Best Wishes to Zauber Brewing and Geoff Towne

When Zauber Brewing in Grandview first opened its doors back in 2011, my wife and I used to visit every Thursday evening (or at least every one we could).  At the time, they didn't have their full brewing equipment operational and could only brew on their smaller-scale system. That meant that each Thursday they could offer some of their own beer.  The rest of the week, they were (mostly) selling beers from other craft brewers.  After they started full-scale operations we didn't visit quite as often.

I met Zauber founder Geoff Towne a while later, at Barley's Ale House's "Afternoon with the Brewers" event.  Geoff was a very nice guy and told me that if I was enjoying home brewing (which I am) that I shouldn't make it a business.  Once you do that, you're spending time dealing with employees, making payroll, paying a lease, meeting government regulations, etc.  You're spending very little time brewing and a lot more time doing mundane, sometimes stressful, business activities.  It was advice that I took to heart.

I've met Geoff a couple of times since then.  He once took a few of us on an impromptu tour of Zauber.  His passion for the brewery and Belgian/German beer styles was evident.  I always thought he seemed like a good guy and I wanted very much to see Zauber succeed.

The casual but friendly atmosphere at Zauber made it one of my favorite places to go have a beer. One thing that always stood out to me about Zauber was Towne's focus on Belgian and German beer styles.  That is pretty unique in the Columbus craft beer market.  Many breweries focus on IPAs, Pale Ales, and other hop-forward styles - rarely venturing into other territory.  I understand why they do it.  Those styles tend to be among the best-selling these days, and they are in business to make money.  But there is an underserved market around town for styles that aren't hop-forward.  Most of my friends and family members are perfectly happy drinking a well-balanced Kolsch, Cream Ale, Stout, Belgian Single/Dubbel/Tripel/Quad, Brown Ale, etc.  Few of them will happily crack open and drink a hop-forward Pale Ale, IPA, or Double IPA.  When they visit some of our local breweries, there's nothing on the menu they find palatable.  Zauber shined in that regard.  While I felt that some of the beers were a little hop-forward for the style (or for my taste), I could nearly always find something on Zauber's beer menu that appealed to me.

It saddened me to learn recently that Towne had found it necessary to sell his brewery.  The new owners are letting him keep the Zauber brand name, but they're taking over the equipment and facility.  They'll be re-branding it some time in the near future.  I haven't seen much from Geoff Towne since then.  In one interview, Towne was quoted as saying "I'd like to move to another site and re-emerge. Zauber isn't dying or dead, just evolving."  In another article I read, it seemed like Geoff had not decided if he'd return to craft beer or not.

If you are out there and read this, Geoff, I want you to know that there are folks like me who appreciated you and Zauber.  I hope you don't give up on craft beer and find a way to bring Zauber back as a successful local brewery.  When you do, I'll be there.

No matter what you do, I wish you success and happiness.

Middle West Spirits Tour - August 19, 2017

Located next door to Brothers Drake Meadery, Middle West Spirits produces a number of well crafted liquors.  I took a tour of the facility with my brother on Saturday, and it was very cool to see what Middle West has already accomplished and have a glimpse at what is to come.

When you enter the facility, you pass through the gift shop area, with lots of beautifully crafted wood counters, shelves, and product displays.

Walking around the corner, you enter what will eventually be their restaurant and bar.  The restaurant will feature a full range of cocktails made with Middle West spirits as well as spirits from many other companies.  They're promising an incredible array of beverages when they're up and running.

The tour starts in a small conference room or private dining area off the main restaurant/bar. The tour guide talks about the history of the company, its plans for the future, and its success to date.

After this brief introduction, you're shown the massive fermenters where the beverages start.

You then see the distillers and have the chance to look inside one of the fermenters to see the beverage fermenting inside it.

I knew that Middle West made a number of products. I've seen their whiskey, vodka, and other products on store shelves around town.  Until the tour, I had no idea how many different products they make.  It's quite an impressive selection.

We had a nice time on the tour, learned a lot, and got to try many of their products. I'd definitely recommend taking the tour if you get the chance.

Fermenters

Whiskey making still

The top side of the fermenters

Sampling/testing port for spirits in-progress - reminds me of a steampunk gadget

Spent grain ends up in these containers and is offered to local farmers to feed livestock

Massive distillation columns - practically works of art in themselves

Brothers Drake Meadery Tour - August 19, 2017

I've visited Brothers Drake Meadery a few times since it opened, and always wanted to take the tour to see how they make their mead. On Saturday, my brother and I arrived there and took the tour with Sarah, who makes their mead these days.  That's her at the left.

The first thing that will strike you upon entering the mead-making area is that it's relatively small compared with most Columbus brewing and spirit-making facilities.  (You're seeing pretty much the entire facility in that picture, minus maybe six feet of additional equipment behind where I was standing.)

The tour gives a great background on the history of mead, the history of Brothers Drake itself, their emphasis on local ingredients and equipment where possible, and their relationships with businesses in the Columbus area.

Sarah (whose name I may be misspelling, and my apologies to her if so) was a great tour guide and spokesperson for the business.  She clearly enjoys what she is doing and is excited to be sharing what she brews with the community.  Her passion for the beverage and its potential is very clear.

After the tour, visitors can taste the various meads available and order glasses or bottles of any that interest them.  Brothers Drake also offers a variety of Cysers (which are kind of a combination of cider and mead, made with honey and apple juice) and a selection of local craft beers (not made by Brothers Drake).  Some mixed drinks are also available.  In short, if you visit with friends who prefer beer or mixed drinks to mead and cyser, you should all find something interesting to drink there.

I definitely recommend taking the tour if you get the chance.  It's a fun introduction to the meadery and the process of making mead.

The equipment in the meadery

Meads being aged in Middle West (OYO) spirit barrels

The list of Cysers on tap, along with bottles of mead and cyser

The list of Meads on tap

A sample of Wild Ohio mead, made with Ohio honey

Rhinegeist Brewery - Cincinnati

Entrance to the Rhinegeist Taproom

This past Saturday, my wife and I visited the Rhinegeist taproom in the Over the Rhine area of Cincinnati.

The taproom is located up four flights of stairs from the street.  The stairwell is very industrial looking, but is decorated with stickers from other breweries, many of which I'd never seen.

At the top of the final flight of stairs, you step through a doorway into the main taproom.  This is a massive room with high ceilings, huge ceiling fans, corn hole games, a gift shop, a couple of bars, lots of seating, and brewing equipment.

One thing the taproom does not have, however, is air conditioning.  On a hot day, depending on where you sit in proximity to those huge ceiling fans, the taproom can feel pretty toasty.  We were covered in sweat not too long after getting there.

At the main bar in the taproom, all of the Rhinegeist beers I could remember (as well as the various ciders) were on tap.  In addition to these, Rhinegeist offered several limited edition brews like a barrel aged Belgian Dubbel.  Each of the three bars in the building offered a slightly different set of brews, which encouraged moving around and checking them out.

The main taproom

One of the bars in the taproom

Brewing equipment in the taproom

At one corner of the taproom, you'll find a guarded door.  After showing your ID to the guard, you're allowed to walk up the flights of stairs to the Rhinegeist rooftop bar.  This area offers some amazing views of the surrounding area and a decent amount of seating.

The Rooftop Bar at Rhinegeist

View from the rooftop bar

Rhinegeist makes for an interesting visit.  I found it to be one of the more interesting taprooms I've visited, and one of the more interesting brewery visits.

If you find yourself in the Cincinnati area or if you're a big fan of their beer, you might find it worth the trip to visit.

If it's a hot day, though, make sure you dress in your coolest clothing.

14th Annual Smokehouse Brewing Mini Real Ale Fest 2017

One of my favorite craft beer events in Columbus is Smokehouse Brewing's annual Mini Real Ale Fest, held at the brewpub in Grandview. There are always interesting beers at the event that you will never see elsewhere, along with the opportunity to speak with some of the best local brewmasters. While you're there, you can sample the Smokehouse food. Their smoked wings in particular impress me.

This year, the lineup of breweries and beers available for sample included:

• Actual Brewing Double peppercorn and Ginger Eccentricity Saison: Brewmaster Chris was there to gauge reactions to his beer. Brewed with Sorachi Ace hops, it was really a delicious take on the Saison style. The Sorachi Ace hops added a nice citrus note. The peppercorns gave it some earthiness and spice, and the ginger gave it some zing. I'd definitely buy it if they put it on store shelves. 
• Barley's Bourbon Barrel Aged Ulysses: The Ulysses red ale is one of brwemaster Angelo Signorino's best (though my favorites are his Infinity Grand Cru and Point of Origin Belgian style ales). Aged in a Kentucky oak barrel, the beer acquired some nice complexity and oaky notes.
• Columbus Brewing Brioso Coffee Cream Ale:  This classic cream ale was infused with coffee and cacao nibs. Unfortunately I didn't get to taste it, but reactions I overheard were positive.
• Common House Ales Pineapple Hoptopus; This hoppy pale wheat ale was infused with pineapple. As someone who's generally not a fan of hoppy or sour styles, I was actually impressed with how well the hops and pineapple balanced each other. The 70 IBUs of bitterness were offset well with the tangy pineapple flavor.
• Four String Brewing Maple Syrup Motorbreath:  This maple syrup barrel aged Imperial Stout was one of my favorite beers in the lineup. The maple and barrel notes offset the bitterness of the Imperial Stout well, making the beer a bit sweet rather than bitter and harsh the way some Imperial Stouts can be. This is another I would buy if it were available around town.
• Kindred Brewing Red: This imperial red ale was generously dosed with hops. I only tasted a sip of it. It was, as they said in the program for the event, "tolerable".
• Land Grant Lychee Batch 300 IIPA: This lychee fruit infused Imperial IPA surprised me. The sweetness of the fruit offset the hoppiness of the beer well, resulting in a very drinkable IPA for someone who's not generally a fan of the style. This is another I would try again.
• North High Brewing Bourbon Java Milk Stout: This milk stout was infused with coffee beans and peanut butter. While it was an enjoyable beer, the coffee flavor dominated to the point that I couldn't pick out any Bourbon or peanut butter notes. 
• Seventh Son Hot Pepper Jam Strong Ale: This strong ale was infused with peaches and habanero peppers. I expected it to be a very spicy hot flavor, but it wasn't really. There was definitely a hot pepper taste and warmth, but no more so than a typical chicken wing. 
• Sideswipe Brewing Fisticuffs IPA: This version of Sideswipe's popular IPA was dry-hopped with Mosaic, El Dorado, and Centennial hops. I didn't try it, but the person I was with is an IPA fan and really liked it.
• Smokehouse Dreamsicle Leroy Neiman Painting: This Berliner Weisse with orange was quite different from the other offerings at the fest. The sour lemony Berliner Weisse flavor was complimented by the orange. It was a well-executed sour.
• Weasel Boy Brewing Anastasia a la Mexico: This Russian Imperial Stout infused with cayenne pepper was one of the brews I didn't get to taste this year, so I can't comment on it except to say that it ran out before some of the others did.
• Wolf's Ridge Tripel Whiskey: This Belgian Tripel was generously dosed with orange peel and chamomile, then aged for a year in a Watershed Bourbon Barrel. I love sweeter Tripels and Bourbon Barrel Aged beers, and this one hit a home run with me. I spent several of my tickets on samples of this one. Without question, if this was available on store shelves I would keep a six pack in my fridge at all times. A simply excellent brew.

While at the event, I had the opportunity to talk with other craft beer fans, as well as a couple of the brewmasters. Angelo Signorino of Barley's reminded me that next week is the entry deadline for their annual homebrew competition. I'm hoping to get two of my recent brews entered, and to attend the event on June 4.

Taxman Brewing's "Death and Taxes" Day - April 22, 2017

If you haven't heard of Taxman Brewing Company of Bargersville, Indiana, that's not surprising. You won't find their beers on shelves in Columbus stores (unfortunately). However, if you sign up for Tavour.com's service, they do periodically offer Taxman beers to Ohio residents. That's how I found out about Taxman.

Taxman's taproom

Taxman Brewing is located in Bargersville, a small Indiana town. They feature a number of Belgian inspired beers, including Qualified (a Belgian style Quadrupel), La Maison (a farmhouse ale), Deduction (an Abbey Dubbel), Exemption (a Tripel), and many others. They have a two-story taproom which serves their beer and a variety of really delicious food. If you are a fan of Belgian style beers, this is a pilgrimage you should consider making.

Taxman's Facility in Bargersville, Indiana

My wife and I chose last weekend to visit them somewhat randomly, only to discovery it was their anniversary celebration, an event they call "Death and Taxes Day".  The event is held annually the weekend after tax day in the US. It features a selection of Taxman's beer, beer from approximately 40 Indiana breweries, and a special release of their Evasion stout. Actually, it features a separate version of the stout for each hour of the celebration.

My sample (and my wife's) of Cocoa Vanilla Evasion - Delicious!

This year's Evasion samples included "regular" Evasion, a version with Vanilla beans, another with cocoa and vanilla beans, one with coffee, and one with blueberries. I tried two of them and enjoyed both.

The line at Taxman's sampling station

The event draws about 2,000 people to the brewery, which is a testament to the quality of the beer.

I left the event with a bottle of the special limited release beer, as well as a case of Qualified (which was selling for $5 per bomber).

I look forward to vising the brewery again in the future and sampling many more of their beers.

Brew Dog Columbus Brewery, Taproom, and Restaurant

The outside of the Brew Dog brewery and taproom

On Saturday, March 5, I had the opportunity to visit Brew Dog's new Columbus brewery, taproom, and restaurant.

The brewery is reportedly not yet operational, and all Brew Dog beers served there are being shipped in from the UK.

The restaurant kitchen and bar are open, however, and seem to be drawing a constant crowd. At the time we arrived, there was almost a two hour wait for a table. Fortunately, we were able to find a seat at the bar pretty soon after we got there. Others stood or sat at the tables outside.

As you walk into the building, you pass through a gift shop loaded with a variety of Brew Dog merchandise for purchase. This includes pins, patches, hoodies, shirts, hats, growlers, and more. Prices felt a little high to me, but the merchandise seemed of decent quality.

Just past the gift shop is a waiting area for the restaurant and taproom. The wall between the taproom and waiting area is delineated by tall racks filled with beer kegs.

Taproom waiting area

One wall of the taproom is made up of garage-style doors that can be opened in warmer months to provide fresh air. There is also a patio area outside those doors with outdoor seating featuring a view of the creek running past the property.

Inside the taproom you'll find booths, high tables, and a bar with a large number of taps. The bar features both Brew Dog's own beers and those of some area breweries like Jackie O's and Fat Heads.

The bar and tap list

During our visit, the beers on tap included:

• Brew Dog's Dead Pony Club
• Brew Dog's 5 a.m. Saint
• Brew Dog's Punk IPA
• Brew Dog's Jet Black Heart
• Brew Dog's Elvis Juice
• Brew Dog's Cocoa Psycho
• Fat Head's Trail Head Pale Ale
• Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA
• Jackie O's Mystic Mama IPA
• Rockmill Brewery's Le Cheval Saison
• Seventh Son Oubliette
• Three Floyds Gumball Head
• Rhinegeist Truth
• Oskar Blues Old Chub
• Stone Brewing Pataskala Red X IPA

Draft prices ranged from $4.50 to $7.50 depending on the beer, with most at $5 or $6.

Brew Dog 5 a.m. Saint

I had the Cocoa Psycho to start. It is a very rich, decadent beer with lots of chocolate, coffee, and roasted grain flavors. For the second round, I had the 5 a.m. Saint after getting a small taste of it. The Saint had a nice mix of flavors and wasn't too hop forward, though I think I liked the small sample more than I liked the full glass for some reason.

Cocoa Psycho disappearing fast

It was interesting to see the plastic kegs from which the beer was served. These, I was told, are common in the UK where the beer was made. The beer is in a plastic bladder inside a clear plastic bottle. It's pumped out of there with CO2 pressure as it's served. The bartender told us that once the Columbus brewery is in operation, they'll be using the traditional metal kegs.

UK Style Plastic Beer Kegs

While I'm a big fan of James and Martin and the Brew Dogs TV show, I'm less a fan of their beers. That's mostly because they (like many craft brewers) lean toward making every style hop-forward to draw the attention of American IPA and Pale Ale fans. I tend to like their rarities and limited-edition beers more than their mainstay brews. For example, the Dogma beer was one that I loved (until they changed the recipe).

In addition to the seating, a small area is set aside with pool tables and 80's style arcade video game machines.

The brewery is pet friendly, and several people did bring their dogs with them.

The menu during our visit included the following items at prices listed (among others):

• Meat and Cheese Plate ($12)
• Butternut Squash Hummus 
• Kingpin Carnitas Tacos
• Hop Fries ($5)
• Smokin' Hot Wings ($10)
• Scotch Egg ($7) - sells out really fast
• Hail Ceasar Salad ($6-$15)
• Various other salads ($10-$15 depending on salad and options added)
• Regular Joe Burger ($10)
• Identity Crisis Burger ($10)
• Popcorn flavored with three possible choices ($2)
• Walleye ($15)
• NY Strip ($20)
• Smoked Mac 'n Cheese ($9) (with optional chorizo - $2)
• Stone Baked Pizza with several topping options ($12 for 12-inch size)

I had the mac and cheese with the chorizo. The mac and cheese was creamy but fairly bland, but with the very spicy chorizo added (the bartender's recommendation) it was quite good. My wife tried the Butternut Squash and really liked it, though I thought it was much too sweet for my taste.

All in all, it was an enjoyable visit, though a bit crowded and loud for my taste.

The staff, in my experience, was incredibly friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. At times (and despite their obviously working extremely hard) they were having trouble keeping up with demand for their time, but I never felt unreasonably neglected or ignore.

Bar and hard-working staff

If you're a fan of the brewery, the beers, and/or the TV show, it's worth taking a trip to see the place. Just be prepared for a crowd and be patient with the serving staff, who seemed in my experience to be working almost frantically to keep customers happy.