To Øl Santastique Beer Review

Santastique from To Øl, the Denmark brewery is Belgian Blonde Ale that is more of a spiced or herbed beer. It has an ABV of 5.6% and considered somewhat of a winter type ale, this was an interesting beer to check out. Highlighted by items designed to give a Christmas feel around the beer, it did make a nice presentation although for me there wasn’t as much pizzazz with it. The citrusy feel and spices do come through, although on the nose they were lighter than expected but did come through in the taste. Check out the video to see and hear more of my thoughts on this one, and if you have had this one before then leave a comment to let me know what you think of it.

Alliance Targets Safety in Ohio's Growing Craft Brewing Industry

Press Release: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new partnership is elevating workplace safety in Ohio’s expanding craft brewery industry.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is teaming with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Ohio’s craft brewery associations to form the Ohio Craft Brewery Alliance with the goal of raising awareness and developing safety education and training specific to the industry.

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA), the Master Brewers Association of the Americas and the Brewers Association will join BWC and OSHA for a signing ceremony at 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1 at Four String Brewing Company’s production facility at 660 N. Hague Ave. in Columbus. Participants in the new alliance will work together to provide education and support to brewery owners and their employees on safety and health issues specific to craft brewers, such as grain handling, keg filling, chemical exposure, and bottling, canning and delivery.

“As safety professionals, we must react quickly to meet the needs of employers in emerging industries that are still perfecting processes and learning important safety lessons as they grow,” said Dr. Abe Al-Tarawneh, chief of BWC’s Division of Safety and Industrial Hygiene. “This alliance will help employers in Ohio’s budding craft brewery industry assess their workplaces and correct hazardous conditions that have the potential to cause injury.”

BWC will connect participating breweries to the array of safety resources and programs available through its Division of Safety & Hygiene and OSHA On-Site Consultation program. The agency’s workplace safety professionals, industrial hygienists and ergonomists help businesses develop and maintain effective safety-management programs – all at no additional charge to the employer.

“In addition to safety challenges common to all manufacturers, breweries face unique risks associated with material handling and difficult working surfaces as well as exposure to scalding liquids and electrical systems in wet areas,” said Matt Stinchfield, safety ambassador for the Brewers Association. “The alliance will unify efforts to support safety in Ohio breweries and we are optimistic it will also reduce injuries and increase business efficiencies."

Stinchfield said the associations will promote safe work practices through outreach to their members, and facilitate training and education at craft breweries across the state.

“Brewery safety is of paramount importance to our growing industry,” said Mary MacDonald, OCBA’s executive director. “Providing the resources and guidance to ensure a safe working environment for employees is a big part of OCBA’s mission to empower Ohio's independent breweries to sustain and improve their craft.”

The craft beer industry is flourishing in Ohio. Ohio has 278 craft breweries with at least 65 more known to be under development. The state ranks fifth among the states in craft beer production with the craft beer industry supporting more than 15,000 jobs and an economic impact of $2.6 billion.

 

Founded in 2007, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is a nonprofit guild that exists to promote, preserve and unify Ohio’s 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.

Boston Beer Samuel Adams Octoberfest Beer Review

Oktoberfest means Oktoberfest beers and this time I decided to take a look at the Samuel Adams Octoberfest from Boston Beer Company. This Marzen comes in with an ABV of 5.3% and is a usual staple of the season. For me, this one was somewhat light with a decent malty feel and smoothness overall. The usual sweetness often associated with this style was there as well and while it didn’t stand out for me, it was a pretty much easy drinker. Check out the video to see and hear more of my thoughts on this one.

2018 Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Collab Beer Review

Each year Sierra Nevada Brewing now teams up with a brewery overseas in the collaboration of its Oktoberfest beer. For 2018 they teamed up with the world’s oldest brewery known, Weihenstephan, a great Bavarian brewery. Coming in at 6% ABV and 20 IBU, this lager for me provided nice malt sweetness along with a nice feel of the grains in the taste as well as on the nose. Highlighted by a great copper color, this beer had the nice malt backbone often looked for in this style and enough hops for a good bite without overdoing it. Yeasty, bready, slightly syrupy in texture, and smooth with a caramelly flavor, this beer was solidly good in my opinion. Check out the video to see and hear more on this one from me, and if you have had it before then let me know what you thought by leaving a comment as well.

St. Louis Kriek Fond Tradition Beer Review

From Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck comes the St. Louis KriekFond Tradition, a Kriek Lambic that at 6.5% ABV was a cherry delight for me in the bottle. This Kriekenbier is a blend of old and young Lambics with the added presence of actual Krieken cherries and not juices or any other manufactured sweetness. For me, there was a nice dryness to the beer that played against its tartness. There was also a decent sweetness and acidity that came into play. This for me was a fine sour ale indeed, and it is one that I would recommend to any true sour ale connoisseur. Check out the video to see and hear more of my thoughts about this one, and if you have had it then leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of this ale too.

Black Cloister Brewing Montage From Visit

Here is a look back at my visit to Black Cloister Brewing and an inside look at their Brewpub in Toledo, Ohio. See more about the brewery by also checking out my interview video with their head brewer Clint about their beers.