Ohio breweries had a terrific showing at last year’s Great American Beer Festival, with six brewers taking home eight medals.
How many will they win this year?
At least 26 Ohio breweries are headed to Denver this week for the prestigious event, which kicks off Thursday and is the largest commercial beer competition in the world.
“Looking forward to Ohio dominating again like last year,” said Jeff Draeger, general manager for Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland.
OK, dominating might be a slight exaggeration.
There were more than 4,800 entries in more than 80 style categories last year. That said, it’s not easy to win a gold, silver or bronze medal on the national stage.
This year, I’ve again attempted to compile a list of Ohio brewers and beers entered. The list is not complete, given that not everyone responded to my survey.
Brewers can be weird when it comes to saying what they entered in competitions. Earlier this year, Eric Bean at Columbus Brewing Co. told me that he didn’t enter the World Beer Cup. Then, he won a medal. Oops.
He later explained that he didn’t want unfair expectations put out there for his brewery if he didn’t win.
I get that. But I look at it this way: These are the beers that Ohio brewers believe stack up well against their peers from around the country.
They deserve some publicity. And more importantly, they deserve to be drunk. Drank? Whatever.
With that in mind, here’s a rundown of what Akron/Cleveland area brewers entered in the competition. To see the statewide list, go to www.ohio.com/beer:
■ The Brew Kettle (Strongsville): White Rajah, Black Rajah, Awesome IPL, El Lupulo Libre Imperial IPA and Oktofest.
■ Fat Head’s (North Olmsted and Middleburg Heights): Hop JuJu Imperial IPA, Head Hunter IPA, Bonehead Red Imperial Red, Battle Axe Baltic Porter, Black Knight Schwartzbier, Wet Hopped Trail Head Pale Ale, Alpen Glow Weizenbock, the Gooch International Pale Ale, Gudenhoppy Keller Pils and One Night in Bangkok.
Great Lakes (Cleveland): Sumerian Beer (Enkibru), Baltic Porter, Oktoberfest, Red Right 88 and Blackout Stout.
Hoppin’ Frog (Akron): Barrel Aged Naked Evil, B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout, Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher, Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale and Cafe Silk Porter.
JAFB Wooster: JAF IPA, New Stunt IPA, Harvest Saison, Wooster New Stout and bourbon barrel aged Russian Front Imperial Stout.
Lager Heads (Medina): Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout, Light Headed Pilsner, High Five IPA, Bed Head Red and Oktoberfest.
Market Garden (Cleveland): Cluster Fuggle IPA, Progress Pilsner, Fat Bob Imperial Stout, Pearl Street Wheat and Superbomb Saison.
Nano Brew (Cleveland): Namber, #Kolsch, Beanie Bob Coffee Imperial Stout and Not an Imperial IPA!
Thirsty Dog (Akron): Bourbon barrel aged Siberian Night, Citra Dog IPA, 12 Dogs of Christmas, Labrador Lager and Cerasus Dog Flanders.
Willoughby (Willoughby): Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter, Cosmic IPA, Hazy Days, Kaiserhof and Rosana.
Beer show
The Lake Erie Chapter of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America will hold its Fall Show from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Great Lakes Brewing Co. Tasting Room, 2701 Carroll Ave., Cleveland.
The event coincides with Cleveland Beer Week, which runs Oct. 10-19.
The show is dedicated to antique brewery collectibles and brewing advertising from the late 1800s to present day breweries. Dr. Robert Musson, a local author and beer historian, will be on hand to answer Cleveland beer history questions.
The public is invited to bring beer-related items for an expert appraisal. Cash buyers will be at the show. Admission is free.
Bigger cans
Samuel Adams has released its Boston Lager and Rebel IPA in 16-ounce cans.
They retail anywhere from $1.79 to $1.99, depending on the market.
By the way, Boston Beer Co., which brews Samuel Adams, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The company was ranked last year as the fifth-largest brewery in the U.S., behind only Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Pabst and D.G. Yuengling & Son.
“It took 30 years for Samuel Adams to get where we are today, and we are still only about 1 percent of the U.S. beer market,” founder Jim Koch said in a letter.
Beer cruise
The Canal Fulton Canalway Center is offering a Brimstone Corners Beer Cruise at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
The trip involves a horse-drawn canal boat ride aboard the St. Helena III paired with Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.’s Barktoberfest. There also will be banjo music, popcorn and peanuts.
It starts in St. Helena Heritage Park at 125 Tuscarawas St.
A limited number of $23 tickets are available. To purchase tickets, call the Canal Fulton Canalway Center at 330-854-6835. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.cityofcanalfulton-oh.gov.
Crave dinner
Crave, 57 E. Market St, Akron, will hold a five-course beer pairing dinner with Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. at 6 p.m. Oct. 13.
The evening will kick off with a toast with Thirsty Dog Berliner Weisse.
The dinner will feature rabbit tenderloin paired with Pumpkin Ale, pan-seared sea bass with Cerasus Dog Flanders Style Red Ale, pork schnitzel with Barktoberfest, hanger steak with Cerberus and mini pumpkin pie with bourbon barrel aged Cerberus.
Tickets are $50 plus tax and tip. For more details or reservations, call 330-253-1234.
Hanukkah beer
Forget Christmas ales. Shmaltz Brewing Co. — a Jewish-themed New York brewer — is releasing a limited-edition Hanukkah beer this year.
Called Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass the Beer, it’s a dark ale made with eight malts and eight hops, and clocks in at 8 percent alcohol by volume.
“Isn’t it fitting, that on our 18th anniversary, Shmaltz Brewing would finally come out with our very first Chanukah beer?” Shmaltz founder Jeremy Cowan said in a news release.
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.