It’s tradition for Buckeye Brewing Co. to create a limited edition beer in honor of Cleveland Beer Week. This year, that beer is even more special.
Buckeye Brewing, a production brewery in Cleveland, hooked up Saturday with Buckeye Canning, a new mobile canning business, to produce the first locally canned beer in Cleveland since the Christian Schmidt Brewing Co. closed in 1984.
It also happened to be Buckeye Canning’s debut run in Ohio. In other words, it was a memorable day for both businesses.
Buckeye Brewing owner and brewer Garin Wright created a Munich helles using all German ingredients for the occasion. The beer, simply called Cleveland Beer Week, will be sold in a four-pack of 16-ounce cans, with many earmarked to be released this week at Heinen’s grocery stores. The retail price is $10.99.
Wright is tiring of the misconception that craft beer must be high alcohol or over-the-top when it comes to flavor. His Munich helles is 5.3 percent alcohol by volume and an easy-drinking, malty brew.
“I know I’m going to get some naysayers who say, ‘Garin, a light beer in a can?’ ” he said.
But a can is perfect for a more delicate beer because it seals out oxygen and doesn’t allow any light to hit the liquid — both of which affect flavor and aroma. It’s better to put a fragile beer in a can, Wright said.
“I’m proving that the can works,” he said.
Ninety percent of Cleveland Beer Week (the beer) will be in cans. Drinkers also will be able to sample it on draft at the Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood and at Brewzilla, the monster festival that concludes Cleveland Beer Week (the event), which runs Oct. 18-26. In addition to Heinen’s, other stores are expected to carry the beer.
As for Buckeye Canning, co-owner Dan Blatt set aside the first can off the line to save as a memento.
His new business travels to breweries and cans on contract. Buckeye Canning will be at Elevator Brewing Co. in Columbus later this week canning Bleeding Buckeye Red Ale. Then, it’s off to Maumee Bay Brewing Co. in Toledo for Buckeye Beer, and Rocky River Brewing Co. in Rocky River for Punch ’N the Nuts.
Beer and a movie
The Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., Akron, is pairing a craft beer tasting with a screening of the indie movie Drinking Buddies.
The tasting begins at 8 p.m. Oct. 28, with the movie following at 9 p.m. The event will feature Fat Head’s, Revolution, Stone, Great Divide, Left Hand, Hoppin’ Frog, Thirsty Dog, Dogfish Head, Lexington, North Coast, 5 Rabbit, Two Brothers and Jackie O’s. Crafted Artisan Meads also will participate.
The film is mostly set inside Revolution Brewing in Chicago. It stars Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston.
Tickets are $30, with a date-night special of two for $50. All attendees must be at least 21 years old.
Tickets are available at the Akron Civic Theatre Box Office, by calling 330-253-2488, online at www.akroncivic.com, or Ticketmaster (800-745-3000).
Medina Beer Fest
Main Street Medina will hold its second annual Medina Beer Fest from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 5 at Williams on the Lake, 787 Lafayette Road.
The event will feature 11 breweries, more than 25 beers, three ciders, food and entertainment. The participating breweries are: Thirsty Dog, Lager Heads, Mt. Carmel, Rust Belt, Fat Head’s, Hoppin’ Frog, Jackie O’s, Buckeye, Ohio, the Brew Kettle and Portside.
Tickets are $25, $22 for Main Street Medina members. Admission includes 20 sampling tickets and commemorative miniature pilsner tasting glasses for the first 144 ticket-holders. Non-drinking or designated driver tickets are $8.
For tickets or more details, go to www.mainstreetmedina. com. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. The Beer Fest is a fundraising event for Main Street Medina, a nonprofit that is developing the Medina historic district.
Belgian special debut
The Winking Lizard Tavern chain has scored a major Belgian beer coup and will be the first retailer in the U.S. to offer Vedett Extra White from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV.
Winking Lizard co-owner and beer buyer John Lane tasted the beer three years ago during a visit to the brewery and fell in love with it. Ever since, he’s been trying to bring it into the U.S.
The beer, available on draft, will be tapped Oct. 18 at all the Winking Lizard restaurants, which are located throughout Northeast Ohio and Columbus. That day also marks the start of Cleveland Beer Week. Vedett Extra White will replace Hoegaarden on the menu.
“It is an extremely balanced, really light Belgian wit with wonderful coriander and dried orange peel flavor,” Lane said. “It’s wonderful, wonderful beer. It’s coming to Ohio first and it’s coming to the Winking Lizard first.”
The Winking Lizard also will debut Piraat Triple Hop on draft in January on its “Hoppy, Hoppy Handle” at a few restaurants. The beer, which is from Brouwerij Van Steenberge, will rotate among the Winking Lizard locations.
“It’s wonderful,” Lane said. “It has some American hop character to it with that beautiful Piraat beer.”
Lane said it’s great to see Ohio getting those Belgian beers first. “It’s another feather in our hat in the little ol’ state of Ohio,” he said.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/the-beer-blog/. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrick.