by Sandy Hugill | Jan 16, 2019 | brewery, carroll, columbus, ohio, outerbelt, sideswipe, usa
It’s not yet open to the public, but Outerbelt Brewing Co (Carroll, Ohio, USA) is already distributing to local bars and restaurants in the greater Columbus area. I had the pleasure of previewing the brewery and taproom while still under construction. The public opening is fast approaching in the April 2019 time frame, and it will be worth the short drive from Columbus.
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| Brewers Dan Griffin and Dom Kirchgessner |
Head brewer/minority owner Dan Griffin and brewer Dominic Kirchgessner showed me around on a recent afternoon and allowed me to taste some of their creations. Dan has been brewing professionally for several years, most recently at Gordon Biersch Columbus. Dom honed his brewing skills at Columbus’ Sideswipe Brewing Co, where I visit frequently. The connection to Sideswipe led me to check out Outerbelt.
The building is massive and 12,000 sq ft will go to the brewery, housing a 6,000 sq ft taproom, a 30 bbl brew house, special event space and a large 3+ seasons covered patio. The plan is for the bar to be full-service, and guests can dine on offerings from a variety of food trucks. It will be a fun, new brewery option in Fairfield County, which is quickly becoming a major craft beer destination.
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| Looking toward the future brew house |
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| When that road opens, it will lead to a bar (event space is framed in, upper right) |
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| This old warehouse isn’t much to look at yet, but we’ll see a transformation in a couple months |
I was impressed by the beers that Dan and Dom are already brewing on their pilot 3.5 bbl system. There’s a very solid Outerbelt IPA; a hibiscus IPA called Hillbilly Knife Fight, which is a collaboration with Sideswipe; Cloverleaf, a dry Irish stout; and my favorite: Morning Commute, a brown ale brewed with local coffee.
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| Tasting my Morning Commute coffee brown ale from the temporary kegerator |
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| Kegging Hillbilly Knife Fight Hibiscus IPA for local distribution from the pilot system fermenters |
I’ll have additional details and photos to share about Outerbelt after their grand opening. There’s more to learn about the brewery’s backstory and the great things that Dan and Dom will be brewing up soon.
Find the Beer
Do you want to know where to find Outerbelt Brewing Co beers? Check out the brewery’s listing on Untappd. Better yet, download the Untappd app to your smartphone and discover more beers and breweries. Imagine my delight at finding Morning Commute on tap at my local neighborhood pub just a few days after visiting the brewery.
by Sandy Hugill | Dec 28, 2017 | 45, beijing, brewing, chaoyang, china, great, leap, pizza
On my recent quick trip to Beijing I made time to visit two craft breweries. One of them was Great Leap Brewing (大跃啤酒). There are three Great Leap locations in the city but my schedule only allowed me to choose one. Great Leap #45, a pizzeria in the Chaoyang District, was on my way to the airport, so that’s the one I selected.
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| My first flight: Honey Ma Gold ale, Cinnamon Rock Ale, Aggressor dark ale, Little General IPA |
The #45 Building
The taxi driver dropped me on a street corner near the brewery and it took several minutes of desperately walking around and employing the help of an English speaking stranger to help me find the brewery entrance; it was off a side-street and not highly visible. The brown building was utilitarian looking. It appeared that the brewery consumed the entire ground floor, with apartments on the upper floors.
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Great Leap Brewing #45
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To the right of the main entrance is an area to park bicycles and scooters
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| Enter through this huge door |
Since I wasn’t able to visit the other Great Leap locations, I can’t say if they have a similar aesthetic. The dining room at #45 had an industrial feel with concrete, exposed ductwork and large, heavy, communal tables. There were fermenters and brite tanks in the building. The setup was done well, and with several huge windows facing the street, there was plenty of light to keep the room feeling cheerful. At night, it must be much darker inside.
It was early lunchtime on a Sunday and the brewery wasn’t yet busy. I chose a table to myself with a great view of the dining room. Classic punk rock played on the speakers and fit right in with the decor to create an energizing atmosphere. I noticed that some customers came in for tea or coffee and a meal, and not necessarily to drink beer. It says something good for Great Leap #45 that it’s a local dining destination. But I wonder if those teetotalers knew what they were missing.
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| The view from my table; I liked the stylized Beijing map on the far wall |
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| The bar, where I usually choose to sit upon visiting new breweries, but there I would not have had a view |
The Flavors
Great Leap brews a diverse selection of beer styles that would be recognized at a craft brewery in North America, but they include traditional Asian ingredients in several of them. The draught list boasted 16 varieties of house beer (there were also a few guest beers from Japan, Australia and Denmark), and flights came in samplers of four. Most brews were of medium to high ABV, with the highest coming in at 12%. I chose my first flight, knowing that I’d probably go for a second one. I wanted to experience as much as I could, and with my next stop being the Beijing airport, I’d have 12 hours in flight to sleep off the beer.
The beers provided a delightful “East meets West” tour. Honey Ma Gold, described as Great Leap’s “flagship ale” was very nice, with adjuncts of honey and Sichuan peppercorns (subtle and not over-powering); this was an award-winning beer. The Iron Buddha Blonde and the Aggressor dark ale (classified as a wee heavy in Untappd) were each infused with oolong tea; it’s a very subtle addition of tea and both are smooth and drinkable. Cinnamon Rock Ale may have been the most unique brew on the list; it was brewed with cinnamon and rock candy, and was good but not a favorite. My American-ness is apparent in my pick of the eight I tried: Explorer General IPA, a west coast IPA with hops from Michigan.
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The servers wore Great Leap Brewing track jackets
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| And for my second flight: Iron Buddha Blonde, Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Explorer General IPA, Liu the Brave Stout |
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| My 16-inch “The Cheese” pizza with basil was tasty and, of course, huge |
Drinking all these beers, I needed some good food, and the New York style pizza at Great Leap #45 delivered on flavor. The menu also included Italian-inspired appetizers, salads and entrees. Unfortunately, they only make 16-inch pies, and that’s quite a lot for one person. I figured I would take much of my cheese pizza to go and eat it on the airplane. Later, I learned that select pizzas are available by-the-slice.
My server Trent didn’t speak much English, and I don’t speak any Chinese, so I asked if there was another staff member who could tell me more about the brewery. The manager’s English was marginally better, and she was helpful, but unable to answer the questions I would normally ask of a brewery owner or member of the brewing team. When I left Great Leap #45, I didn’t know much beyond what I’d already learned on the website. That is that Great Leap started in 2010 as Beijing’s first craft brewery founded by Carl Setzer from Ohio, USA and Liu Fang from Shandong Province, China. From the start, this was an East/West venture, and that explains a lot about the beer styles. The brewery has three public locations in Beijing as well as a production facility outside the city. If I’d had more time, I would have arranged to meet with the owners. For this trip, I had to be content to simply enjoy the beers in the Great Leap #45 taproom…and I did.
The brewery started filling up after 1 PM, mostly with foreigners from Europe and North America. I approached the English-speaking family at the table next to mine. They were American expats from Washington state. They are regulars at Great Leap and also at Slow Boat, the other Beijing brewery that I visited. I sat with Kjell, Elisabeth and Erica for a while (and they took my leftover pizza off my hands).
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| Me with my new friends Kjell, Elisabeth and Erica (and my leftover pizza) |
There was one more thing I had to do before leaving Great Leap, and that was to check out the merchandise. I simply can’t make purchases at every brewery I visit (there would be no room in my closets for the clothing, or in my kitchen cabinets for the glassware). But I wanted to commemorate my possibly once-in-a-lifetime trip to Beijing, and the Great Leap Brewing artwork was too good to pass up. I chose the red t-shirt with the brewery logo, but I was drawn to the beer-specific designs as well. I said farewell to my American friends with a full belly, a sated beer palate, and ultimately, a strong desire to get to the airport, to return home, and share my China adventures.
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| Stellar merchandise collection |
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| It’s a rare brewery post in which I include photos of myself, but I just had to share the cool t-shirt |
Visit
You have your choice of Great Leap Brewing locations depending on where you are in the city, and what type of food you’re in the mood for. Great Leap #45 was my pizza haven in Chaoyang District; #12 is the burger joint in Dongcheng District; and the original #6 is in Doujiao Hutong but does not serve food. Hours vary by location, for #45: Sunday-Thursday 11 AM to 1 AM, Friday-Saturday 11 AM to 2 AM. Check out the brewery at GreatLeapBrewing.com or follow on Facebook or Instagram.
by Sandy Hugill | Dec 20, 2017 | brewery, farm, fresno, ohio, pig, usa, wooly
Another weekend, another microbrewery opening. The craft beer explosion shows no signs of slowing down as new, small breweries continue to open and fill in gaps on the map. I had the pleasure of visiting Wooly Pig Farm Brewery (Fresno, Ohio, USA) during its grand opening weekend.
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| Kevin Ely and Jael Malenke of Wooly Pig Farm Brewery |
The Farm
Fresno, Ohio was unknown to me until I visited Wooly Pig. It’s a township east of Columbus and south of Cleveland, with a fair amount of farmland and more animals than people. And now it’s home to a farm-based craft brewery named for the fuzzy porcine residents of the farm. In fact, as I concluded my 90-minute drive from Columbus, I was greeted by the wooly (mangalitsa) pigs who were grazing in the pasture adjacent to the gravel parking lot. The pigs were curious as I walked up to the fence (it’s electric, so don’t touch!) to say hello and to photograph them. I didn’t get too close to the cute piglets, as their mothers were vocally protective of them.
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| Wooly Pigs enjoying the sunset |
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| Those piglets on the left? Adorable! |
My first glimpse of the farm, other than the pigs, was brief. The sun was setting and it was cold. It was not a day to explore. The brewery and a big red barn sit atop a hill, and there are trees on the property. It must be a very pretty farm come springtime. According to the Wooly Pig website, visitors will be able to tour it, to see the pigs munching on spent grain from the brewery, to meet the other animal residents, and to see what’s growing there (crops of hops perhaps, according to the farm layout on the website).
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| The barn that will become an event venue; and that grassy area? Perfect for picnicking! |
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| From all angles of the brewery, there’s no question of where you are |
I walked toward the red barn, which will eventually become an event space, past the pigs and down to the far end of the brewery where guests enter. There’s a nice yard, which will be perfect for picnics and beer drinking in warm weather. For the colder months, there’s a fire pit on the spacious patio, and it was in use on the frigid evening of my visit. Turning to the taproom entrance, I saw big, wide windows overlooking the barn. I found brewmaster Kevin Ely out at the fire pit and he took me inside for a tour.
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| Brewery view from the fire pit |
The Brewery
We walked through the taproom and into the brewing space. I would wait a little while before getting to sample the beers. Kevin shared his passion for brewing German-style beers, honed through many visits to Bavaria during his time in commercial brewing. Kevin’s resume is impressive. He committed to his craft at an early age, studying biochemistry and brewing science at University of California, Davis. (Did you know that brewing could be your university major?) In his 17-year career, he worked for several breweries out west, most notably Uinta Brewing Co. in Salt Lake City.
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| View of the brewing area from outside |
Owning his own brewery seemed to be the inevitable next step in Kevin’s career (and I’m happier for it, having enjoyed my time at Wooly Pig). The farm was a perfect place to build the brewery, as it reminded Kevin of his beloved visits to farm breweries in Bavaria, which were self-sustaining entities producing food and beer and giving back to the land. At Wooly Pig, the water used in the brewing process comes from a well on the property; it was tested for safety and flavor. The spent grain from the brewing is fed to the pigs. Eventually, mature pigs will be humanely slaughtered and used to produce sausages served in the taproom’s small kitchen. The brewery also has its own power source in the form of a hot water boiler that produces steam.
The brewing equipment was beautiful to behold. The kettles and fermenters are hand-clad in wooden planks reclaimed from demolished farm buildings or fallen trees. Kevin operates a 5-barrel system with three brewing vessels. His fermenters are 10-barrel. The brewery was designed smart, with room to expand as production grows. There’s a bottling machine, and Wooly Pig is already making brisk sales of 4-packs to go. Not just any 4-packs, but these bottles each hold 500 ml (another nod to European ways). And because Kevin focuses on German styles, there’s a lagering room in the walk-in cooler. This is where lager style beers finish their fermentation in cold storage. The process requires additional lagering tanks and more time added to the production schedule, so many small breweries only produce ales. But Kevin is a pro; he knows how to lager. I was impressed seeing this in a family-run brewery.
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| Brewing kettles |
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| Fermenters, each showcasing a different wood |
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| Kevin assembled the bottling machine that packages the tasty lagers |
About the family – Kevin Ely is not in this alone. The farm is a partnership with his wife Jael Malenke, her brother Aaron and sister-in-law Lauren. Other Malenke family members play a role as well, rounding out a diverse set of credentials: scientist, farmer, veterinarian, entrepreneur, blacksmith and creative writer.
Taproom Experience
I was quite ready for some lagers after my tour with Kevin. It was early Saturday evening of opening weekend and the taproom was busy, a great sign. I waited a few minutes for a spot to open up at the bar, my preferred location for tasting beer. There were more barstools lining the picture windows and benches in the main section of the room, but I sat at the bar overlooking the action.
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| Aaron prepares one lucky customer’s flight |
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| The core beers available on my visit |
There were four core beers on the draught list, and four additional flavored beers. Flights came in samples of four or eight. I chose a flight of four and tasted a fifth:
- Hoppy Pils – a traditional pilsner
- IPL Eins – a lager nod to the ubiquitous IPA, which was dry-hopped with Galaxy, Citra and Azacca hops – this one was my favorite and I took home a 4-pack
- Schwarzbier – a traditional dark lager
- Fruited Gose – a slightly sour wheat beer, so tasty I had to take home a howler-fill
- Fruited Berlinerweiss – a wheat with passionfruit and cranberry, very festive
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| My flight: Hoppy Pils, Fruited Gose, IPL Eins, Schwarzbier |
Though I had my favorites, all styles were well done. The beers were created by a professional brewmaster, and it was evident. They were nicely balanced and I liked the fact that they were unfiltered.
As for the taproom itself, can you say cozy? The natural wood provides a warm feel, and there are elements of hand-crafted ironwork throughout. The vibe was very welcoming, as it seemed that the entire Ely-Malenke clan was present, either working behind the bar or elsewhere, or taking a break from the busy opening weekend. They seemed to know every other visitor, so many were clearly locals.
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| The tasting room full of happy beer drinkers |
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| Even the barstools have wooly pigs as a foundation |
Kevin mentioned that the customers have been a mix of Fresno and other locals from neighboring towns, drive-by traffic from the well-travelled country road, and brewery tourists like me, who came from afar for the opening. Wooly Pig is definitely a destination brewery. I’ve driven farther for less atmosphere, but I’m likely to return here to experience the farm, especially in warmer weather.
The kitchen was not yet open on my visit, but Jael kept the taproom stocked with popcorn and other snacks for us to feed our appetites while drinking the delicious beers. The kitchen will open sometime in the spring. In addition to serving pork sausages, there will be menu items for vegetarian and gluten-free diets.
There’s merchandise available, and someone on my holiday list will be receiving a 4-pack and a Wooly Pig Farm Brewery mug. You can also pick up a hex sign, a t-shirt or a trucker-style hat. The gear is well-crafted, which was easy to do with such a great logo to start with.
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| The 4-packs make beautiful and delicious gifts (via Wooly Pig Farm Brewery on Facebook) |
I spoke with Jael about Wooly Pig’s involvement in the community. They have already participated in community events such as a beer and food pairing dinner. With the Malenke family’s history and connections to the Fresno area, there will be more opportunities to engage in local and charity events as the brewery gains momentum. I’m excited to see what’s next!
Visit
Take a half-day to explore the farm, the brewery and the surrounding countryside. Prepare for a break from your smartphone (you might not have a signal in the taproom) and just enjoy being in the moment. Wooly Pig Farm Brewery is open Wednesday-Thursday 4-9 PM, Friday 4-10 PM, Saturday 1-10 PM. They sell only house beers, which can be carried out in bottle 4-packs or growlers. The farm and taproom are kid-friendly (supervised, of course). Check them out at woolypigfarmbrewery.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
by Sandy Hugill | Dec 14, 2017 | brewery, brewpub, co-op, dayton, fifth, ohio, street, usa
Dayton, Ohio, USA has some breweries with unusual concepts. My next featured brewery is Fifth Street Brewpub, which operates with a co-op model. Customers do not need to join the co-op, but if they do, they become member-owners with a share of the business for only $125. My friend Shelly and I don’t live in Dayton, so we chose not to join, but we did enjoy our visit to the brewery.
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| Fifth Street Brewpub (the smaller brew house is on the left) |
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| You couldn’t fit many kegs in here, but it must be great for zipping around town |
Atmosphere
Driving up to Fifth Street, the brewery is easy to find. It’s a set of two green buildings on a street corner in the St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood. The main building might have been a house or a corner store when it was new; it contains the bar, the dining room and the kitchen. The smaller building is the brewhouse, and in between the two buildings is a beer garden that would have been a wonderful setting for sipping beer had the weather been warmer on our visit. It was too cold to drink outside, so Shelly and I sat down at the bar and were greeted by Mary.
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| Not even all the taps |
The first thing I noticed was that Fifth Street has a lot of beer to choose from. There were nine or ten house taps, and a couple guest taps to fill the 12 tap system. We knew we would try a flight, but it was hard to pick just five; we ended up with an extra sampler and tried six beers total, selecting from a wide variety of beer styles. Fifth Street had a little bit of everything. Shelly’s favorites were Ludwig’s, a kölsch and Lisa’s Luck red ale. For me, it was a three-way tie between Jo Jo’s Midnight stout (with coffee notes), the Icebreaker IPA and the smooth Bière de Garde. I enjoyed being able to try the brewery’s version of popular beer styles as well as the harder-to-find styles like the saison and the bière de garde.
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| Ludwig’s kölsch, Saison 484, Lisa’s Luck red ale, Bière de Garde, Jo Jo’s Midnight stout |
The brewpub atmosphere was rustic and cozy, with a lot of exposed wood. It was Saturday, so members and visitors were watching college football in the dining room. Because Fifth Street has a full restaurant, the brewpub is kid-friendly. We didn’t dine there, but I could have easily found something to my liking on the menu, which I would classify as elevated pub fare.
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| The dining room |
Community Concept
Mary explained how Fifth Street Brewpub came to be only the second co-op brewery in the US. In 2010 the St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood was undergoing a revitalization and a small group of investors decided to buy the property that would later become Fifth Street. They didn’t have a business concept at the time; they just knew that they wanted to restore that property. Eventually, the idea came to launch a brewery, but to do it as a co-op. The brewpub opened in 2013 as a bar, and served their first house brews in 2014. It now has over 3,500 member-owners. Members get perks such as discounts on beer and food, birthday specials, member-only events, and the opportunity to join a home-brew competition.
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| One of the t-shirts for sale |
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| It’s all about community |
Fifth Street is an integral part of the community. Spent grain from the brewing process is donated to the Mission of Mary farm to be used as fertilizer. Charity involvement also includes offering local non-profits the opportunity to guest-bartend every other Sunday and on Mondays. The charity takes home a percentage of sales and all tips earned. Wednesdays are special for two reasons. This is the one day of the week that dogs are allowed on the patio for Yappy Hour. There is also a weekly Wednesday night fun run after which runners get half off a beer.
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| The beer garden, home of Wednesday Yappy Hour |
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| Sponsored bricks on the patio |
Toward the end of our sampler, general manager Tanya Brock arrived to tell us a little more. She said that the team at Fifth Street prides themselves on getting to know the members, and even non-member regulars by name. Shelly and I certainly felt welcome as we were given a brief tour of the brewhouse building. There is a seven barrel system with four fermenters and five brite tanks (where carbonation occurs). Members can sponsor a tank, which then bears their name. Members and guests may also purchase a brick in the beer garden for $75; many people do this as part of a special event, such as a wedding party.
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| The separate Brew House building |
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| Sponsored brite tanks |
Visit
Fifth Street Brewpub is open seven days a week: Sunday 10 AM to 10 PM, Monday-Thursday 4-11 PM, Friday 11 AM to 12 AM, Saturday 10 AM to 12 AM. A brunch menu is available on weekends. There are 12 taps, which are mostly filled by house beers, with a couple guest brews. Guest cans and bottles, as well as wine and cocktails are available. You can carry out a growler to enjoy the Fifth Street brews at home. Fifth Street is kid-friendly and dog-friendly during Wednesday Yappy Hour. Check them out and consider joining the co-op at fifthstreetbrewpub.coop or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
by Sandy Hugill | Dec 10, 2017 | anhui, beer, china, hefei, house, lazy, leisure
My recent visit to Hefei, China was for purposes other than touring breweries, but I still managed to visit one local brewpub. Many thanks to my hosts in Hefei for giving me the opportunity to meet the team at LazyLeisure Beer House (懒马舍), something I would not have been able to do on my own.
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| The drink menu and my flight (Bright, IPA, Dark, Wheat) |
My first experience with LazyLeisure Beer House (LBH) brews was two days before my brewery visit. I was at a party with my fellow traveling companions. Five of us from Columbus, Ohio, USA went to Hefei, China as part of a sister city marathon exchange. The night before the marathon, our host Echo invited us to meet with runners and English club members from the city. Echo’s friend Francesca had learned that one of the party attendees (me) was a craft beer fan, and she brought two different LBH beers to the party. The evening included some party games, discussion of cultural differences and holidays in China and the US, and the making of homemade dumplings and moon cakes. And for me and a few others, tasting the LBH beer: Dark Beer and Wheat Beer. I learned that Francesca worked for a brewing equipment company with a business connection to the brewpub. I hoped I’d be able to visit before leaving town.
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| Francesca and me at the party |
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| The beer Francesca brought to the party; it was all I could do to sit patiently until it was time to taste them |
The next day, our group from Columbus ran the Hefei International Marathon or Half Marathon with our new Chinese friends Echo and Bernard. It was a great day, and the subject of another blog post, linked here. The day after the marathon, my group of five split up to pursue individual activities in Hefei. Echo, Bernard and Francesca arranged for me to visit LBH.
Shortly before lunchtime, Bernard dropped me off at LazyLeisure Beer House, where I met Francesca. The brewpub wasn’t open yet but Woody, the manager, was expecting us and made me feel very welcome.
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| The outside of the brewpub |
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| Having met up with Francesca, I was excited to go inside |
The interior of LazyLeizure is cozy and inviting. It’s a place where you would want to stay for a while enjoying beer and good company.
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| The bar |
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| The copper tanks are quite attractive |
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| There’s a stage, so LBH can have live performances |
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| You can see the fermentation tanks from the dining room |
I sat with Woody and Francesca for a while. Woody encouraged
me to try a sample of all four LBH beers. And in the spirit of a true cultural exchange, I shared with her photos of the various tasting flight boards I’ve come across at breweries in the US. I think it gave her ideas.
While I looked through the
beautiful menu, Francesca was excited to speak with me about the beer. She mentioned that it is still rare for Chinese women to take much of an interest in craft
beer. She was happy to have a compatriot. As I sampled my way through the beers, Woody broadcasted our
conversation live on a social media app of some sort. I was a bit of a star,
apparently. I learned several things in our conversation.
The LazyLeisure logo is a horse, which represents a worker.
He is lazy because he has already put in his workday and is now relaxing with a
good beer. Each beer is paired with a different version of the horse, which was seen in
the menu. The Chinese characters for the brewpub (
懒马舍) represent the words for lazy,
horse and house. Without knowing any Chinese writing, I could see that the
second character was a horse and the third character was a house.
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| A tutorial on the brewing process |
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| Mr. Ding at work canning beer |
The craft beer movement is still recent in China and LBH has
been open for almost two years. Master Han, the brewmaster, worked in larger,
commercial breweries since 1992, and has a lot of experience. The four LBH beer
recipes are his own. Master Han is assisted in the brewery by Mr. Ding.
After sampling all four beers, Francesca and I sat down to a
lunch of veggie pizza and a green vegetable (maybe Chinese broccoli?) in soy
sauce. Woody offered me a full glass of my favorite. I chose the Wheat, which
was smooth and refreshing and reminded me more of an American wheat
beer, versus a German or Belgian version.
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| Veggie pizza and the Wheat beer |
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| Tasty Chinese broccoli (I think) |
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| The menu page for Wheat Beer, and the corresponding horse |
My second favorite was the Dark
Beer, which I liken to a brown ale, though LBH called it a stout. I also found the Bright Beer to be very drinkable,
and while LBH called it a lager, I’m not sure that it was; it seemed more like
a light ale of some sort. Finally, there was the IPA. The beer was good, but
didn’t meet my expectations for an English or an American IPA. It was light on
the hops (only 30-35 IBU), and I wondered if that is because the Chinese palate
is not accustomed to overly-bitter, hoppy beers. After all, most of the commercial
beers available in China are light lagers. I would drink the LBH IPA, but it
wouldn’t be my go-to if I wanted a traditional IPA.
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| Menu page for Dark Beer |
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| Menu page for Bright Beer |
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| Menu page for IPA |
Patrons from traditional beer drinking countries will find
the beers at LazyLeisure Beer House to be a little different than what they are
used to. The beers are examples of Chinese-created craft beer, versus the many
American or European-owned craft breweries in larger Chinese cities. These beers are so much more enjoyable to drink than the mass-produced lagers you typically
find in China. I like seeing a small place like this do its own thing. Master
Han is creating beers that must be very different from what he brewed during
his many years in commercial breweries. It’s exciting to see this happening in
a second-tier city like Hefei (which is still a large metropolitan area of
nearly 8 million people).
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| With the LazyLeisure team: Master Han, salesman, me, Francesca, Woody |
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| My generous gift from LazyLeisure, which made it safely home to the US for sharing |
Before I left LBH, I was gifted with a case of four 1-liter
cans of beer: two each of Dark Beer and Bright Beer. I felt like a celebrity
and a very special guest, but I’ve come to learn that this is typical of
Chinese hospitality. I wish Master Han, Woody, Mr. Ding and the entire team at
LBH the best of success as they continue to evolve their business. If I ever find
myself back in Hefei, I’ll make a return visit for sure.
LazyLeisure Beer House is open daily from 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM. It is
family friendly and has a menu I’ll characterize as Chinese pub fare, with a
mix of pizzas and traditional Chinese dishes. I was unable to find a website. The WeChat ID is LLBEERH (WeChat is a popular Chinese social media app, and there is an English version).
