The Akron Craft Beer Festival — which returns Oct. 10 to the Akron Civic Theatre — will feature three special treats for beer fans this year.
For those interested in learning more about the craft beer industry, the tasting will include a screening of the documentary Craft, a look at the growing industry by filmmaker and cicerone Craig Noble.
For those more interested in sampling, the event will include BrewDog and MadTree Brewing Co.
BrewDog is a Scottish craft brewery and chain of beer bars around the world. Co-founders James Watt and Martin Dickie also have become famous for the reality show Brew Dogs, which features them traveling across the U.S. visiting breweries. It’s broadcast on the Esquire Network.
BrewDog Punk IPA, Hardcore IPA, Dogma and 5 A.M. Saint will be served.
Then there’s MadTree. The Cincinnati brewery was the first modern craft brewer in Ohio to can its beer. It doesn’t distribute in northern Ohio so this is a great opportunity to sample its offerings. MadTree PsycHOPathy and Gnarly Brown will be served.
Beers also will be available from: Fat Head’s, Thirsty Dog, Revolution, Stone, Great Divide, Left Hand, Hoppin’ Frog, North Coast, Two Brothers, Breckenridge, Boulder, Jolly Pumpkin, Sixpoint, Jackie O’s, Dogfish Head, Alltech, Unibroue, La Trappe, Meantime and Schneider.
Crafted Artisan Meadery will bring a special keg.
Tickets are $30 and are available at the Akron Civic Theatre Box Office, 182 S. Main St.; by calling 330-253-2488; or online at www.akroncivic.com.
New Busch promotion
Busch is going all Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a new promotion for hunting season. (The brand is big with hunters, if you didn’t know.)
Anheuser-Busch regularly releases limited edition packaging for the season. The green and orange packages are hitting stores now.
But in a twist this year, the brewery also produced 60,000 special “Trophy Cans” that are being randomly inserted into 18-, 24- and 30-packs. If you find one of those golden cans, you could win prizes, including the grand prize of an all-expenses-paid hunting trip to Deer Creek Lodge in Sebree, Ky.
After finding a Trophy Can, consumers are supposed to take a photo with the can, upload it through the Busch Facebook page or www.Busch.com. Each week, the two most creative photos will win hunting equipment prizes. Those weekly winners will be eligible for the grand prize.
In case you weren’t aware, Busch beer is big in Ohio.
“Ohio is one of our key states for the Busch brand,” said Nate Scudieri, director of value brands at Anheuser-Busch. “Some of our most loyal Busch drinkers are in the state of Ohio.”
So why does Ohio love Busch?
Scudieri listed several potential reasons. For starters, the state has a proud German heritage and Busch was launched as Busch Bavarian Beer. Other reasons include the fact that Busch is produced at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Columbus and Ohio is a big state for hunters.
Chardon BrewFest
The third annual Chardon BrewFest is set for noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Eltech Building, 100 Seventh Ave., Chardon.
It features 24 brewers from Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 the day of the event. For more details, go to www.chardontomorrow.org/brewfest.
Ohio Craft Brew Festival
The three-day Ohio Craft Brew Festival at the North Market in Columbus kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday.
The event focuses on breweries from central Ohio. I will serve as guest speaker from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, talking about the state’s booming craft beer scene. For more details, go to http://tinyurl.com/not9d53.
Beer tasting fundraiser
CDW, an information technology company, will hold a beer tasting fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 19 at Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., 529 Grant St., Akron.
Tickets are $30. For more details or tickets, go to http://tinyurl.com/ot2o6mv.
Akron Zoo reminder
The Akron Zoo’s ’80s-themed Brew at the Zoo tasting runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Participating breweries are: Black Box, The Brew Kettle, Elevator, Great Lakes, Jackie O’s, Lager Heads, Ohio, Revolution Brewing, Stone and Thirsty Dog. Tramonte Distributing also is attending.
Tickets are $17 for zoo members and $23 for nonmembers. For more details or to register, call 330-375-2550, ext. 7231. Only guests 21 and older are permitted.
Hats off to Black Box
Black Box Brewing Co., a small brewery in Westlake, won the People’s Choice award for best brewery at the Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest.
The Brew Kettle and Fat Head’s Brewery finished second and third, respectively, in the People’s Choice voting.
To see a complete list of winners, go to http://clevelandoktoberfest.com/microbrew.php.
Beer-making class
The East Canton Branch of the Stark County District Library, 224 N. Wood St., will hold a beer-making program at 7 p.m. Monday.
Bob Mann of Newman Creek Cellars in Massillon will highlight the methods of homebrewing and offer guidelines on how to get started brewing beer as a hobby. The program is free and open to all over the age of 21.
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.