Look Here Columbus, Ohio, Six One Festival Gets Your Beer On

Press Release

Six One Pour Festival Caps Off Columbus Craft Beer Week

Third annual event to feature 60 Ohio craft breweries

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Six One Pour: The Ohio Craft Beer Fest returns to Huntington Park in the Columbus Arena District on Saturday, May 20^th from 5-9 p.m. The festival serves as the culminating event of the 2017 Columbus Craft Beer Week celebration and will count 60 Ohio craft breweries as participants.

Craft beer enthusiasts can look forward to two highly anticipated collaboration beers among the approximately 150 brews offered at the event. DysfunctionAle, a hoppy pale ale collaboration among 20 Central Ohio breweries, was brewed specifically for Columbus Craft Beer Week and Six One Pour. General Sherman, a rye pale ale from Fat Head’s Brewery and MadTree Brewing, will also get its Central Ohio release in conjunction with Columbus Craft Beer Week.

General admission tickets are available in advance for $50, which includes a souvenir glass and tasting tickets for 20 four-ounce samples. VIP tickets are also available for $75 and include early admission at 4 p.m. and access to a private section with complimentary food and beer (while supplies last). Designated driver admission is available for $15 and includes a food voucher and complimentary non-alcoholic beverage. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.beerfesttickets.com/sixonepour2017

Six One Pour: The Ohio Craft Beer Fest is a fundraiser for the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. 
 
This year’s participating breweries include:
Barley’s Brewing Company
Black Cloister Brewing Company
The Brew Brothers at Scioto Downs
The Brew Kettle
Buckeye Lake Brewery
Christian Moerlein Brewing Company
Columbus Brewing Company
Commonhouse Ales
Crooked Handle Brewing Company
Elevator Brewing Company
Fat Head’s Brewery
Fifth Street Brewpub
Four String Brewing Company
Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
Granville Brewing Company
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Grove City Brewing Company
Homestead Beer Company
Ill Mannered Brewing Company
Jackie O’s Brewery
Kindred Beer
Land-Grant Brewing Company
Lineage Brewing
Little Fish Brewing Company
MadTree Brewing
Maize Valley Brewery
Millersburg Brewing Company
Mt. Carmel Brewing Company
North High Brewing
Ohio Brewing Company
Paladin Brewing
The Phoenix Brewing Company
Pigskin Brewing Company
Portsmouth Brewing Company
Railroad Brewing Company
The Ram Restaurant & Brewery
Rhinegeist
Rockmill Brewery
Royal Docks Brewing Company
Samuel Adams
Seventh Son Brewing
Sideswipe Brewing
Smokehouse Brewing Company
Thirsty Dog Brewing Company
Urban Artifact
Warped Wing Brewing Company
Willoughby Brewing Company
Yellow Springs Brewery
Zauber Brewing Company
 

The event will also feature live music by The Lovebenders, Terry Davidson & Blues Boy Mike, as well as an appearance by the CD102.5 Scene Team. Select concession stands inside Huntington Park will be serving food throughout the event. All tickets include a Reserved Seat voucher for a Columbus Clippers baseball game that will be honored May 23rd through May 29th.

Schedule for Six One Pour: The Ohio Craft Beer Fest

• 4:00 p.m. – VIP and Enthusiast Member early entry and beer sampling begins
• 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. – Live music by Terry Davidson & Blues Boy Mike (VIP stage)
• 5:00 p.m. – General Admission entry
• 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Live music by The Lovebenders
• 9:00 p.m. – Six One Pour ends

Six One Pour is sponsored by (614) Columbus, Boelter Beverage, Brewers Professional Alliance, CD102.5, COTA, Drink Up Columbus, Frantz Ward, Reminger Attorneys at Law, The Team and these Ohio Craft Brewers Association member breweries: The Brew Brothers at Scioto Downs, MadTree Brewing Company, Royal Docks Brewing Company, Barley’s Brewing Company, The Brew Kettle, Columbus Brewing Company, The Phoenix Brewing Company, Rhinegeist, Seventh Son Brewing, Yellow Springs Brewery, Zauber Brewing Company, Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, Crooked Handle Brewing Co., Elevator Brewing Company, Fat Head’s Brewery, Four String Brewing Company, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Grove City Brewing Company, Homestead Beer Company, Jackie O’s Brewery, Maize Valley Brewery, Pigskin Brewing Company, Railroad Brewing Company, The Ram Restaurant & Brewery, and Warped Wing Brewing Company

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.

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For more information, please contact:
Justin Hemminger, Communications Manager
Ohio Craft Brewers Association
justin@ohiocraftbeer.org
614-560-1948

Press Release: Ohio Craft Brewers Association Adds Justin Hemminger

OHIO CRAFT BREWERS ASSOCIATION HIRES COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER   COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Craft Brewers Association announced today that it has appointed Justin Hemminger to the position of communications manager. As the market for Ohio-made craft beer continues to expand, this position was created to serve and promote the association’s rapidly growing membership. Currently, the association represents 129 active brewery members, up from 32 in May of 2013. Hemminger comes to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association after previous experience as director of corporate communications for Tigereye Promotions and as general manager of the Big Room Bar, an Ohio-centric craft beer bar in Columbus. “I am very excited for the opportunity to be an advocate for Ohio’s craft brewers,” Hemminger said. “We’re making world-class beer here in the Buckeye State, and I’m thrilled to have the platform to tell people about it.” “We’ve seen so much growth in the past three years, and we’re expecting much more going forward,” said Ohio Craft Brewers Association Executive Director Mary MacDonald. “Justin’s experience and enthusiasm will be tremendous assets to our effort to promote Ohio’s craft beer industry.” 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. For more information, please contact: Justin Hemminger, Communications Manager Ohio Craft Brewers Association justin@ohiocraftbeer.org 614-560-1948

MadTree Sets Grand Opening Date for New ‘2.0’ Brewery and Taproom

Who is ready for the next stage of MadTree Brewing to begin? I know that I am and the wait is almost over as recently the following news was released by the good folks at MadTree Brewing.

CINCINNATI (December 9, 2016) – MadTree Brewing announced today the date for the Grand Opening of their new state-of-the-art ‘2.0’ brewery, taproom, beer garden, and private event space. Just over a year ago, they began the project to renovate the former RockTenn building, an obsolete brownfield manufacturing facility, located at 3301 Madison Road.  They will celebrate the opening of the new location at 3301 Madison Road in conjunction with their annual Winter Bonanza anniversary party on Saturday, February 11, 2017.

“Seeing this dream become a reality still blows my mind,” said MadTree Brewing co-founder, Kenny McNutt. “Four years ago, before we opened, we couldn’t even remotely imagine doing something like this. It’s an honor to be able to invite the community that built this to share in the celebration.”

Guests can expect a full lineup of current MadTree beers along with many fan favorites from the past. Other breweries from around the region and the country will be on-hand offering beers not usually found in this market. There will be live music plus food trucks and restaurants from the Cincinnati area on-site to keep stomachs full. Additional details about the event will be shared in the coming weeks.

MadTree invested over $18M constructing the new complex, immediately bringing more than 50 jobs to the City of Cincinnati with plans to create 40 more jobs over the next three years.

So make sure you save the date...

Brewery hosting huge party to celebrate milestone with the community

http://www.madtreebrewing.com/

Give Me Five with MadTree Brewing

Cincinnati boasts at least 25 breweries throughout the region, and one of the ones really making some noise is MadTree Brewing. Sitting off the I-71 highway in between downtown Cincinnati and Kenwood is this spacious brewery where beer styles are never short of being found. Recently, I had the chance to catch-up with Mike Stuart of MadTree Brewing to discuss the brewery and conduct another "Give Me Five."

1. When did the brewery become established?

"The first batch was brewed January 22, 2013."

2. How did you come about starting the brewery?

"The three co-founders (Kenny, Brady, and Jeff) were friends working normal corporate day jobs in engineering and marketing that began homebrewing with a very scientific and meticulous approach. They began to realize they could this passion could be much more and then spent more than a year working on their business plan, raising capital, and planning out the physical brewery."

 3. What makes the brewery unique?

"The approach where we start the idea for a beer from a particular flavor profile, color, and mouthfeel. Then you work backwards to make the ingredients fit the vision. It's also about constant exploration; different styles of beers, different ways of brewing, becoming more efficient, and a methodic approach to continuous improvement."

4. Where do you envision the brewery heading in the future?

"Since the beginning, the vision for MadTree has always been to be the most respected brewery in the region. The $18M expansion into MadTree 2.0 is under construction now and should be open by the end of 2016 in Oakley."

5. How many offerings does the brewery provide?

"We have four core canned beers available year-round (PsycHOPathy IPA, Lift Kolsch, Happy Amber Amber, and PSA Pale Ale) and regular rotating seasonals (right now, Rounding Third and soon Sol Drifter) along with some limited can releases (recently, Identity Crisis and Galaxy High coming in a couple of weeks). Of course, we also have some special releases like the Funk Series of sour and funky beers that we released last Sunday (six different beers) and other fun stuff like the Cincinnati Flower Show collaboration beer, Hortense. We also regularly produce draft only seasonals. The taproom always has 17 different beers on tap that rotate regularly -- often beers that never make it out to distribution. We are constantly brewing new styles and new beers."

Thirsty yet? MadTree definitely has a lot of good things going on and I must extend a big thank you to Michael Stuart for taking the time to provide these answers. Also, I want to thank Dan Shatto, who serves as the Director of Hoppyness at MadTree. It was through him that this interview was possible. MadTree is definitely one of the breweries in Cincinnati that any beer drinker needs to visit. So, if you find yourself out cruising I-71 going toward or away from Kenwood then why not make a visit. Just jump off at exit 8 and c'mon around, they'll be glad to see you.

 

MadTree Brewing Collaboration

MadTree Brewing and Cincinnati Flower Show Create Collaboration Beer

Hortense is a Saison ale brewed with nasturtium flowers and cucumbers

CINCINNATI (April 6, 2016) – MadTree Brewing and the Cincinnati Horticultural Society teamed up to create a special limited edition beer for the Cincinnati Flower Show called Hortense. Hortense is a crisp 5.1% ABV Saison ale brewed with nasturtium and cucumbers. The nasturtium flower, grown locally at Carriage House Farms, provides peppery undertones while the cucumber provides a hint of melon to compliment the fruity notes already present in the beer.

  

“This was a particularly fun beer to make since it required us to think a bit harder about ingredients that come from a flower garden,” said Jeff Hunt, MadTree Brewing co-founder. “The Saison style of beer is a traditional light and refreshing beer that has been enhanced by the nasturtium and cucumber.”

JW Fleckenstein, Director of The Cincinnati Flower Show, commented, “We are so excited about Hortense and our partnership with MadTree Brewing. This great tasting beer is a perfect fit for the show and helps us offer something special that appeals to a broad spectrum of people including young professionals throughout the Cincinnati area. “

A limited amount of 500ml bottles will first be available for purchase in the MadTree Taproom on Thursday, April 7 at 11AM with a limit of three bottles per person. Representatives from the Flower Show and Spring Fling will be on-site to talk more about the flowers used in Hortense and the many events happening at the show. Hortense bottles will also be available at the Cincinnati Flower Show at Yeatman’s Cove from April 13 – 17.

About MadTree Brewing Company

Cincinnati’s MadTree Brewing made history when they opened in 2013 by becoming the first modern craft brewery to can its beer in Ohio. MadTree is in the process of constructing a new $18M brewery in Cincinnati’s Oakley neighborhood set to open by the end of 2016. MadTree is known for focusing more on great tasting beers rather than following traditional brewing style guidelines. Their award-winning beers are distributed throughout Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Toledo, Athens and Northern Kentucky. For more information about the beers, brewery, and tap room, visit madtreebrewing.com or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

About The Cincinnati Horticultural Society and The Cincinnati Flower Show

The Cincinnati Flower Show is produced by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation benefiting organizations that promote quality of life through horticulture.  The Flower Show has been one of Cincinnati’s premier Spring events for the past 25 years featuring gorgeous gardens, fabulous florals, fine foods and entertaining events. This year, the show returns to beautiful Yeatman’s Cove along the banks of the Ohio River April 13 – 17. The show will feature an “International Adventure” in partnership with the Cincinnati USA Sister City Association.

For more information or advanced ticket purchases, please visit www.cincyflowershow.com or connect via our Facebook.

Give Me Five With Arbor Brewing

Back in 1995 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a small brewpub began their current journey of brewing beers. With time and hard work they have now grown to having that location plus a microbrewery in Ypsilanti, MI and even a location in India. That's right, not Indiana but India. There was no typo. Beer can do that sometimes. It can transcend the states, countries, continents and even the world.

My experience with Arbor Brewing came from a recent discussion that took place at Cincy Beerfest back in February of this year when I had the opportunity to speak with Chris Bailo. Chris serves as the branch manager for Ohio and we had a chance to discuss some of the beers and featuring Arbor Brewing for the blog post which you are reading now. Chris was awesome and was able to place me in touch with Matt Greff who is the proprietor of Arbor Brewing, and together we were able to come together for another "Give Me Five."

1. When did the brewery become established?

"We established Arbor Brewing Company brewpub in 1995.  At the time we were only the 7^th brewery in Michigan.  As a brewpub in Michigan we could not sell our beers for distribution, only at the brewpub itself.  In 2006 we opened Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery under a different license that allows distribution of our beer.  Our beers are currently available in all of Michigan and Ohio."

2. How did you come about starting the brewery?

"Matt Greff, the founder, studied abroad in Hannover, Germany in college.  He fell in love with beer in Germany and began homebrewing upon his return to the U.S. in 1991 in order to recreate some of his favorite German-style beers.  Matt and Rene (his wife and co-founder of ABC) had corporate jobs out of college and decided to have an “Early Life Crisis” and do something they loved as opposed to grinding out a corporate career.  Through friends, family and co-workers they raised the necessary funds to purchase an Ann Arbor restaurant out of bankruptcy and turn it into Arbor Brewing Company Brewpub."

3. What makes the brewery unique?

"1. Commitment to environment.  We were the first solar brewery in Michigan and our 2,200 sq ft warehouse is geothermal temperature controlled.  The first year our solar panels were in use our beer production was up 25% our electricity and gas use was down 25%.  We are pioneers in the locally grown and sourced food movement starting back in 2005 and one cool thing is we buy our beef from the farmer that uses our spent grain to feed to his cows.  We also have our own garden at the brewery that supplies about ¾ of our produce during growing season."

"2. Our sour beer program is now 15 years old.  We were the first brewery in Michigan to produce sour beers in 6 oak casks starting back in 2001 and we now have over 120 oak casks and are going to continue to grow our Wild Roots sour beer program."

"3. My first beer love was a very hoppy northern German pilsner that I discovered while studying in Germany in college.  For that reason I have a passion for Lagers and European styles and a direct result of that is our Euchre Pilsner which is a 43 IBU 5.5% ABV lager that is selling like crazy." 

"4. As a brewer and brewery, we have a “beer first” mentality. Even our offerings that have additional ingredients added are balanced so that it is beer you are tasting and the notes of coffee, or strawberry, or cherry, or whatever extra ingredients we are using are there to accentuate the beer not hide it."

4. Where do you envision the brewery heading in the future? 

"1. Adopting or creating more environmentally friendly procedures.  This is an ongoing passion of ours and the possibilities are endless."

"2. Reaching a larger global audience who have not experienced the renaissance of true craft beer both here and abroad.  We currently have the only American craft brewery in India with our brewpub in Bangalore and late this year we will be opening the first American distributing brewery with the opening of our microbrewery in Goa, India."

 "3. Placing an emphasis on our sour program which already has a huge fan base."

5. How many offerings does the brewery provide?

"Over the course of a year we make around 100 different varieties of beer.  For distribution we offer 4 year round beers, 3 seasonals, 4 Specialty Releases and 4 Limited Releases plus sour beers when they are ready to go."  

Wow, as you can see there are a lot of good things taking place with Arbor Brewing and if you haven't check them out and have the opportunity to do so then I suggest that you do. Find out more about Arbor Brewing here on their website: http://www.arborbrewing.com. And for a listing of their beer offerings for 2016 those can be seen below for your convenience.

Thank you Matt and Chris for providing the details on the brewery. I know I am looking forward to trying your beers and wishing you great success moving forward. Cheers!

 

Give Me Five with Tröegs Independent Brewing

Located in Hershey, Pennsylvania is one little gem of a company and I'm not talking about the one that made their name from candy, but it is just as sweet. Growing up in Southern New Jersey, I can remember the trips as a child that we used to make to Hershey, Pennsylvania to visit Hersey Park. Man, the fun we had. It was a blast. And to recognize Hershey again later in life, I must say there is a fondness for sure. It seems that good stuff just comes from or just happens there. So once again, it has proven to be home to another success: Tröegs Independent Brewing.

Tröegs is doing some good things on the craft beer scene, yet it seems the word is still getting about them. So hopefully, I am able to help shed some light on them and peak your curiosity. I recently had the opportunity to meet Jim Lampe with Tröegs. Jim is the one of their sales representatives and has the responsibility of working with Ohio as his territory. We initially discussed the company during the Cincy Beerfest that took place in February and in follow-up to that discussion, I now present to you another "Give Me Five" on Tröegs Independent Brewing.

So here we go...

1. When did the brewery become established?

"We opened shop in 1996 in Harrisburg, PA. We relocated to our current facility in Hershey in 2011 to expand."

2. How did the brewery come about being started?

"After attending various brewing schools (at home and abroad) our owners, Chris and John Trogner, decided to return to Pennsylvania to put their business plan in action. They had lived in Colorado at the time, and had originally wanted to open a brewery there. After careful consideration, they decided the PA market would be a better place to launch and so returned home!

3. What makes the brewery unique?

"Brewing is an art form. We don't pigeonhole ourselves into one category or another. We're not an English ale brewery, we're not a German lager brewery, we're not just testing the limits of new-age hop varietals. We take aspects of all these influences and put our spin on them. You might notice with many of our beers when it comes down to style, the lines are blurred. The Scratch Beer Series is emblematic of that mantra."

 4. Where do you envision the brewery heading in the future?

"Tröegs is vehemently independent, as stated on every bottle cap. We plan to stay that way and feel that we can do so while remaining competitive amidst an extreme population of craft breweries. No matter how big we become, no matter how many barrels we send into the market, quality, consistency and innovation will be the engines of our progress. We'll grow methodically, hoping to add more states to our current 10 state distribution map as our operations allow."

5. How many offerings does the brewery provide?

"Currently we offer 8 year-round beers, 4 HopCycle (seasonal) beers, 3 (soon to be 4) once-a-year beers, and the Anthology 12-pack. That's roughly 16 packages, with a couple more limited beers on the way. Then we have the Scratch Batch Series, which are brewery one-offs that we brew as much as a couple times per month. You can find these in our new Anthology packs. "

I appreciate Jim taking the time to provide this information, and it is good to hear that so many good things are taking place at the brewery. Personally, I don't see anything slowing them down as they seemed poised for great or should I say greater success.

Jim mentioned the limited distribution currently, so where can you find Tröegs Independent Brewing currently? Here is a list of the 10 states where their beers are currently available: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA and VA. Sadly, no KY, but that's okay for me as I am on the border of OH and I will be checking them out some more for sure, and you should too.

Again thank you Jim Lampe for your time and input and for helping to spread the word about Tröegs Independent Brewing. For those of you that would like to visit their website then here is there link as well: http://www.troegs.com.

Thank you for checking out another "Give Me Five" and remember, keep drinking good craft beer!

Cheers! 

Give Me Five With Atwater Brewery

During a recent beer festival, I happened to catch up with Jeff Janisse who serves in the role of Director of National Accounts for Atwater Brewery which is based out of Detroit, Michigan. We were able to have a great conversation with the brewery which led to me being placed in contact with Chelsea Iadipaolo. With her help and input, here is a new Give Me Five with Atwater Brewery.



1. When did the brewery become established?

The brewery was established in 1997. The current owner Mark Rieth took over outright in 2007.

2.  How did you come about starting the brewery?

After Mark's time working in a corporate environment with Toyota, he had the opportunity to come back to Michigan and take his passion for brewing to the next level.

3. What makes the brewery unique?

Our traditional German lagers and boutique ales mean that we have a strong and DIVERSE portfolio. We've been making lagers for almost 20 years, even before it was cool. On the other hand, we've never been afraid to experiment i.e. our extremely popular Blueberry Cobbler Ale.

4. Where do you envision the brewery heading in the future?

We see continued expansion into markets that make sense for us like Georgia, New York and New Jersey, while maintaining our presence in our home state of Michigan.

5. How many offerings does the brewery provide?

There are 28 unique craft beers in the market with the flagships being Dirty Blonde, Vanilla Java Porter and Going Steady IPA.  

Wow, so as you can see, Atwater Brewery has a lot of good things taking place and they are positioned for even more growth. Two of their newer beers that have just been recently launched are Cash For Gold and Tunnel Ram. As one that has had the opportunity to taste them, both are worthy of consideration.

I want to thank Jeff and Chelsea for sharing a lot of this information and make sure to keep an eye out for their beers. Have you had them already? Comment and let me know what you think below at the end of the post. I always love hearing feedback.

Cheers and remember to keep drinking good craft beers!



 

 

 

Give Me Five With DuClaw Brewing Company

Recently, I had a chance to catch up with Michael Mitchell who represents DuClaw Brewing for its sales in Ohio. We spoke briefly during CincyBeerfest that took place a couple of weeks ago and we discussed some of the great things that have been taking place with DuClaw Brewing. They really have been doing a great job with some of their beers out of Baltimore, Maryland. With that being said, it allowed me the opportunity to bring them to you in this latest edition of "Give Me Five.


When did the brewery become established?

"DuClaw opened its first Brewpub in 1996. Quickly outgrew that location, opened a couple other brewpubs and began mass producing at our production facility in Baltimore, where we make all the beer currently."

How did you come to starting the brewery?

"Our owner, Dave Benfield, started brewing beer when he was in college. Like many college students, Dave wanted to drink beer on the cheap and pick up chicks. The best way to do so, home brewing. In 1996, Dave opened his first brewpub in Bel Air."

What makes the brewery unique?

""Craft Be Cherished, Rules Be Damned" we respect all beers but want to put a twist on the normal. We go outside the box and don't follow the rules. In all we do, we want to keep it cool."

Where do you envision the brewery heading in the future?

"With the advancement of technology, there are endless opportunities for the future. We have some unique pieces of equipment that other breweries may not have. We take pride in using our "Hop Gun," which is a giant hop infuser and our centrifuge to clarify the beer. "We have the technology.""

Sounds to me that they are reconstructing beer with that old tagline from the "Six Million Dollar Man" and I like it.

How many offerings does the brewery provide?

"We offer a dizzy array of beers. In 2016 alone, we have 23 seasonal beers, basically one new beer every other week of the year. We have our core beers, seasonals, foundations series, hop series and limited releases. To get a better understanding you can look them up on our website."

Wow as you can see, they have a lot of good things happening with DuClaw Brewing and I would definitely recommend checking them out. Michael mentioned taking a look at their website for more information and please find that here as well: DuClaw Brewing.

Thank you Michael for your time and responses, I will definitely look to check out some more of your beers and I am hoping my followers do as well.

Cheers!

Give Me Five With Erie Brewing Company

Recently, I had the opportunity to reach out to Aubrey Lowther about Erie Brewing Company and discuss their operation. Aubrey's position is as the Regional Sales and Social Media Manager for Erie Brewing Company which is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie features a full suite of beers and Aubrey was able to take some time to share some details about them, their beers and their vision of moving forward. I appreciate Aubrey for taking time to "Give Me Five."

When did the brewery become established?

"Erie Brewing Company (EBC) was founded in 1993 as a Hoppers Brewpub in Erie’s historic Union Station. At this time, brewing capacity was 1,040 barrels. Transition from a brewpub to full-fledged microbrewery occurred in 1999 where Erie Brewing Company moved from Union Station to its current production facility off of 12^th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania."

How did you come about starting the brewery?

"Erie Brewing Company is a craft brewery that brews and brands its beers based on the rich history of Lake Erie and its surrounding areas. Erie, Pennsylvania, the site where three sets of railroad track gauges met, was an important transportation hub in the mid-nineteenth century. A majority of our beers are based on the railroad theme and brewed with pride, strength and purity; symbolic of Erie’s historic railroads and their workers. Erie Brewing Company began before the big trend in craft beer had started in the early 90’s. The brewery was created as a real representation of the individuals living in the great city of Erie, PA and their strong love for craft beer. I came onto the EBC team in August of 2012 and have enjoyed spreading the word about Erie Brewing Company!"

What makes the brewery unique?

"Erie Brewing Company is a malt-forward brewery. We brew big, malty beers full of flavor. Our portfolio has a niche for everyone who loves craft beer. Some of our favorites are our flagship, Railbender Ale which is a gold award-winning beer at the Great American Beer Fest in 2009 and our Cherry-Inspired Cream Ale, Derailed Black Cherry Ale brewed with an all-natural cherry concentrate which is a bronze award-winning beer at the Great American Beer Fest in 2011.

Our brewmaster, Shawn Strickland has been brewing at EBC for over 12 years and has created a majority of our core beers as well as several new recipes that our distributors and customers love. We pride ourselves on creating the finest hand-crafted beer available that is consistent with great quality. Shawn oversees that recipes are followed and adhered to at all time to ensure that a customer who purchases a seasonal or year-round brew will taste the same great flavor when buying again. We provide wonderful customer service and our sales team is out in the market working various beer festivals, tastings, beer dinners and so much more. If you see us, say hello!

We started something new over a year ago called the Erie sERIEs which is how our brewery showcases the talents of our brewing team. This scratch beer series is available exclusively in our tasting room and includes many delicious new concoctions which are typically one-offs. We also enjoy showcasing some of these selections at various beer festivals and events. Shawn, our brewmaster has created an Irish Red, a Cucumbermelon Lager, Derailed Black Cherry Ale infused with vanilla bean and cocoa nibs, a Belgian White Ale and several other specialty one-offs.

Lastly, each year, we have our annual event called Beer on the Bay, the region’s largest craft beer festival. This year is our 9^th annual BOTB and will take place on Saturday, July 23^rd with two sessions; the first session from 12-3 p.m. and the second session from 4-7 p.m. on the picturesque Erie Bayfront at the Burger King Amphitheatre, Liberty Park. Beer on the Bay benefits the ANNA Shelter, a no kill animal rescue facility in Northwest Pennsylvania. We also worked with them this past October for a new event that we created called “Dogtoberfest”. Hundreds of dogs and their owners attended where they enjoyed a photo booth with their four-legged friends as well as a tasting of all eight beers on tap. We raised a great deal of money for this wonderful organization and we look forward to doing it again this year."

Where do you envision the brewery heading in the future?

"We believe that with our current sales and brewing team that we will continue to grow Erie Brewing Company tremendously. Brewing consistent, high quality beers is most important to us to increase growth in current and new markets. We are hoping to move production facilities in the near future in order to maximize growth because our current location is small and does not provide opportunities for large groups to enjoy tours and tastings, private parties and so on. With a large space for brewing and customers, we believe we can grow the brewery a great deal. We are excited about our future!"

 How many offerings does the brewery provide?

"Erie Brewing Company provides two award-winning beers and several seasonal offerings. Currently, we have five year-round brews, Railbender Ale, Derailed Black Cherry Ale, Mad Anthony’s American Pale Ale, Misery Bay IPA and Bayfront Blonde. We are releasing our newest year-round beer in early March called Final Destination IPA which will be a West Coast Style IPA at 7% and 60 IBUs brewed with Simcoe and Citra hops. This is a very new direction for us considering we typically focus on malty beers. We are so excited to release this mouth-watering IPA into our markets and see what our customers think of this new brew.

As for seasonal offerings, we currently have five varieties including Soleil Shandy, Johnny Rails Pumpkin Ale, Erie Oktoberfest, Skipper’s Stout and Ol’ Red Cease & Desist. Of the five, Skipper’s Stout which was named after our brewdog, Skipper is our newest seasonal and sold out this past year before pre-orders were even completed. We have showcased this Coffee Stout with crème brulee at several beer festivals and events this year including the Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus Winter Beer Festivals. This stout has been a huge hit!"

We look forward to continuing to brew new, fantastic craft brews! Look for Erie Brewing Company in a city near you! Cheers! 

Thank you Aubrey, and I look forward to trying more of your beers and I hope my followers do as well. Here is a link to visit Erie Brewing online: Erie Brewing Company.

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