by Sandy Hugill | Apr 26, 2024 | adventures, brew, columbus, ohio, tour, usa
I recently went on a tour with Columbus Brew Adventures, the premier brewery tour operator in Columbus, Ohio, USA. And while I had already been to all of the visited breweries on my own (you knew that, right?), I had a great time and learned new things. I highly recommend taking a tour.
by Sandy Hugill | Jun 6, 2019 | brewery, brewing, columbus, northhigh, ohio, usa
Occasionally, I come across a brewery with a unique hands-on opportunity. North High Brewing Co in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, USA is one such brewery. North High opened six and a half years ago as a small, street-front brewery and taproom on High Street, the city’s primary North-South thoroughfare. It’s centrally located between the Ohio State University campus and the Short North Arts District, with lots of opportunity for drive-by and walk-in customers. It wasn’t long before North High outgrew their original space and expanded to a much larger production facility not far away. The original taproom remains a hub for craft beer drinkers, and the original brew house is a “brew your own” facility.
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| I brewed my own beer |
Brew Day
Not yet having hands-on brewing experience, I decided that North High’s program would be the perfect way for me to get my feet wet with zero investment in home brewing equipment and supplies. I gathered my stepmom Kim and we set out to the brewery on a recent Sunday afternoon to brew our very own beer. We were greeted by James Clifford, the brewer who leads the brew-your-own program. After some quick introductions, we discussed beer styles. North High has a recipe book offering a diverse selection of brews. Knowing that we would be producing about 6 cases of beer, I wanted to pick a style that would have broad appeal. We settled on a modified IPA recipe that would be similar to a New England style: juicy and not too bitter.
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| One of the brew-your-own groups in the brewhouse |
When James schedules individuals and groups to brew their own, he can oversee several kettles at once by staggering the brewing times of the groups. On our brew day, there were two other groups present, including one birthday party. Many of the brew-your-own participants choose this as a fun, social or team-building activity and are not interested in being 100% hands-on. Kim and I were different – we wanted to do as much as we could. Kim had some previous experience assisting my dad Steve years ago when he discovered home brewing, but I had no practical experience, and I wanted some.
While we waited for James to get our supplies ready, Kim and I enjoyed some delicious beverages from the bar. While I’m primarily a beer drinker, Kim is a vodka drinker. Neither of us was disappointed. Kim tried several vodkas from local craft distilleries, and I sampled some of the North High beers that I hadn’t tried before, including Apple Brandy Life, a sparkling ale. Apparently I was too busy working and taking pictures to keep track of the other beers I tried, but I know that in the past I’ve enjoyed their Milk Stout and Mister Fahrenheit, the New England IPA that my beer would be based on.
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| Sampling malts |
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| Measuring liquid malt extracts for our beer
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| Kim with our pouch of milled caramel malt, or grist |
The brew-your-own program at North High offers a simplified brewing process, designed perhaps to save time and cost. Rather than making our own mash, we started with two liquid malt extracts (Pale and Pilsener) that went straight into the kettle. For good measure, James did have us mill some caramel malt, load the grist into a mesh sleeve, and dip it into the kettle to impart some of its flavor and starch. But because we didn’t create a traditional mash, there was no need for lautering, or separating liquid wort from spent grain. Instead, our malt extracts dissolved into the boil.
Dry Hop Day
About a week later, I returned to North High to add the dry hops to my beer under James’ supervision. Typically, he manages this step for the batches that need to be dry-hopped, but I wanted to be part of it. I measured the hops, wrapped them in the mesh, and added them to the fermenting vessel quickly. The dry hops were Summit, Chinook, Centennial and Citra.
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| Measuring the dry hops |
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| Dry hops ready to go into the fermenter |
And while I was there, I tried the newly released North High AF American IPA, which I thought was well-balanced and refreshing. I enjoyed sitting at the bar and talking to some of the happy hour patrons. The building housing North High’s taproom was an old-time car dealership, as well as other businesses over the years. There is a lot of character to be found in the woodwork, the showroom floor (you can see where a a turntable used to display cars), and the wall of mailbox cubbies. The atmosphere feels very 1930s/1940s.
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| You can see some of the woodworking detail from the bar; on the far side is the brew-your-own area |
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| Drinking a North High AF American IPA on dry hop day |
Canning Day
Three and a half weeks after brewing, I returned to North High to can my beer. Brew-your-own participants can choose bottles or cans as their packaging. I selected cans because they’re lighter, stack-able, air-tight and block all light from spoiling the beer. Before my canning day, I provided James with my label artwork. The brewery is required by law to label all beer that leaves the premises, but part of the label was ours to design (shout-out to my logo and beer label designer Ted Townsend). Before canning, I observed James transfer my beer from its fermenter into a keg, and then add the CO2. For canning, he hooked up a wand to the keg and the CO2 tank. The beer was fed from inside the cooler through a hose to the wand at a workstation outside the cooler.
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| Starting my canning session with a North High Grapefruit Walleye IPA |
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| Kegging the beer |
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| Labels printing |
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| First taste of my beer |
James demonstrated the proper techniques for adding first CO2 and then beer to each can, and then sealing the can. Little did I know how much time it would take to can six cases of beer by myself. Every single can had to be filled, sealed and labeled by hand. I spent a few hours at the brewery that evening, but it was worthwhile. First, I got to taste a new-to-me North High brew, Grapefruit Walleye IPA (does not contain fish), which was pretty good. And then I got to taste my own beer, which was indeed a very drinkable IPA that gave me some of the juiciness I was expecting, without too much bitterness. I also got to chat with Gavin Meyers, one of the brewery’s founders. I told him about my brew-your-own experience and he also tried my beer.
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| Filling cans by hand |
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| Sealing cans |
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| Starting to stack the 6-packs |
I highly recommend going to North High if you want to try your hand at brewing, and it certainly would make a fun team-building experience for a small group. You should know that this is a streamlined brewing process, and you won’t be turned loose to do just anything that you want. There are recipes, controls and supervision in place, but these things ensure that you leave with six cases of good beer that you’ll want to drink. James is willing to work with you to help with recipe selection, and explain as much about the brewing process as you want to learn.
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| Final product |
Now, what to do with my six cases of The Brewery Log 2019 India Pale Ale? I think I’ll plan a little can release party and invite friends and neighbors. The weather is just about right to have a little outdoor IPA tasting party one evening. I’ll distribute a few six packs to select friends and family members too. And…I’ll probably be drinking this IPA for a little while. Good thing it’s tasty!
Visit
The North High taproom is open daily. In addition to beer and spirits, you’ll find occasional food trucks, and there are many neighborhood restaurants where you can grab take-out to eat in the taproom. The brew-your-own program operates every day except Mondays and Wednesdays, and you can schedule your session online. Costs vary by beer style, but you can expect to spend about $300 total for brewing and packaging 6 cases to take home. The North High production facility is closed to the public except for special events, such as their annual anniversary party in December. Check out the brewery at
northhighbrewing.com or follow them on
Facebook,
Instagram or
Twitter.
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 | 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.
