Tales of ales from the heart of Ohio to the ends of the Earth
In my travels around Japan I was impressed with the overall quality of the beer I found. However, the density of small breweries is nowhere near what you would find in the US and many other western countries. It’s hard to get an exact figure but the number of beer breweries in Japan is on... Continue Reading →
I’m currently in the middle of a 3 month stay in Japan. It’s an incredible opportunity, so I’ve doing my best to explore all that Japan has to offer. Naturally that includes checking out local breweries and other beery spots of interest when the opportunity presents itself. In my last post I made some general... Continue Reading →
If I asked you to describe Japanese beer what would your response be? Many people would mention something about crisp, dry lagers, as exemplified by beers like Asahi Super Dry. You wouldn’t be wrong, Asahi Super Dry is the most popular beer in Japan. It relies on the additions of rice and corn and a... Continue Reading →
In the last post we explored Strasbourg and the local beer style, Alsatian pilsner. Think of that as an appetizer, an opening act if you will, because our next destination is Bavaria, the land of lagers. Our first stop is Bamberg, a city in Upper Franconia best known for its smoky Rauchbier, but as I... Continue Reading →
On Friday, May 16, Hoster Brewing Company (653 N James Road) will be releasing a Lichtenhainer, a style of beer so unusual that it last appeared in Central Ohio more than eight years ago (Litany Against Fear a collaboration between Wolf’s Ridge and Little Fish) [1]. For most of you this opening sentence probably raises... Continue Reading →
In this episode, loosely based on the format of the Great British Baking Show, seven homebrewers square off to see who can design and brew the best English, Irish or Scottish Ale. After we meet the brewers and hear about their beers, professional brewers Angelo Signorino (Barley's) and Ryan Torres (Brew Brothers) judge the entries.... Continue Reading →
There was a time when Belgian-style beers were widely brewed in America, but these days the yeast-forward, elegant beers of Belgium seem to be relegated to a small niche of the American market. You can still find Trappist ales in better beer stores, but try searching for American-brewed interpretations of those styles is a challenging... Continue Reading →
Actual Brewing is one of many Columbus breweries that have come on the scene over the past year. The brewery is located near the airport (655 N. James Rd.) and their tap room sounds like a cool place to visit, but I’ve not made it out there yet. I picked up a bottle of Orthodox... Continue Reading →
Approximately every two years I attend a conference in Boston that falls the week after Thanksgiving—the Fall MRS meeting, where unfortunately MRS stands for Materials Research Society rather than Maibocks, Rauchbiers and Stouts. Between this conference and other work related travel I’ve probably been to Boston 9-10 times, but in all those trips I’ve never... Continue Reading →
Although Christmas beers have been on the shelves for months now, as we come to the winter solstice I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on holiday beers. Last weekend I asked my friends Ralph, Nick and Mark to come over, taste a bunch of holiday beers and help me choose the... Continue Reading →
Dear Slats, Christmas is right around the corner and I don't have good gift ideas for my spouse. He loves beer though so I thought you might be able to point me in the right direction. Sincerely, Lois from Licking county ************************ Dear Lois, Great question. I've been thinking about this myself lately, if only... Continue Reading →
Round four features a titanic matchup between two great beers: Founder’s Porter and what some consider the quintessential Ohio beer, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter by Great Lakes Brewing. Edmund Fitzgerald by Great Lakes (Cleveland, OH) – For people in the Midwest Great Lakes Brewing doesn’t need an introduction. According to the Brewers Association it is the... Continue Reading →
In round three we have a battle of two Rye PAs, a hoppy style of beer that is similar to an IPA but with rye added to the malt bill. The rye imparts a spicy twist and helps dry out the finish. If you’re interested to find out more about rye beers check out a... Continue Reading →
When late November arrives in Central Ohio one subject dominates the news, and takes center stage in the thoughts and minds of many residents. I’m not referring to Thanksgiving or the ridiculous shopping spectacle that used to occur the day after Thanksgiving, but now lasts longer than Bill Belichick’s tenure as head coach of the... Continue Reading →
Tonight I’m reviewing Pepe Nero, one of Goose Island’s Belgian-style beers. I had a sample of Pepe Nero at this summer’s Columbus Beer Festival and made a note at that time to come back and try this beer. I can promise that not all the mental notes I made at the beer festival were still... Continue Reading →
Dear Slats, I want to drink good beer, but when I get into the beer aisle there are so many choices it’s hard to choose a good one. Either I buy the same old thing (Blue Moon) or I end up gravitating to the beers that have the most eye catching labels or the coolest... Continue Reading →
Welcome to round 2 of the IPA Blind Taste Test challenge. For today’s round we had envisioned a showdown between some iconic west coast IPAs, but we had to modify the plan a little based on the difficulty in finding fresh beer here in Columbus. We planned to have Sculpin IPA in the mix, but... Continue Reading →
Pat's Pints 