime to bring out a bright, juicy citrus aroma and flavor.

Sam Smith Oatmeal: Deep chocolate color with a slightly bittersweet taste and silky texture.

Westmalle Dubbel: Amber-brown color, deeply malty, with a dry finish that hints of tropical fruit. Bottle-conditioned and vegan.

Shiner Ruby Redbird: This crisp, refreshing beer is made with Texas Ruby Red grapefruit. Tartness from the grapefruit juice and a delightful kick from the ginger combine for perfect taste.

TABLE 16
Widmer Upheaval IPA: With more than two pounds of hops per barrel, upheaval IPA unleashes a huge hop flavor and aroma with serious bitterness and balanced finish. Brewed with wheat, the result is a hazy, bold IPA that’s unfiltered. Unexpected. Unapologetic. Uncompromised.

Widmer Hefe: American hefeweizen; light citrus aroma with mild bread and biscuit notes; notable yeast character.

Widmer Hefe Shandy: The original American Hefeweizen gets a bold, new citrusy aroma and flavor from lemon drop hops and natural lemonade flavor.

Widmer Barrel Aged Brrrbon 2012: Seasonal ale aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Combines a rich malty sweetness with complex oak, vanilla, and caramel characters that continue to develop as the beer ages.

TABLE 17 {DRAUGHT}
Rivertown Blueberry: Juicy, crisp, clean and invigorating, this American fruit beer pours a brilliant golden hue as bright as the summer sun. With a sweet, malt-tinged, fruity aroma, this beer strikes a refreshing balance between its American two row malt base and vivid blueberry flavor.

Rhinegeist Truth: Intensely hopped, dry IPA with Centennial, Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe hops. We hop this at a rate of 3lbs/bbl to rev up peach, mango and passion fruit notes.

Anderson Valley Watermelon Gose: Boasts a thirst-quenching tartness that is perfectly balanced by subtle watermelon flavors and aromas. Gentle additions of sea salt create a refreshing harmony between the acidity and fruity sweetness leading to a clean, dry finish.

TABLE 18
Kona Longboard Island Lager: a smooth refreshing lager fermented and aged for weeks at cold temperatures to yield its exceptionally smooth flavor. A delicate, slightly spicy hop aroma complements the malty body of this beer.

Kona Castaway: A copper-colored India Pale Ale; bold, citrusy hops with a touch of tropical mango and passion fruit, balanced by the rich caramel malts.

Kona Lemongrass Luau: a crisp, refreshing blonde ale brewed with a touch of wheat malt, ginger, and fresh lemongrass.

RedHook ESB: This rich copper colored ale is styled by a complex of balanced hops and the sweetness of caramel malting.

RedHook LongHammer IPA: We take the traditional IPA brewing process one step further by dry hopping and adding hops at the end of the brewing process.

RedHook KCCO Gold: A clean and crisp lager with notes of honey and biscuit. The grain bill adds a beautiful gold hue and full flavor. The gold lager proves pilsner style lagers can be full-flavored. Keep Calm and Chive On!

TABLE 19
Rogue 6 Hop: Brewed with 6 different hop varieties to create the big, beautiful bite. Hops include Rogue Farms Liberty, Revolution, Independent, Freedom, Rebel and Alluvial Hops.

Rogue 8 Hop: Brewed with 8 different hop varieties including Rogue Farms Liberty, Newport, Revolution, Independent, Freedom, Rebel, Yaquina and Alluvial Hops.

Rogue Honey Kolsch: 119 Colonies of bees are carefully kept and fed and the honey is uncapped, extracted, filtered and finally infused into this refreshing Honey Kolsch.

Rogue Beard Beer: Brewed with a yeast created from Brewmaster John Maier’s beard.

Rogue Voodoo Mango: Inspired by the Voodoo Mango Tango doughnut.

TABLE 20 {OHIO BEERS}
Mt. Carmel Hibiscus Blue: Introduces itself with a subtle blueberry cobbler aroma, complimenting a light bready flavor with hints of hibiscus tea adding a crisp, dry finish.

Thirsty Dog Unconventional Ale: An easy drinking, smooth, amber ale with conservative use of aromatic and flavorful hops.

Thirsty Dog Whippet Wheat: Combines fully 50% wheat malts with only the purest German yeasts. The trademark yeast cloudiness produced holds all the aromas of clove, vanilla, and banana that make Whippet Wheat a truly unique and flavorful beer.

TABLE 21 {OHIO BEERS}
Rhinegeist Cougar: Bright blonde ale with light honey cereal tones hopped with crystal and bravo for notes of mandarin and citrus.

Rhinegeist Streaker: A crowdsourced rye IPA with lively tropical and mango notes from Citra and Mosaic hops, chosen by the people.

Rhinegeist Peach Dodo: This German Gose is bright and frisky, tart and saline, and dances on the palate with punches of peach.

Rhinegeist Franz: An untraditional Oktoberfest Ale, with rich and nutty Munich and Vienna malts paramount.

Cidergeist Semi Dry: Cider fermented to amplify the fragrance and essence of the apple whilst achieving a delightful, lip smacking dryness.

Cidergeist Dry Hopped: Dry as a bone Cider that’s dry-hopped with Centennial hops for a kick of citrus that adds a delicious hoppy dimension.

TABLE 22 {OHIO BEERS}
Rivertown Divergent: Berliner style, sour ale. Crisp, delicate, cutting edge, complex and tart, pouring a bright citrine with a nose of gently soured rind fruit, this beer is exactly what is needed when looking for a little something… divergent.

Rivertown Soulless: Flanders style, scarlet sour ale. A sultry, voluptuous, scarlet hued ale brewed to seduce with velvety, sweet notes of toffee and caramel paired with a provocative lactic finish all wrapped up in a racy, estery bow.

Rivertown Roebling: Vanilla espresso imperial porter. Brings together Cincinnati coffee, Ugandan vanilla beans and raw, organic turbinado sugar into a big, rich, chocolate, espresso infused brownie of a beer.

Rivertown Lil Sipa: Session IPA. The combination of citra, galaxy, Columbus and cascade hops partnered up with some good ol’ American two-row barley makes the perfect crisp, bright, all day drinkable IPA that doesn’t end up being just what you need, but also, just what you want.

Rivertown Jeanneke: Belgian Style Blonde Ale. Featuring Belgian beet sugar, imported aromatic hops, spicy noble hops and pilsner barley, this beer is playful, fruity, crisp and wonderfully balanced.

Rivertown Old Sour Cherry Porter: A velvety, full bodied, complex blend of roasted chocolate malt and tart cherry, this is a beer that can be drank fresh or is capable of developing beautifully in the bottle for years to come.

Stella Artois Airstream (TABLE 23)
Stop by the Airstream trailer to receive a complimentary taster chalice (while supplies last) with your sample of Stella Artois or Stella Cidre.

Stella Artois: Aromas of floral hops and toasted malts; crisp, clean Hop finish.

Stella Artois Cidre: Crisp, distinctive European cider made with hand-picked apples (gluten free)

TABLE 24 {DRAUGHT}
Deschutes Armory XPA: This XPA gets its bitter twist from Nugget and Northern Brewer hops, then delivers a pronounced citrus kick from Cascade, Centennial and Citra hops.

Goose Island Summertime Kölsch: With a light fruity aroma and a bright, crisp finish, Goose Island Summertime Kölsch is the perfect summer session ale.

Kona Big Wave: A lighter bodied golden ale with a tropical hop aroma and flavor – a smooth, easy drinking refreshing ale. The use of caramel malt contributes to the golden hue of this beer and the special blend of hops provides bright quenching finish.

TABLE 25
Best Damn Root Beer: this delicious, easy-drinking hard root beer is aged on real vanilla beans during the brewing process for a full-flavored, well-balanced take on one of the favorite classic tastes.

Best Damn Apple Ale: a deliciously crisp, incredibly refreshing Apple Ale. All the flavor, without any of the fuss.

Best Damn Cherry Cola: combines caramel and cola spice notes with a delicious cherry taste. Aged on cherries after brewing, the result is a flavorful take on the timeless taste of Cherry Cola.

Wild Blue: Full, round and warm with slightly sweet taste and pleasant ripe blueberry aroma/flavor.

Wild Sit Russ: A crisp clean citrus beverage that is universally recognizable and loved.

Wild Docta: A rich blend of Cola, Cherry and Vanilla with hints of herbs and spices.

TABLE 26
Bud Light Lime Mang-o-Rita: The delicious taste of a mango margarita with a refreshing twist of Bud Light Lime.

Bud Light Lime Raz-ber-Rita: The delicious taste of a raspberry margarita with a refreshing twist of Bud Light Lime.

Bud Light Lime Lemon-ade-Rita: The delicious taste of a lemonade margarita with the refreshing taste of Bud Light Lime.

Bud Light Lime Water-melon-Rita: The delicious taste of a watermelon margarita with the refreshing taste of Bud Light Lime.

Bud Light Lime-a-Rita Splash: Lighter version of Bud Light Lime-a-Rita.

Bud Light Straw-ber-Rita Splash: Lighter version of Bud Light Lime Straw-ber-Rita.

TABLE 27
MixxTail Long Island: A smoother taste on classic Long Island Iced Tea with a refreshing citrus finish.

MixxTail Hurricane: An easy drinking version of the classic Hurricane that mixes bold fruit flavors with a smooth finish.

Oculto: Beer infused with blue agave and citrus flavor and blended with lager aged on tequila staves.

Bud Light Platinum: a 6% ABV light beer that is triple-filtered to deliver Bud Light’s signature smooth finish.

TABLE 28
Arcadia Whitsun: Translucent orange color topped with a creamy, white head. Wheat enhances the mouthfeel of the beer and produces pleasant bread-like notes while Michigan honey provides a caramelized sweetness in the flavor profile. Spiced with orange peel and coriander and small amounts of three hop varieties.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout: Chocolate malt and real dark chocolate are combined with Young’s award winning rich full flavored dark beer to craft a satisfyingly indulgent, but never overly sweet experience.

Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat: Refreshing golden wheat beer infused with the essence of tangerine.

Uinta Tangerine Hop Nosh: Brewed to emphasize the sweet citrus notes of tangerine with the floral combination of American and New World hop varieties.

Budweiser samples located next to the Bud & Burgers Station (by Table 1): Beechwood aged to perfection meets grilled to perfection. The smooth taste of Bud brings out the best in a burger. Golden colored, light, crisp and clean, with subtle aroma notes of malt and noble hops, with soft fruity and citrus hop flavors and a clean, soft balanced finish. Complimentary 4oz sample included with each burger purchase or use one of your punches!

How to Participate in #IPAday

August 4, 2016 By Guest Contributor

On the first Thursday of August join beer enthusiasts, breweries and bars across the globe and celebrate IPA Day, a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: the India pale ale.

Founded in 2011, IPA Day is a global celebration of craft beer. It is a universal movement that was created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers and brewers worldwide. IPA Day was originally developed as a social media-based holiday, but has since expanded into a worldwide party, boasting hundreds of IPA-themed events and celebrations all over the globe.

IPA Day is not the brainchild of a corporate marketing machine, nor is it meant to serve any particular beer brand. IPA Day is an opportunity for all breweries, bloggers, businesses and beer lovers to connect and share their love of craft beer. It is an opportunity for the entire craft beer culture to combine forces and advocate craft beer through increased education and global awareness.

Why Celebrate the IPA?

This illustrious style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories and regional flavor variations, making it the perfect style to galvanize craft beer’s social voice.

At the 2015 Great American Beer Festival, the most-entered style category was the American-Style India Pale Ale with 336 entries; the Imperial India Pale Ale had the second highest amount of entries at 208. Its popularity and accessibility makes the IPA the most inclusive style for brewers, retailers and consumers to collectively celebrate.

The goal is to make this year’s IPA Day even more viral. Getting involved is easy! The only requirements are an appreciation for great craft beer and the willingness to spread the word. Anyone can participate by enjoying an IPA with friends, making some noise online with the #IPAday hashtag and showing the world that craft beer is more than a trend.

How to Participate in IPA Day

Organize an IPA Day event at your brewery, brewpub, restaurant, bar, bottle shop, home or office.

On August 4, share your photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes and thoughts on IPA with the world. Be sure to tag your posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and other social media platforms with the #IPAday hashtag. Please note that this year we are using a lower case “d” in the hashtag to reduce confusion.

See what other people are saying on Twitter by searching #IPAday. Follow the conversation closely by adding an #IPAday search column on your Tweetdeck.

Become a craft beer steward in your community. Encourage non-craft beer drinkers to take a break from their normal beverage routine and join the collective toast on IPA Day. Set the goal of converting at least one person, if not the whole world of drinkers to IPA lovers.

This Article orginally appeared on CraftBeer.com on July 28, 2016
By Ashley Routson For more information follow @TheBeerWench