Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery | Dark Apparition Vanilla & Coffee Bean

Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 10.5%

Spring has practically arrived and with warm weather comes spring and summer beers. Darker beers tend to fade out to make way for … Read More

Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Alberta Clipper Porter

ABV: 7.5% | IBU: 40

Cleveland winters are some of the most enduringly cold, heavily blanketed, and wildly unpredictable in the Midwest. As Lake Erie freezes, city streets are caked … Read More

Blank Slate Brewing Co. | Opera Cream Stout

ABV: 5.5%

A new year means new resolutions! For most people, it’s to eat better, drink less, etc. etc. I say this is the year to try more beer … Read More

Portside Distillery | Rusalka Vanilla Stout

ABV 5.3%

This past week was insane. A flurry of activity at work, the mad rush to stores to get my last minute Christmas shopping in and fretting over … Read More

Seventh Son Brewing Company | Oubliette

Long known for its proximity to a number of great craft breweries, Columbus, Ohio has become a popular destination for beer drinkers to indulge in fresh/unique beer styles and … Read More

Literary Beer Collection | Halloween Edition

I am excited to bring you a second edition of the Literary Beers series. Can we call it a series now that there is more than one? Meh, who is counting… I lost count long ago.

This edition of Literary Beers will focus on stories/brews that are centered around Halloween.  I have scoured retail shelves and library catalogs to find you the most intriguing and haunting of literary brewing collaborations. So, light a candle and grab a pumpkin ale because this is about to get real!

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Listermann Brewing Co. | Shamrock Shake

ABV: 5.5% | IBU 20

“Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!” is how Listermann Brewing Co.’s Irish Cream Stout, Shamrock Shake, greets its lucky consumers. A magical brew that’s … Read More

Event Recap | Great Lakes Burning River Fest 2015

Co-authored by Kevin Risner

John’s Recap of Friday, August 28

As I made my way past the sand volleyball pits on Whiskey Island, forged up and down the hills of Wendy Park through clouds of gnats and approaching the Old Coast Guard Station, I could feel a different air to 2015’s version of Burning River Fest. The station’s main tower rises above the line of trees, bearing the projected logo of the festival. A clear evening and setting sun over the lake set the perfect environment for an intimate affair, as droves of locals made their way to partake in local food, enjoy the live music of Brian Johnson, Gretchen Pleuss, The Portersharks (among other acts) and to taste the debut of Great Lake’s newest brew, Steady Rollin’.

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Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. | Coffee Brown Ale

ABV: 6.0% | IBU: 38

If you have been as busy as I have been, going from meeting to meeting, email after email, and working past 5 most days, you need … Read More

The Brew Kettle | All for One Session IPA

ABV: 4.75% | IBU: 35

Over the decades, Cleveland sports has had many moments that have been hard to swallow. Despite Cleveland being one of the more pained sports cities, moments of intense optimism do pop up from time to time bringing a refreshing tint to the hues of cynicism. For example, there’s always the start of baseball season and the chants of “It’ll be this year!” Along with that, there’s annually a nice brew to go with that. Turning to basketball though, the return of LeBron James and the acquisition of many other stellar players has allowed my Cleveland Cavaliers to fare quite well in the second half of this year’s NBA season. Hope is blossoming again, albeit with the normal hint of caution. Still, The Brew Kettle, a local brewery in the Cleveland area, has begun distributing its All for One Session IPA to continue stoking the flames of the playoff push that is now imminent. Excitement has definitely returned to the CLE!  Read More