Tag: Ohio

Small Town, Big Flavor

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

A good buddy of mine moved south of the Akron/Canton area of Ohio a couple months ago. I've been meaning to get down there to visit him and Friday I finally got that chance. I also got to try out Lockport Brewery in Bolivar, Ohio. A great excuse to try out a different brewery.

This brewery opened towards the end of 2016 and is an open concept brewery with everything out in the open. This place may be small but the beer was very flavorful. I had a beer sample with an amber Ale and various IPAs. The Tomahawk Double IPA was my favorite of the bunch. This high alcohol beer provided a nice flavor and was done very well.

For dinner, I had their cubano sandwich and it was toasted well and the pork was a nice smokey flavor. This was a great small brewery overall with a great knowledgeable staff combined with a relaxing atmosphere located in this small town of Bolivar, Ohio. Definitely worth the trip south from Cleveland.

Earthly Beer

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, BreweryLeave a comment

Cleveland’s ever-growing beer scene added another one at the end of April. Terrestrial Brewing Company opened up in the Battery Park area of Cleveland and this past weekend I made my first trip there. Surrounded by some of the best townhouses this city has to offer, Terrestrial is in a great location as the primary spot now for those residents looking to grab a quality beer.

The open concept of the place allows you to see all the fermenters up close. Combined with the patio this place opened up just in time for Cleveland to come out of hibernation. Plus they allow dogs and that is always a good thing!

Their beer was pretty good too as I enjoyed a couple of them and particularly liked the Pocket Flower. This is a Double IPA that packed just the right amount of flavor.  It is a well done beer. They also included many guest taps as well which I always appreciate from a brewery because it shows confidence in their own product to not get over matched by other beers and also is great for the industry as a whole. Terrestrial Brewing is another great new Brewery to the area and provides residents another area to visit and hangout in. Check it out, Terrestrial may mean “of or relating to earth”, but your visit will be out of this world.

Suburban Brew Sprawl

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Restaurants1 Comment

While in recent years across the country, we have seen a retreat from a suburban sprawl. Millennials have moved into the cities and gentrification has happened as soon as the hipsters find a new run down neighborhood to move into. While this has happened we have also seen breweries pop up left and right.

There are  two places new breweries pop up. Go where the foot traffic is and try to stand out among the crowd.  Or pick a new location and pave your own path. Both ways can work and it really comes down to the beer you make, service your provide, and atmosphere you create.

Avon Brewing Company launched a few months ago out in the suburb of Avon, Ohio. This is away from the downtown brewery scene that adds a brewery faster than a teenage girl adds Instgram pics.

While I love a good beer, I also am a giant child and love mac and cheese. Avon Brewing has one of the best mac and cheese dishes around. Great choice with the shells and the perfect amount of cheese. Top 5 mac and cheeses I have had and trust me I have eaten a lot of mac and cheese.

Another great thing about this brewery is that they just don’t serve their beers. It takes a brewer that not only believes in their product but believes in beer as a whole to serve guest beers at their place. Sometimes people want some other variety than the 5 or 6 beers many smaller brewers have and I think having guest beers is a great addition. This brewer realizes their beer can still stand out among others. Some brewers are afraid of the risk that their beer may not get selected every time but if people know they have choices I think they are more likely to return and hang out longer. I commend Avon for that decision. Overall, Avon Brewing is a great experience a little way away from the typical brewery spaces throughout the Cleveland area. Perfect for when you need a break from the downtown environment but still want a good beer.

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Big Beers, Big Taste

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, BreweryLeave a comment

I firmly believe more beer is always better. Hansa Brewery is one of the many places that came onto the Cleveland beer scene in 2016. Located in Ohio City, it is a European style brewery with European food as well. The potato pancake were delicious.

I digress, let’s get back to the beer. Like many European style breweries, think Hofbrauhaus, they serve the large liter and half liter size beers that are standard in the European style breweries. The prices were extremely reasonable for these beers and very refreshing. They make a very drinkable beer there even for those that are not as big into the beer scene but like to tag along with the craft beer enthusiasts. Or maybe dragged along as I sometimes do with my girlfriend as I want to try out more places. Nevertheless, its got something there for everyone.

This European style brewery is a great addition to Cleveland and Ohio City. The fresh and clean atmosphere attached to the little European grocery store next door, that has been around much longer than the brewery, is sure to continue to be a Cleveland staple. img_1544

Whiskey and Beer in Cle

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Distillery, Restaurants, whiskeyLeave a comment

The Cleveland Brewery Scene is growing rapidly. Cleveland Scene just wrote a large article about it. It’s a well done article you can read here. While there may or may not be a bubble, it is great for the beer lovers of Cleveland that so many places keep popping up. A few weeks ago I visited Portside Distillery and Brewery for the first time. This place has been open since 2015 but I had yet to stop in.

What makes this place unique in Cleveland is that they not only brew beer but they are a distillery. Not many places out there do both. That is a nice addition to the traditional brewery. They have a good variety of beers and the pretzels were pretty good as well. This location near the water is pretty spacious and when I went on a Sunday afternoon provided a good laid back spot to have a Sunday Funday. Once thing I do regret not trying was the whiskey but it does give me a reason to go back and try it again.

When Sibling Rivalry Meets Beer: Sibling Revelry Brewing

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, BreweryLeave a comment

Sometime you fight with your siblings, sometimes you help them sneak in after a late night and sometimes you open up a brewery with them and call it Sibling Revelry Brewing. I first heard about this over a year ago when it was just an idea. A few weeks ago, it became a reality and I have been wanting to try it out as I drive pass it every day on my way to work. Sibling Revelry is a small craft brewery located in Westlake, Ohio about 25 minutes from Downtown Cleveland. The brewery has a great modern industrial  feel and the beers were pretty good too. I was pretty into the Irish American. Probably the best part of the tap room was that they let you bring dogs in. My girlfriend’s little dachshund sat on her lap the whole time and everyone seemed to enjoy his presence. Always a nice touch when a place allows pets to join in. The location of the place is kind of hidden away on a street filled with commercial businesses, but if you’re looking for a good beer out in the west side Cleveland suburbs, it is a great place to check out. Bring your siblings, maybe you’ll be inspired to open up your own brewery. ozziebeersibrev