BrianMSTL

Land Grant Brewing Company Columbus, OH The first stop in Columbus was Land-Grant Brewing, which is located just across the river from downtown Columbus. Since it was a weekday, the crowds were light, so we grabbed a seat by the bar. After looking over the menu, we decided to split two flights to sample about 3/4th of the available beers. Of which my favorites had to be "Bae" and "Concentrate V.102". First off, Bae was an Imperial Porter that was brewed with chocolate, raspberry, and lactose to produce a sweet and fruity porter. Next up, Concentrate V.102, a New England IPA brewed with both traditional, and cryo-hops to create a wonderfully delicious and juicy beer. The atmosphere here was very relaxed, with a reasonably large inside and an even more massive outside patio with enough space for a food truck or two to squeeze in without being too cramped. I could easily see Land Grad being a perfect patio weather destination.

Hoof Hearted Brewery & Kitchen Columbus, OH My second brewery stop in Columbus was an obvious one, how could I resist visiting Hoof Hearted which had recently made their beers available in St.Louis. It was a no brainer to check out their taproom to enjoy some fresh, uniquely brewed beers. After a short Lyft ride from Land-Grant, we arrived at Hoof Hearted, again due to the time (Early afternoon 2-3pm) there taproom/restaurant wasn't overly packed, and that was a good thing as it still allowed us the opportunity to grab a seat at the bar and chat with the bartenders. Honestly, I am not sure where to start here, much like earlier, we went with two flights to try as much as possible, but it was nearly impossible to pick a favorite. However with that being said at the top of my list was "Don't Worry, My Mom Said It's Cool," which was an Imperial Birthday Cake Stout brewed with Astronaut Ice Cream, Cacao Nibs, & Vanilla; it was dessert in a glass (I even...

2nd Shift Brewing Company St.Louis, MO How have I not reviewed 2nd Shift Brewing yet, seriously its one of my favorite breweries in St.Louis, so I figured it's finally time for a review. 2nd Shift is a great brewery serving up a variety of beers. Much like every brewery, they do have their flagship beers, so quit your bitching about the same old beers. 2nd Shift isn't afraid to experiment either, often releasing varients or blends along with new creations. 2nd Shift also has some of the best friends in the brewery industry, which allows them to create some killer collaborations. Some that come to mind are recent collabs with Mikkeller Baghaven, Off Color, Mikerphone, and many more. The staff here is killer, many of the awesome bartenders have been serving since I first started visiting, so that speaks volumes.  The taproom has a large bar along with a large open area complete with board games and food from Guerilla Street Food. If you're lucky, you might make frien...

My Night in the Doghouse June 9th, 2019 - Columbus, OH (BrewDog Brewery/Hotel) Over the last weekend, I had an opportunity to venture outside of St.Louis and visit Columbus, OH. Now typically, Ohio isn't the top choice when it comes to craft beer vacations; however, you might want to take notice. Cincinnati has an active beer scene that could likely go up against many other, more recognizable cities. However, it was Columbus that caught my attention. After the UK based, BrewDog announced that they were opening their first location in the United States only a short six-hour drive from my home. The brewery must have been a hit because shortly after opening, they announced and built a hotel in the brewery. A little over eighteen months after the hotel first opened, I decided it was time to plan a trip, better late than never. I decided that an extended weekend was in order, so I booked a Thursday night in the BrewDog "Doghouse," aka their hotel leaving me with Fr...

Hairless Hare Brewery Dayton - Vandalia, OH On a recent trip to Columbus, OH, I needed to grab some lunch, but unfortunately, none of the breweries that served lunch were open around the time I was passing Dayton. I turned to Twitter and put out a call and was promptly provided with a recommendation to check out The Hairless Hare Brewery, which was just off the highway. Let me say that the Hairless Hare Brewery was a welcome stop, as I had been driving from St.Louis and needed a break. I arrived shortly after lunch and found a pretty good lunch crowd, but was still able to grab a seat at the bar. One of the first things you will notice is the unique mugs that line the wall, all of which belong to their Mug Club. These were some seriously unique looking mugs; later, I learned they were all created by a local artist. Since this was my first (and likely my only time visiting), I figured I would order a flight to sample several of their beers, and to be honest; it would have been ha...