I'm going to be making a drive out to Columbus, OH in a couple weeks and I was wondering if anyone has made a similar trip or would have any tips on some potential breweries I could hit up on the way there. I'll probably be driving the 10+hours or so in one day, so I know my options might be limited (especially since the exact day of the week is TBD). Suggestions for stops on the way as far as breweries or even shops with good distribution, etc. Some specific brews to look out for to try / pick up for trades would also be greatly appreciated.
Take a short detour and stop in Wooster for JAFB. It's the best under the radar brewery in Ohio, but check their hours. Hoppin Frog's tasting room and Thirsty Dog in Akron are worthy stops. Also, there is a Lizardville in Copley that should have a great selection of beer to go.
Fat Head's for Head Hunter, Sunshine Daydream, and Trailhead. Occasionally they have IBUsive on draft, which is freakin fantastic, if you like Hoppy, Fat Head's absolutely, otherwise you can't go wrong with a bit of Rajah at TBK. Once you're in Columbus, Bodhi from Columbus Brewing Co.
Yea, and neither is Akron. Fat Heads is less than an hour from Thirsty Dog, and much better beer. (good food too) Look into Fat Heads and see if you can swing it.
If you're going across the PA turnpike, make sure to stop in Hershey at Troegs. Beautiful taproom and nice store, usually with a few specialty beers on tap and to go. There's outlets next door if you have someone else who needs to be entertained as well.
Ughh, sorry, I didn't plot his trip out on a map. I don't have that much time. Either way, you suggested Thirsty Dog to someone who comes from Lawson/Heady land. Seems like you are setting him up for failure. Maybe not though, who knows.
Thanks for the info, guys! Still planning the trip out so again, any other suggestions or information are appreciated.
So I've been planning the trip a little more, and I think I'll actually visit some places like Fat Head's, TBK, etc. during a day trip while I'm there. There's a lot to do and I'm attempting to narrow it down. As for the ride to OH, this is what I'm thinking. https://goo.gl/maps/nwXJI The last stop on there is the Lizardville in Copely, as I'm thinking I'd like to try and pick up some things at distributors in order to sample and further decide which breweries to go to. Thinking about stopping at that distributor in PA, and possibly making a detour to Voodoo or maybe Beaver depending on what I can get beforehand. Feedback and suggestions for PA brews or additional stops would be appreciated! Also kind of curious if anyone thinks I should skip the PA breweries and just hit the distributor; there is still a lot of good stuff I could miss in OH.
I dunno, maybe I'm just not as impressed with Heady and especially Lawson's, but Thirsty Dog is a neat brewpub and they have very good beer.
If you do go to Fat Head's, it may be worth it to go to the Middleburg Heights Tap House as opposed to the North Olmsted Brew Pub. They sell all the bottles to go from there and it is very close to Brew Kettle. Just keep their hours in mind as they open at 4 Wed through Friday and closed on Mon, Tues.
I forgot about this thread. Fair enough though. I forget that everyone has their thing. That is a great thing about this hooby, there is something for everyone! Good call on the OP going through Akron. I didn't map that crap out. I hope he finds the experience he is looking for wherever he ends up. Ian B. I say skip the PA breweries on your way through here and hit up Ohio. Nothing noteworthy here that isn't out of your way. If you ever make the trip again, take an extra day or 2 and head to Michigan!
