Ever wonder what attributes define a perfect Pilsner beer? Do you prefer the complex malt character of a Czech Pilsner, or the hoppy bite and crisp finish of a German Pils? Maybe more recent iterations like the New Zealand Pilsner an Italian Pilsner are more to your liking. In this episode we explore the nuances... Continue Reading →
Hop Combinations that Emulate Fruit Flavors
There was a time when the appearance of a new hop variety was a big deal. I can remember how excited I was to try a beer with exotic Nelson Sauvin hops, and such beers were not easy to track down in Central Ohio. A sighting of Three Floyd’s Zombie Dust, one of the earliest... Continue Reading →
All Things Beer Episode 36 – Brown Ales
Brown ales are a style near and dear to our hearts, but one whose popularity has been waning in recent decades. In this episode we are joined by homebrewer, Jim Sudduth, whose English Brown Ale won the 2019 Barley's Homebrewing Competition, for a in depth look at this underappreciated style. Join us for a voyage... Continue Reading →
All Things Beer Episode 35 – The Columbus Six Pack (American IPAs)
The invention and rise of the American IPA is one of those rare moments in the history of brewing that forever changes the rules of making beer. In this episode we turn our attention to this ubiquitous and hugely influential style by sampling six year-round American IPAs from our home base here in Columbus. We... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 23 – Winter Warmers and Festive Holiday Ales
‘Tis the season to be jolly and in this episode we do our best to spread some holiday cheer. We look at the evolution of Winter Warmers and other seasonal winter offerings stretching from the dark ages to the modern day. We are joined by our friend and Barley’s brewmaster Angelo Signorino, who has been... Continue Reading →
Six Central Ohio Crushers to Beat the Summer Heat
Despite the recent respite from the heat, it has been a long hot summer in more ways than one. When the mercury rises, there’s nothing like a nice cold beer to slake your thirst. Beers that fill this role, sometimes called lawn-mower beers, tend to be light bodied, neither too bitter nor too sweet, with... Continue Reading →
Ohio Breweries Try to Weather the Corona Virus Pandemic
Life over the last month is like nothing I’ve experienced. As I write this, the sun is shining, flowers are coming into bloom, and crimson red cardinals fill the air with song in hopes of attracting a mate. Hardly the stuff of a Hollywood pandemic movie. In some ways the world seems normal, but in... Continue Reading →
Beer Review – Concentrate Hazy IPA by Land Grant
A few weeks back I had a chance to attend the Columbus Winter Beer Festival downtown in the convention center. For me big beer festivals are at best a mixed bag. It’s a good chance to sample a wide variety of beers, but the flavors and memories inevitably run together into an indistinct blur. The... Continue Reading →
Land Grant to launch Quadrahopic and Concentrate as Rotating Seasonals
The beer portfolio at Land Grant Brewing Company features an extensive mix of beers, ranging from the year-round core beers like Stiff Arm and Greenskeeper, to one-off collaborations like Got Fuzz or Totes Liotes. The Franklinton brewery recently announced that two hop-forward beers—Quadrahopic and Concentrate—are being promoted from the irregularly recurring IPA series to year... Continue Reading →
Beer Review – Batch 300 Imperial IPA by Land-Grant
Over the last few months Columbus has been awash in some pretty impressive Imperial IPAs including the likes of CBC Creeper, Fathead’s Hop JuJu, North High’s Stardust to Stardust and Butch Otter, Great Lakes Chillwave, Seventh Son Proliferous, 2 Tones Space Lazer, and the ever rotating selection of Hoof Hearted double IPAs. If your palate hasn't... Continue Reading →
Land-Grant ventures into the world of Belgian-style beers
The Land-Grant catalog is full of tasty beers that span a wide range of styles—hop forward IPAs, German lagers, brown ales, big malty stouts, even the occasional English pale ale or ESB—but Belgian (and French) styles have been a rare sight at the Franklinton brewery. That scenario recently changed with the release of three new beers: Oval... Continue Reading →
Land Grant University – Yeast 101
Last night Land Grant Brewing held their first session of what they call Land Grant University, a series of educational sessions on the key ingredients in beer. The inaugural session was devoted to yeast, future sessions will focus on hops, malts and water. Attendance was capped at 50 participants and there was a full house... Continue Reading →
Beer Review – Skull Session by Land Grant
Today the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines will square off on the gridiron for the 113th time. What pairs better with the granddaddy of football rivalry games than a tasty craft beer, but for those who bleed scarlet and gray, not just any beer will do for today's game. Fortunately, there are several locally... Continue Reading →
The Beers of Oktoberfest – Märzen/Festbier Blind Taste Test
Given the hot weather we’ve been experiencing it may not feel like fall is upon us, but once football season kicks off it can’t be long until the leaves start changing color. If the deluge of pumpkin beers invading the shelves has you cursing fall beers as an egregious affront to the Rineheitsgebot don’t despair,... Continue Reading →
Beer Review – Pool Party Pilsner by Land Grant
Pilsner’s occupy an odd place in the beer world. Casual drinkers confuse them with macro lagers. Beer geeks tend to view them with ambivalence. Have you ever been to a pilsner release party? Yet many brewers have a special place in their hearts for them. No place to hide off flavors, no wild ingredients to... Continue Reading →
Beer Review – Gravity Wave by Land Grant
Regardless of what you call them—the descriptive but somewhat oxymoronic Black India Pale Ale or the more fanciful Cascadian Dark Ale—Black IPAs have emerged as a style to be reckoned with over the past several years. When done right they capture the best elements of the IPA and Porter genres. Among Central Ohio breweries, Land... Continue Reading →
A Deep Dive into Land Grant’s Deep Search
Last week Land Grant released the latest beer in their series of seasonal can releases, a Baltic porter entitled Jacqueline Deep Search. When news of the release reached me several questions immediately came to mind. Just how is a Baltic Porter different from any other porter? What’s with the strikethrough in the name? When ordering this... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 2 – Branding
In this episode we talk branding with Walt Keys creative director at Land Grant Brewing.
Central Ohio Beers of the Year (2015)
Now that we’ve closed the books on 2015 it’s time to look back on the year in beer in Central Ohio. Once again there was much to celebrate as growth of the craft brewing industry showed no signs of slowing down. No less than seven new breweries officially opened their doors in 2015—Temperance Row in Westerville... Continue Reading →
Land Grant Releases a Trio of New Beers
Now that Halloween is behind us there is nothing to stem the tide of Christmas beers and holiday ales that threaten to overwhelm your palate with flavors of cinnamon, allspice and fermented honey. Where can the spice-averse beer lover turn to fight off the blues that settle in as the sun retreats into the southern... Continue Reading →