Gaston - Ohios craft beers: discovering the variety, enjoying the quality, relishing the experience

Publishers Note: In an industry as dynamic as craft brewing, changes occur frequently. The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information presented in Ohios Craft Beers was current at the time of publication. The author would like to hear from readers about the latest news on craft brewing in Ohio. Contact him at .

Text copyright 2016 by The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio 44242

Photographs copyright 2016 by Paul L. Gaston

All rights reserved

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2015036097

ISBN 978-1-60635-275-5

Manufactured in China

Black Squirrel Books

Frisky, industrious black squirrels are a familiar sight on the Kent State University campus and the inspiration for Black Squirrel Books, a trade imprint of The Kent State University Press.

www.KentStateUniversityPress.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gaston, Paul L.

Title: Ohios craft beers : discovering the variety, enjoying the quality, relishing the experience / Paul L. Gaston.

Description: Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015036097 | ISBN 9781606352755 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Beer--Ohio. | Breweries--Ohio--Directories.

Classification: LCC TP577.G36 2016 | DDC 663/.309771--dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015036097

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For Mark Wilson Kimble,
Il mio compagno di birra

My mother always told me not to give advice when its not asked for. But she died before I wrote this foreword, so Im doing it anyhow.

But first, a few words about this book. Paul Gaston has written a book that serves two purposes for the craft beer enthusiast. On the one hand, it is a snapshot of craft brewing in Ohio at mid-decade, useful for navigating the multitude of brewpubs and microbreweries in the Buckeye State. As time passes, this purpose will diminish and it will transform into one of a more historical nature.

On the other hand, this book is a general reference of the lay of the beer land and beer-related terms. The introduction and first chapter set the tone. This use is timeless.

Both are welcome, so kudos to Paul for taking the immense time that it takes to write a book of this magnitude. Its a thankless task.

I have been involved with craft beer in Ohio since almost the beginning, having opened my first brewpub in 1992, almost a quarter century ago. Much has changed, and much remains the same. With more than one hundred craft breweries in Ohio today, and the commensurate cast of characters who make up the craft beer industry, it is literally a community unto itself.

While I read these pages, several thoughts came to mind. Considering these thoughts is a useful frame of reference as you read this book for yourself.

There are scores of beer styles, with many more substyles. Moreover, like a talented jazz musician, craft brewers riff on styles more than at any time in the history of this iconic fermented beverage. A couple of decades ago, there was no such thing as an American pale ale. Imperial IPA? Unheard of until a virtuoso in the American craft community came up with one. Now, its a sought-after style around the world.

So it pains me when I hear someone say, I dont like dark beers, or, I only drink hoppy beers. The more the better. For all the variety out there, and for all the going-out-on-a-limb experimentation thats happening in our craft beer community, some of us are in a rut. Thats not a good thing.

When youve been drinking craft beer as long as I have, sometimes its easy to get into a rut.

I also go through periods where this beer or that beer is my go to. I get too comfortable with the routine. Thats bad, because it can lead to boredom, and craft beer is not boring! Sometimes I even have to take a (short) break from beer. Thats when Ill turn to a Manhattan or a vodka tonic to reset my palate.

Dont get in a rut!

We are blessed. There are a staggering number of microbrews we can now get that are fresh. And local.

The American craft beer scene came on because we didnt have a variety of beer to choose from. A quarter century ago we all bought yellow, fizzy beer made by macrobreweries because we liked the label. Or we had a fetish for Clydesdale horses or clear mountain water. These are not bad beers by any standard. Put simply, though, the richest nation in the world was lacking choice.

Today, in addition to the macrolagers that are still with us, we have available to us a cornucopia of beer choices. Today is a virtual beer renaissance in this country. Do not take this for granted. One day, perhaps within a generation, we may have fewer choices again.

Those of us in the craft brewing business want to brew beer youll buy. We also want to make a profit on the beer we painstakingly create. The downside to this is clear, and it is already happening. Given enough time, craft brewers will predominantly make the most popular beers. On a tour of Founders Brewing Company, for example, I was startled to learn that 70 percent of all beer they brew today is All Day IPA, a session IPA. Others of us will succumb to an offer we cant refuse. Red Hook, Goose Island, Widmer Brothers, Kona, 10 Barrel and Elysian, among others, have already cashed their checks. In time, beer selection could be decided for us again.

This is not so much a prediction as a cautionary tale to not take what we have today for granted. This is a minor reason, though, to add variety to your beer sessions.

The real reason not to get into a beer rut is because youll be doing yourself a favor.

What you thought was a great beer last year is now meh for you. You curse the brewery that brewed it, knowing they changed the recipe. Perhaps more likely, though, you have been drinking the same style for a year. Guess what? Your taste buds are likely fatigued. Youre bored. Do you remember why you started drinking craft beer in the first place? Its because you were bored with the beer you were drinking then.

To combat taste bud apathy, I offer a few suggestions for injecting some new life into your craft beer experience.

Take a Couple of Days Off. Sometimes you just have to give your palate a rest. When was the last time you ordered a single malt? Or a glass of red wine? Is it heresy to suggest a glass of nonalcoholic root beer on the rocks? Recently, I had my first ever single malt mixed with vermouth and bitters. Heresy? I liked it and was mind-blown. Did I ask someone if I was supposed to? Nope. A couple of days off is all it takes for everything to taste fabulous again. Remember the first time you watched