by Sandy Hugill | Dec 1, 2017 | brewing, dankhouse, Newark, ohio, usa
I visited DankHouse Brewing Co. (Newark, Ohio, USA) on their second weekend in business. It was a slightly chilly fall evening, and it felt prematurely dark because of the recent time change. It was a perfect situation for drinking craft beer. Newark is about an hour’s drive east of downtown Columbus, and will soon be quite a craft beer destination, with more taprooms opening soon. But DankHouse was the first Newark brewery to open to the public and they’ve got the Newark market for now.
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| Another promising Ohio brewery |
A Family Operation
Like many of the newer nano breweries, DankHouse is a family operation. Owners Josh and Heather Lange are homebrewing hobbyists turned entrepreneurs with the opening of their new brewery. Josh is the brewmaster and DankHouse is his fulltime gig. Heather is a school teacher when she’s not at the brewery.
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| Josh and Heather Lange, owners of DankHouse Brewing Co. |
Halfway through my customary new-brewery flight, Josh took me on a tour of the small but impressive facility. For a novice brewer, I was very impressed with everything that Josh knew. It was evident that he and Heather had done significant research before opening their business. They are doing things right.
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| Behind the bar at DankHouse |
On the Friday night I visited, there was a vibrant crowd full of friends and family, as well as strangers (or new friends?) like me. Everyone seemed to enjoy the beer and the welcoming environment created by Heather and Josh. If this warm reception is any indication, DankHouse is going to do well in Newark.
The Property
DankHouse is a little off the beaten path if you’re not familiar with Newark, but it wasn’t hard to find. The simple, white cinder block building had a previous life housing a variety of industrial businesses. Inside, the open floor plan makes it feel larger than its square footage. The décor is clean and tasteful with pendant lamps resembling hops, fun, hand-painted mural elements, and a bar with multi-colored wooden planks featuring DankHouse-green accent boards. The bar top is stylish and is covered with BBs that Heather meticulously hand-set and covered with resin. Mood lighting creates additional ambiance. It’s an atmosphere you want to stay in and have a second beer.
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| The cozy, friendly taproom |
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| Fun artwork spruces up the white walls |
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| It’s not really a hop flower, but when you’re in a brewery, these lamps feel very hoppy |
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| Laying the BBs on the bar top (via DankHouse Brewing Co. on Facebook) |
As parents, the Langes made sure to consider their customers’ children and they built a designated play area just off the taproom, with a window cut in the wall for line of sight.
The brewing area is a couple steps down from the taproom, and a half-wall allows patrons to see the tanks. Josh operates a 2.5 barrel system, but it appears there’s room to expand if business goes well.
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| The brewing and fermenting area, as seen looking down from the taproom |
The free-standing building sits on eight acres, which includes free parking and future space for a patio and an outdoor gaming area (think bocce and cornhole), come springtime. Behind the brewery, an extension of the Buckeye Scenic Trail is being built, so DankHouse has plans to attract cyclists and runners who need a respite once they’ve put in their mileage.
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| It’s a fairly non-descript building, but there is magic inside |
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| If you have a truck, you’re a real brewery |
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| The best pic I could get at night of the patio area; come springtime, expect this place to be hoppin’ |
The Beer
I’ve discovered that these smaller breweries, at least in Ohio, start out offering more guest taps than house taps. And the reason behind this is two-fold:
- Liquor laws in Ohio won’t allow a craft brewery to begin brewing their own beer until they are open to the public*. This means that “soft openings” with guest taps are common so that a brewery has something to offer while ramping up their own production.
- Small breweries have a limited capacity for brewing. When you can only brew one beer at a time, it takes a while to get multiple styles through the brewing and fermenting process and ready for consumption.
* This may be a simplification. I am neither a brewer nor a lawyer.
Guest taps give the first customers something to drink, while giving the brewery a revenue boost. So this explains why newly-opened DankHouse had only three of their own beers on tap (and seven guest taps) when I visited. In my flight of five, I made sure to try all three house beers, while sampling a couple other new-to-me Ohio brews.
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| Front row: Super Fantastic IPA, A Blonde Moment, Coffee Drip; back row: guest taps |
Josh plans to brew a variety of styles, and that was seen in the opening week offerings. My favorite was the Super Fantastic IPA, which was a well-balanced example of an American IPA and an excellent debut beer. Also on tap were A Blonde Moment blonde ale and Coffee Drip stout, which I would have sworn was made with actual coffee, but Josh said that all the coffee flavor came from the malt. Another IPA was in the fermenter on my visit. Maybe it’s ready to drink by now!
This little brewery is one to watch. I look forward to a return visit to see what new things Josh and Heather have in store. There will be more beers to try soon, and a whole new outdoor experience once the weather warms up.
Visit
DankHouse Brewing Co. is open five days a week: Wednesday-Friday 3-10 PM, Saturday 12-10 PM, Sunday 12-7 PM. They have 10 taps, offering a mix of house and guest beers, with growler fills available. The brewery is kid-friendly. They do not have a kitchen but will offer food trucks. You can learn more at dankhousebrewing.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
by Sandy Hugill | Nov 15, 2017 | brewery, carillon, dayton, history, museum, ohio, usa
I’ve been to quite a few breweries, but never someplace like this. Carillon Brewing Co. in Dayton, Ohio is a living museum situated in Carillon Historical Park, home of Dayton’s history museum. Walking into the brewery, you are transported back nearly 200 years to Dayton in the year 1850. Staff members look the part, wearing period clothing, though they speak in modern English.
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| Carillon Brewing Co. resides in a newer building with 1850s aesthetics |
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| The living museum is full of character |
My friend Shelly joined me at Carillon and, like I prefer to do, we sat at the bar. From that vantage point, we could see everything. The building had two floors, but most of the second floor was open, and the presence of the brewing fireplaces created a warm, welcoming atmosphere on the gray, autumn day. Although the brick building is new construction (Carillon opened in 2014), it was built to appear as a new 1850 building with exposed bricks and unfinished wood throughout. The tables, chairs, bar stools and nearly everything else were handmade. There is a separate special event room that can be rented, and there’s a nice patio in the back of the building. Sitting at the bar, we had a perfect view of the brewing set-up.
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| The special event space |
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| Everything you see adds character to the brewery, but is also fully functioning |
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| A brewer stokes the fire |
Our beer server Michael described the historic beer styles on tap and Shelly and I chose a flight of five plus one extra sample. We wanted to get the full historical experience. Immediately, you could tell that these beers were different. They were unfiltered, cloudy and much less carbonated than the typical modern brew. The ales were also highly palatable, and there wasn’t a single beer I didn’t enjoy. My favorites were the Squash Ale (made with butternut squash) and the Coriander Ale (slightly peppery, from a recipe in a Cincinnati brewer’s manual from the 1800s). Shelly was partial to the Ginger Pale Ale.
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| A server in period attire pours beer |
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| The barrels are a nice touch for the taps |
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| The draft list on our visit; the squash ale wasn’t even on the menu yet |
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| Squash Ale, Ginger Pale Ale, Roggenbier (a rye), Coriander Ale, Black Cherry Porter |
Head Brewer Kyle Spears stopped by the bar to tell us a little more about the brewery. The brewing system was designed to be as close as possible to that of a small production brewery at this point in the industrial revolution. It is a gravity-fed system that visitors can watch in action over an eight to twelve hour brewing day. The team of three full-time brewers, along with several part-time staff and volunteers, brews small batches almost daily. The brewing takes place in copper kettles and the mash is heated using wood fires. Carillon Brewing buys grain already malted, but they do everything else in-house, from the milling to the roasting to the mashing and the fermenting, which is done in American white oak barrels. The fires were stoked when Shelly and I arrived because Kyle had planned to brew a batch of the Ginger Pale Ale. Unfortunately, only half of the required ginger was delivered that day, so the brewing had to be canceled.
Even without brewing taking place, we had a great view of the brewers working. One man was baking crackers made from the brewery’s spent grain. I liked seeing the spent grain used and not wasted. The crackers would be served by the kitchen, which offers a full menu for lunch and dinner. The recipes hearken back to 1850s German immigrant cuisine, but are updated for the modern palate, and vegetarian options are included. Shelly and I didn’t dine at Carillon, but I did see some soft pretzels on the menu that looked pretty good, and lovers of sausages and sauerkraut will be very happy.
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| The view from our barstools: the man in the photo is making the spent grain crackers; the brewing kettle is on the second level above the fireplace (photo credit: Shelly Schlicher) |
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| Head Brewer Kyle at work |
Carillon offers a Brewer for a Day program so that visitors can become part of the living museum. The package is an all-day affair, in which you participate in the entire brewing process, enjoy lunch and a beer tasting, take a tour of the history museum, and later on take home a growler of the beer you brewed. This sounds like so much fun and I may consider a return visit as a brewer for a day.
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| When the brewery is a museum, you get educational plaques |
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| The Deeds Carillon (1942) just outside the brewery; the dreary day made it even nicer to stay inside and sip beer |
Visit
Carillon Brewing Co. is open daily for lunch and dinner: Sunday-Thursday 11 AM-9 PM, Friday-Saturday 11 AM-10 PM, They have seven taps of their own and two guest taps. You can take home a growler of your favorite historical ale. They also serve bottles and cans from other breweries, and have a select wine and spirits menu. You may find Carillon brews on some guest taps around Dayton, but your best bet is to go to the brewery. The brewery is kid-friendly and serves house-made sodas. You can learn more at carillonbrewingco.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
by Sandy Hugill | Nov 8, 2017 | brewery, minerva, ohio, sandy, springs, usa
The first week of November in northeastern Ohio brings crisp, cool weather and colorful foliage of ambers and reds. This year it also brought the grand opening of Sandy Springs Brewing Co. in the quaint town of Minerva. And the taps flowed with brews in those beautiful autumn hues.
I do like to visit a brewery on its opening weekend, and this was my third time doing so this season. Everything I saw on social media indicated that this little brewery in an out-of-the-way Ohio town would be well worth my time, and it certainly was.
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| Sandy Springs Brewing Co. building and patio |
The Building
I drove into Minerva in late afternoon and found Sandy Springs on a prominent downtown street corner in the same block as the City Hall. Street parking was easy to find within easy walking distance. My first good look at the brewery came as I approached from across the street. The two-story brick building is fairly simple in its presentation, which is perfectly fine, because the patio steals the show. The brewery is situated on the historic Lincoln Highway (US Route 30 through Ohio), so it is fitting that the original site hosted the first gas station in the town. The old garage is now the brewing and fermentation room, and the outdoor portion of the gas station hosts the brewery’s large patio.
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| Patrons enjoying the patio |
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| The original Standard Oil service station |
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| Historic Lincoln Hwy (US Rt 30) marker |
I truly felt like I had stepped back in time as I took in the scene. Old-time gas pumps were one focal point and were protected by an overhang. Another focal point was a automobile themed mural on the outside wall of the main building. It came along with the building when Sandy Springs moved in.
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| Old school gas pump |
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| At night the patio exudes atmosphere |
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| The mural by Thomas Morgan |
It may have been a little cool outside, but that didn’t keep anyone off the patio. Portable heaters radiated just enough warmth after the sun went down. Both high-top tables and low picnic tables provided plenty of spots to sit and relax. While I didn’t stay until closing, I suspect the patio was busy even after last-call.
The Backstory
The story of Sandy Springs Brewing cannot be told without first introducing the owners. Andy and Amanda Conrad are the husband and wife team behind this delightful new brewery. They are physical therapists by occupation, but developed an early passion for home brewing. While living on the West Coast they explored the variety of breweries found up and down the coast, and that strengthened their love for craft beer and the brewing industry. They knew they would eventually open a brewery back home in Ohio.
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| The ill-fated barn (courtesy of sandyspringsbrewery.com) |
The prime location in downtown Minerva was not part of the original plan. The Conrads initially looked into building on Andy’s family farm, rehabbing the old 1800s barn and brewing with fresh spring water from the property. Fate had other plans for that barn when it was struck by lightning in 2013. But the name Sandy Springs stuck, and it honors the farm, which the Conrads still call home. Much of the taproom’s woodwork, and even the flight boards, comes from salvaged wooden beams from the barn fire. History like this makes even a new brewery seem timeless.
The Beer
Sandy Springs offers a variety of beer styles with the idea that there will always be something new for your return trip. On my visit, there were several darker, malty beers, which felt just right to taste on a fall afternoon. I decided to try a flight of four, and later I added another taster. These were very solid brews and I’d happily drink any one of them again.
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| Counter clockwise from lower left: Lost Gold Cream Ale, Dalai Mama IPA, Waylans Black Cascadian Dark Ale, Chai One On (chai stout with pumpkin) |
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| Four tasters were not enough; my fifth was the Porter |
As I expected, my favorites were the darker styles, with a three-way tie between the Waylans Black Cascadian Dark Ale, the Chai One on Stout and the Porter. If I had to single one out, it would be the Chai One On, which is “brewed with caramelized pumpkin puree and chai tea…light pumpkin flavor with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove and pepper” (via Untappd). I’ve tried my share of pumpkin beers and spiced beers, but never one with these combined characteristics. The individual flavors were unmistakable, but also subtle enough that they didn’t overpower the stout and everything was harmonious on the palate.
Several of the beer names pay homage to the Conrad family heritage in Minerva and also honor Andy and Amanda’s dogs. Learning about the brews added to the Sandy Springs narrative and I felt like an insider knowing the stories.
The Taproom
Inside the brewery, the taproom has its own identity with just as much character as the patio, thanks to contractor Ross Blair. The predominant finishing materials are the reclaimed wood, exposed brick and simple subway tiling. A few things really stand out. The back of the bar is a feature wall of wood planks placed in a herringbone pattern, and the taps are mounted on a beam suspended from a pulley system, another carry-over from the barn. Hardwood floors and iron pendant lighting finish off the look. And if you like the handmade taproom tables, you can buy one for $750.
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| The taproom bar area |
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| So much character, and so much hand-crafted wood |
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| One-of-a-kind tap handles |
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| Ordering made easy |
Opening day was busy, but the Sandy Springs crew had their systems in place. Ordering was easy from the designated spot at the corner of the bar. The line moved quickly and I was served my flight immediately. I was given a number for my food order and then found a table, which I shared with a couple other patrons. With my back to the brick wall I had an excellent view of the entire room and enjoyed watching the action.
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| Busy at work behind the bar |
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| No shortage of beer drinkers on opening day |
The Sandy Springs team was quick to run orders from the kitchen and to clear empty glasses and food trays. Staff members were always visible in their Sandy Springs shirts (of which there is a great variety of styles for sale) and were happy to talk about the brewery and answer questions from customers. It was Andy’s mother who first told me about the family farm and the fateful barn fire.
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| A sampling of the creative t-shirt designs |
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The kitchen is small and has a short list of items, but most people will find something. There were a couple appetizers (I had hummus with veggies and naan bread), some sandwiches and flatbreads. There were even desserts (if only I’d had the appetite for the Chai Pumpkin Beer Float). There may also be food trucks on special occasions, like there was on opening weekend.
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| My hummus and veggies with naan |
After sitting for a while, I met Andy and enjoyed a brief tour of the brewery. He took me into the back where the brewing happens. Sandy Springs operates a five barrel system. The brewery is in a small facility, but they have made maximum use of the space.
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| Fermenting in progress; I have it on good authority (or a label on the tank) that Christmas Ale is coming soon |
The next time I find myself near Minerva, I won’t hesitate to return to Sandy Springs. Andy and Amanda truly blew me away with their beautiful brewery, their tasty brews and a history that makes the place a must-see for beer lovers.
Visit
Sandy Springs Brewing Co. is open four days a week: Thursday 4-9 PM, Friday 4-10 PM, Saturday 12-10 PM and Sunday 12-5 PM. It is a kid-friendly establishment with family-oriented hours and menu items. Currently, they sell their own beer exclusively, and you can fill up a growler to take home. Guest taps are planned for the future. Check them out at sandyspringsbrewery.com and on Facebook and Instagram.
by Sandy Hugill | Nov 2, 2017 | barrel, brewery, columbus, house, ohio, pretentious, sour, usa
Dear Friends – welcome to the first review of The Brewery Log. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about the breweries I encounter during my travels. Without further ado –
I’ve been tasting my way around Columbus, Ohio breweries since moving to town this year. I’ve been to every brewery with an open taproom at least once, and I’m subscribed to several social media sites or mailing lists to learn about all things beer. So it came as a surprise when I found out, quite accidentally, that there was a new brewery in town. Pretentious Barrel House opened on October 14, 2017 in an unassuming neighborhood on the East side of Columbus. I made a point to get out there the very day I learned of its existence.
Pretentious Barrel House, run by owner and brewer Josh Martinez, specializes in sour beers. While I enjoy all beer styles, I do have a soft spot for sours. I arrived shortly before closing on a Sunday evening and the crowd had left for the night. Lucky for me, I had my own one-on-one tasting and conversation with Josh. I learned that he chose to focus on sours because they offer the most room for creativity in the beer world, not having strict style constraints like most other beers. The actual brewing process is done off-site at
Four String Brewing’s Hague Avenue facility, but the fermentation and the magic occur in the barrel house.
The Beer
The week’s festivities had tapped out some of the grand opening brews, so what was left for me to try were four versions of Truculent, one of the Pretentious signature sour ales. My first pour was the classic Truculent, described as “a subtle sour that pours a hazy golden color…bouquet is reminiscent of mango, banana, and pear” (via Untappd). I liked it immediately. The second and third Truculent varieties were dry-hopped with Citra hops and Centennial hops, respectively, and the fourth was infused with ginger and lime. All were smooth and drinkable, but I preferred the two hopped varieties.
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| Truculent ale |
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| Initial draft list – there’s more now! |
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Exterior, with garage door to the taproom halfway open
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The Taproom
While the “Pretentious” moniker doesn’t exactly describe Josh or his brews, it might apply more to the taproom décor. This was not a casually thrown-together taproom like I’ve seen at many breweries that focus on the beer at the expense of the atmosphere in which it’s enjoyed. Pretentious Barrel House excels at ambiance. It has a simple but thoughtfully designed interior with a picture window looking into the back room containing the fermentation tanks and barrels. During nice weather, the oversized garage door can be opened to let in fresh air while creating a larger open space and providing easy access to the wooden picnic tables outside. But the focus is really on the wall opposite the bar. Here, you’ll find a triptych mural, each panel a unique design by a different local artist (Monster Steve, Dr. Selrz and Katchup). The three works complement each other brilliantly. The colorful artwork carries over to the brewery’s truck, which was parked out front on my visit.
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The bar, which looks into the barrel room
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| Mural panels by Monster Steve and Dr. Selerz |
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| Mural panel by Katchup (via Pretentious Barrel House on Facebook) |
Josh, a chemist by trade, has been brewing since before he could legally drink his creations. Like many, he started as a home brewer. He honed his beer palate in and around the many breweries in San Diego, and then worked for a brewery in Lexington, Kentucky. After settling in Columbus with his wife, a resident at the Ohio State University Medical Center, Josh decided to launch his own venture. I was impressed by how put-together everything was for being open just over a week. Attention went into every detail, down to the tulip glassware and the Pretentious stickers. And science geeks might notice that the Pretentious logo is a molecule of lactic acid, which is a key component in brewing sour beers.
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| Fermentation in progress
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| Pretentious apparel for sale (so are the signature tulip glasses) |
The Return Trip
I enjoyed my first visit to Pretentious Barrel House so much that I went back less than a week later. This time, it was on a Thursday after work. The happy hour crowd started out light, but patrons trickled in throughout the evening, and everyone seemed to enjoy the sour brews. There was a fifth Truculent on tap, this one dry-hopped with Azacca and Idaho 7 hops, and it was good. Before the evening got busy, I had the chance to meet the rest of the core team. Luis Gutierrez is a partner and runs the taproom. Jullian Gonçalves manages the back office. They’ve all been putting in long hours to make things just right, and it shows. There’s even talk about expanding the space, already!
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| Looking toward the front of the building, the happy hour crowd |
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| Luis trains new bartender Nacole |
Pretentious Barrel House is definitely catering to a distinctive brewery clientele with its exclusive offering of sour beers. The brewery will appeal to the hipster crowd as well as to classic beer geeks like myself. I plan to return again as Josh adds more beers to his lineup (a sour red ale awaits me). Even if you’re not sure about sour beer, I say give it a try. There is variety among just the Truculent series, and there’s possibly something for everyone (unless all you drink are dark, malty beers). You’ll also find Truculent on tap at select local bars and restaurants, but for the best experience, go to the source.
Visit
Currently, Pretentious Barrel House is open four days a week: Thursday 4-9 PM, Friday 4-10 PM, Saturday 1-10 PM and Sunday 1-8 PM. You’ll find food trucks most nights (Zone 5 BBQ is a favorite); just follow the brewery on Instagram and Facebook for the lineup. Check out Pretentious at pretentiousbarrelhouse.com. And tell Josh, Luis and Jullian I said hi.
by Sandy Hugill | Oct 26, 2017 | about, beer, brewery, certified, cicerone, credential, sandy, server
My name is Sandy and I’m just your average beer geek…or maybe I’m not. I have a love of travel and a curiosity for finding beer at its source. I’ve visited over 100 breweries worldwide. While I enjoy sharing my brewery journeys with others, I’m often a solo traveler. I sometimes get curious comments when I’m sitting in a taproom by myself. Is it really that unusual for a woman to travel for beer? I don’t see why it should be. I’m here to open up the world of craft and microbreweries to you.
Credentials
What are my qualifications, you might ask? Well, I have two things on paper:
Certified Beer Server – Level 1 certification in the knowledge of beer styles, brewing basics, and the proper serving of beer. It means that I did some homework and passed an exam. My certificate was granted by the Cicerone© Certification Program, the same folks who accredit Certified Cicerones, Advanced Cicerones and Master Cicerones. These designations are the beer equivalents to the wine world’s sommelier.
Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) – Graduate-level degree during which I learned nothing specific about beer, but I did study forms of niche tourism, and Beer Tourism certainly qualifies as that. But primarily, my program covered travel marketing, event management and the socioeconomic aspects of tourism. So, not only do I love travel, but I have an in-depth knowledge of the industry. My degree was earned at the George Washington University in Washington DC.
But what do these credentials really mean to you, the reader? Simply, that I put both my head and my heart into things that I care about. I strive to always learn more and offer more.
Backstory
Like many of you, I started drinking beer in earnest in college. But at that time the offerings were pretty slim: boring light lagers or the occasional stout. For years, I thought of myself as more of a wine drinker. In my twenties my dad started home-brewing English bitters, so I got a taste of something different. But it wasn’t until the more recent craft brewing explosion that I really got into beer – and what a universe of beer there is! I like a little bit of every style, which makes for a great avocation of brewery hopping.
I’ve enjoyed breweries all across the United States as part of my travels, but I haven’t stopped there. I’ve been known to visit specific European cities just to drink the local beer. And there are plenty of great craft breweries in my own backyard (Columbus, Ohio, USA). I’ll cover my local favorites as well as far-flung breweries I visit during my travels. Even though he’s not alive to see all the amazing breweries and to sample the delicious craft beers, I like to think that my dad is there with me in the taprooms.
