Aqueduct Brewing Co. is scheduled to open later this month in the former Burkhardt Brewing Co. building on Grant Street — the same building now occupied by Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
Aqueduct, tucked in a far back corner of the complex, is industrial chic. The small tasting room and brewery have a concrete floor, poured concrete bar, exposed brick and a ceiling fashioned of red tin.
Co-owners Robert Hernandez and Dale Dorn want to create a synergy of sorts with the much larger Thirsty Dog, with craft beer drinkers flowing between the two taprooms.
Aqueduct will employ a two-barrel brewing system. In addition to having a tasting room, it will distribute beer to local bars and restaurants.
Hernandez, 42, who lives on Aqueduct Street in Akron (thus the name of the brewery), said their back story is pretty typical.
He and Dorn started homebrewing. They honed their skills. And now the amateurs are turning professional.
“I got tired of cleaning my house after all my buddies left after we were done brewing,” joked Dorn, 43, an Akron police officer.
Hernandez is focusing on the brewery full time.
“It makes no money now, but it’s full time,” he kidded.
Aqueduct will launch with six beers and there are plans for a cider. There will be an India pale ale, stout, chocolate porter, orange coriander ale, honey wit and pilsner.
The brewery tasting room will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday.
“I’m very excited to get going and get started,” Hernandez said. “Akron is an extremely lucky town that it can support craft brewing the way it has and have so many dedicated craft brewers such as Thirsty Dog and Hoppin’ Frog. It’s phenomenal and it’s going to work well for us.”
You can follow the progress of Aqueduct online at https://www.facebook.com/AqueductBrewing.
Craft growth
The U.S. craft beer industry continues to explode.
The Brewers Association has released figures showing that craft beer production has increased 18 percent so far this year. Craft brewers produced 10.6 million barrels of beer from January through June, up from 9 million in the first half of last year.
The increase doesn’t surprise Eric Bean, brewer and owner of Columbus Brewing Co. and president of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.
“Everybody is trying to figure out how to make more beer,” he said. “Even when we think we’re caught up, we’re not. That seems to be the general consensus.”
The group also noted that there were 3,040 breweries operating in the U.S. at the end of June. That’s 502 more than the same period last year.
Ohio is mirroring the rest of the country, Bean said. The state is seeing many new breweries open and established operations such as Columbus, Great Lakes, Rhinegeist, Thirsty Dog and Christian Moerlein are among those adding capacity to keep up with demand, he noted.
Child Guidance fundraiser
Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. is once again lending a hand to help Child Guidance & Family Solutions.
The nonprofit will hold its fifth annual Growing Up Akron fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 15 at the brewery, 529 Grant St, Akron. Thirsty Dog donates space for the event, which organizers stress is casual dress.
The fundraiser features Thirsty Dog beers, music by Roxymoron and food from local eateries such as Swensons, Skyway, Retro Dog, Old Carolina Barbecue Co., Ivan’s Diner and Gino’s Pizza.
Child Guidance & Family Solutions helps children and families with mental, emotional and behavioral health problems.
Tickets are $50. To buy tickets, call 330-762-0591.
Pints for Prostates
Thirsty Dog will participate in the Denver Rare Beer Tasting VI that supports Pints for Prostates. The event is set for Oct. 3 in Denver, the same weekend as the Great American Beer Festival.
The Akron brewery is one of 50 brewers — and the only one from Ohio — that will pour rare, exotic and vintage beers. Thirsty Dog is participating for the second time. It will serve its Cerasus Dog Sour Flanders-style red aged for three years in oak with Michigan cherries.
The previous time Thirsty Dog participated, it served its bourbon barrel-aged Siberian Night, which went on to win a silver medal at this year’s World Beer Cup.
“I hope this will go the same way,” co-owner John Najeway said.
He added that Pints for Prostates is a special cause for him because his father is a prostate cancer survivor. “So whatever we can do to help by raising a pint, I’m in,” he said.
Office Bistro Beer BBQ
The Office Bistro, 778 N. Main St., Akron, will hold its third annual Great Lakes Beer BBQ from 3 to 7 p.m. Aug. 17.
The event will showcase not only beer from Great Lakes Brewing Co., but also MadCap Brew Co. from Stow.
The Great Lakes beers will be Dortmunder Gold, Eliot Ness, Wright Pils, Oktoberfest, Spacewalker American Belgo, Wandering Pelican and a firkin of pineapple-infused Commodore Perry.
The MadCap beers will be Black IPA and Kolsch.
In addition to the beer, the event includes barbecue, live music and a raffle. Tickets are $40. For tickets or more details, call 330-376-9550.
Crave beer dinner
Crave, 57 E. Market St., Akron, will host a five-course dinner with Rust Belt Brewing Co. from Youngstown at 6 p.m. Aug. 18.
The dinner will showcase Blast Furnace Blonde paired with sautéed shrimp; Peacemaker Double IPA with Korean-style confit chicken wings; Southern Migration Pale Ale with flatbread pizza; Russian River Red with Caribbean roasted pork taco; and Coke Oven Stout with a Cherry Coke cupcake.
Tickets are $50, not including tax and tip. For reservations, call 330-253-1234.
Ken Stewart’s dinner
Ken Stewart’s Grille, 1970 W. Market St., Akron, will host a five-course beer pairing dinner with Thirsty Dog at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 19.
Brewery co-owner John Najeway will be on hand to discuss the six beers being featured, and Chef Jeremy Heinl will talk about the food.
Guests will start out with Ankle Biter, the brewery’s session India pale ale. Then, Whippet Wheat will be paired with a jumbo chicken wing, Citra Dog with grilled shrimp, Beacon Brew 175 with a pork skewer, Rail Dog with a rack of lamb, and Cerberus with a Belgian waffle with vanilla bean ice cream.
Tickets are $55, plus tax and tip. For reservations, call event director Terry Kemp at 330-697-6917.
Belgian beer fest
The Winking Lizard Tavern scored a major Belgian beer coup last year when it became the first retailer in the U.S. to sell Vedett Extra White from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV.
This year, the Bedford Heights-based chain is celebrating the beer with Vedett Fest at several of its locations.
The free event will feature samples, a photo booth with the Vedett Extra White polar bear logo and a contest to toss a hoop around the polar bear’s face. The first 72 people to accomplish the hoop trick will win a T-shirt.
In Northeast Ohio, Vedett Fest takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Mentor location, Aug. 13 at Bedford Heights, Aug. 14 at Lakewood, Aug. 19 at Copley Township, and Aug. 20 at Canton.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/beer. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.