Tales of ales from the heart of Ohio to the ends of the Earth
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 →
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 →
Now that Columbus Craft Beer Week has come to an end it’s worth looking back on some of the beers that deserve special mention. While my one pint of the official collaboration beer Dysfunctionale was neither here nor there, I did come across some exceptional beers while making the rounds. Everyone knows that Lineage makes a... Continue Reading →
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 →
I was walking through the beer aisle the other day and I noticed a local beer whose existence was previously unknown to me, an imperial red ale from Sideswipe Brewing called Defaced. I’d not heard of its release via social media, nor had I spoken to anyone who had tried it. This was not what I... Continue Reading →
In today’s post I ask Central Ohio brewers to share their opinions and experiences with locally grown hops.
The first annual Columbus Craft Beer Week (CCBW) is just around the corner. Among the 18,000 events planned for the nine days of CCBW the collaboration beers are arguably the most interesting aspect of the event. Things kickoff this Friday, May 1 at Market District Grandview Yard where all of the collaboration beers will be pouring. They culminate on... Continue Reading →
This is the second installment in my three part series featuring Central Ohio brewers talking about hops. In part 1 of this series we looked at the supply and demand angle. In this post I asked the brewers one simple question, what is your favorite aroma hop? If IPAs were rock bands, malts and bittering hops would be... Continue Reading →
Of the basic ingredients in beer no component is changing faster than hops. Hop breeders are continually pushing the envelope to develop new strains of hops that express exotic aromas and flavors that range from tropical fruits to blueberries to cat shelters in pine forests. It's hard to get noticed sticking to the grapefruit and pine... Continue Reading →
If you frequent the beer aisles of local stores like I do, you are bound to encounter the colorful bottles from Sideswipe Brewing on an increasingly frequent basis. It's been a phenomenal first year for owner, head brewer, bartender, hop cultivator, and martial arts guru Craig O'Herron. This coming Saturday, January 24, Sideswipe is throwing a party at the... Continue Reading →
What a year 2014 was for beer in Central Ohio. Three completely new breweries, Zaftig, Land Grant, and Temperance Row, opened up shop. Zauber and North High Brewing significantly expanded their capacity by purchasing new brewing systems. Cans of Four String and Seventh Son beers started showing up on the shelves. Sideswipe opened their brewery to... Continue Reading →
Beer writers and bloggers tend to take one of two approaches when it comes to pumpkin beers. On the one hand, google “best pumpkin beers” and you’ll see that cyberspace is replete with lists of the best and worst pumpkin beers in North America. On the other hand, you don’t have to look very far... Continue Reading →
Last week I learned from owner/brewmaster Craig O’Herron that Sideswipe Brewing is about to release their fifth beer, a “pumpkin ale” brewed with butternut squash and called Squashing Pumpkins. According to Craig it’s possible to get more “pumpkin flavor” in a beer by using squash instead of actual pumpkins. To the best of my knowledge... Continue Reading →
As someone who takes reviewing beers seriously I always worry about the various biases that slip into my reviews. If I’m unimpressed with a beer that is rated highly on BeerAdvocate, does that mean my tastes are not sufficiently refined, or is it a case of the emperor’s new clothes? If I’m drinking a beer that... Continue Reading →
Let’s say you want to visit a several breweries on a single day. Maybe you are visiting town for the weekend or are looking for something fun to do for a birthday, bachelorette party or other special occasion. There are two options you can choose, an organized brewery tour run by a company who specializes... Continue Reading →
Until this past week Sideswipe was the only Columbus brewery that had neither a taproom nor a brewpub. To get your hands on their beer you had to make a trip to a local store and pick up a bomber adorned with one of their distinctive splatter art themed labels. I respect them for taking... Continue Reading →
Sideswipe Brewing is one of the new breweries on the Columbus craft beer scene. Their beers started appearing in select area beer stores in December of 2013. Sideswipe makes three beers, Fisticuffs IPA, Elegant Hoodlum Smoked Stout, and Coop Looter Saison, all of which are distributed in 22 oz bottles. Back in January I did... Continue Reading →
Sideswipe Brewing is the newcomer to the Columbus brewery scene. Unlike the other new breweries in the capital city, Sideswipe chose to enter the marketplace with bottled beer rather than a taproom or brewpub. Toward the end of last year (2013) 22 oz bottles of three Sideswipe beers started showing up on the shelves around Columbus:... Continue Reading →
Pat's Pints 