Findlay Brewing Company

A surprisingly nice taproom filled to almost capacity on a Saturday night. A lot of these smaller town breweries can be pretty rough. This spot was above average. Beer was decent, nothing mind blowing, but solid stuff. I'd love to have a place like this if I lived close by.

 

 

 

 

I finally made it to FBC. I used to hang out a lot in Findlay but moved further away. The place is only open from 5-10pm on Fridays, so it is hard to get there living an hour away now. I arrived around 5:30pm, and the tiny space was about full. There is patio seating with about four tables. Inside was a bar with four stools and a couple tables and an elevated area with two lounge chairs.

I ordered a sampler which consisted of all six of the beers on tap. The beers were average. The molasses porter was the one I wanted to try, but it wasn't what I had hoped it would be. One fortuitous event was that a keg blew while there, and I got to try the new beer on tap raising my total to seven samples.

The place was quaint, but the beer was lacking for my palate. I would go back another time to try it out, and I am glad I had the opportunity to try their beer.

ONLY OPEN ON FRIDAY FROM 5-10pm

+ Very friendly owners willing to talk about their process, $4 pints, colorful friendly clientele, smoking patio outside
- Limited times, limited availability with growlers, small inside area

I visited the brewery last Friday to sample their offerings. The beers are all $4 during the time they are open on Friday. It is the only time to get the beer, they do pints and growlers, though growlers are subject to availability of beer. They had 5 or 6 taps that rotate based on what was brewed that week. The inside is small, but there is also a patio for smoking and socializing. I met multiple friendly colorful people outside, there was food available from a local place outside using a smoker. It was a fun environment and the beers were good. Nothing out of this world, but the owners were very friendly and willing to share about their experience. Overall I had a great time and hope to go back when I happen to have another Friday available to make it up that way.

I live in Findlay and have visited several times. This review is based on those accounts.

A: The atmosphere is outstanding for the location and size of the venue. Nearly all of the brewers/owners are on hand and provide excellent conversation. The venue can get tight, as there is only roughly 3-4 tables, a bar that seats ~6 and a couple other chairs scattered about. If you visit by yourself, strike up a conversation with one of the employee's/owners, you won't be disappointed.

Q: This is a nano-brewery and as such, the tap list is hit or miss at times. Generally, they have 3-5 beers on tap. They also sell growlers to go, which was surprising for such a small and new brewery.

S: Service is outstanding. I bet you'll barley make it in the door before being greeted and asked what beer you would like to try tonight. The bartender's (aka owners/brewers) know beer very well and will recommend you a beer if you don't know what you would like. They also hand out a small bowl of a type of bar/chex mix, which i thought was a nice touch.

S: Selection is above average for the venue. As mentioned earlier, they are a nano-brewery and selection can vary depending on production and the requirement to fulfill other local orders first. However, as mentioned, generally 3-5 beers on tap at any given time. They sell tasters, pints and growlers. I should also mention, they are currently only open from 5-10pm on Fridays.

F: Food is not available. However, it is worth mentioning they do serve (free of charge) a small bowl of bar/chex mix. I've never seen anyone bring food it, nor have I asked if that was acceptable. There are a handful of restaurants in the downtown area, a brisk walk from the brewery, but still within walking distance.

V: Value is outstanding. Everything is priced well below what other locations are serving beer for. I don't recall the exact prices, but I do recall telling the bartender/owner to include my girlfriends beer on my bill. I thought it was low, to which he responded that it was already included on by bill.

O: Overall, this is a great little place to stop in on Friday night, grab a pint and talk craftbeer and homebrewing.

I like what this place is trying to become. The brewers/owners are fantastic people, work hard, love beer and make great beer. The beers that I have had, are spot on and with some minor refining, will be outstanding. They buy grain local and sell to local restaurants. As long as they don't loose sight of that and try to become too big, too fast, I think they can easily become a great craft brewer of Ohio. (akin to a Columbus Brewing, Elevator Brewing, Brew Kettle, Fat Heads, etc)

Findlay Brewing Company recently opened its doors, and has several quality beers right out of the gate. American Bitter might be their flagship, it’s the first one they made available to the public, even before they opened their doors. They also offer a Floodwater Stout, an IPA/DIPA(9.2% no matter what they call it) and a Molasses Porter. For a brand new brewery, I was very impressed with their first efforts. None of the beers deviate from their intended style, with the porter being the biggest surprise, as I’m not normally a fan and it was very enjoyable. I noticed they had several other styles listed as upcoming, so we’ll see how that plays out.
The place itself is very small, and they have limited hours only on the weekends. At their grand opening, they had a taco truck next to the place, which would be a nice option to have on an ongoing basis. The vibe inside is pleasant, noting that they’ve been rather busy both times I’ve stopped in. (Fun fact, I used to work in the exact same building years ago when it was a comic shop.) They sell 4oz samples, pints, and growlers, as well as shirts and other swag, and they do accept cash or plastic. Easy to find, right on Main Street in downtown Findlay, plenty of easy and free parking, I suggest stopping in if in the area.
I confess I can’t be unbiased, as I’ve eagerly awaited a local brewery to open, but I’d give these guys a solid B+/A- for their first month in business.