The 30th annual Great American Beer Festival is under way in Denver and there are plenty of Ohio breweries pouring their beer at the prestigious event. The following breweries are representing the state: Boston Beer Co., The Brew Kettle, Columbus Brewing, Elevator Brewing, Fat Head's, Gordon Biersch, Great Lakes Brewing, Hoppin' Frog, Jackie O's, Ohio Brewing, Rivertown Brewing, Rock Bottom, Thirsty Dog, Weasel Boy and Willoughby Brewing. BJ's Restaurants and Granite City -- which both have restaurants in the state but don't brew in Ohio -- also are there. Obviously, Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors, which both operate breweries in Ohio, are at the event. Overall, 2,400 beers are available. Organizers will announce the medal winners Saturday afternoon. For more details, click here.

Indigo Imp Brewery, a production brewery in Cleveland, will release Firebrand, a Belgian-style India pale ale, exclusively at the Heinen's grocery chain during Cleveland Beer Week. The beer will be available in a four-pack and retail for $8.99. Firebrand, made with Cascade hops, has a "plum flavor -- and that's from the Belgian yeast -- and good bitterness," owner and brewer Matt Chappel said. "And the bitterness grows in the aftertaste. It makes you want to take another sip and that's what I like about it." It's 7.2 percent alcohol. The beer previously has been released as part of a special sampler pack. Chappel expects it to become a regular in the future, though. In other Indigo Imp news, the brewery is working on offering growlers at its brewery this fall. A specific date hasn't been set yet. Indigo Imp has a beer engine and plans to tap a different cask-conditioned beer each week for people to tote home in a growler. "It's a neat way for people to try our beers," Chappel said. Indigo Imp is one of the most unusual breweries in Ohio because it uses open fermentation and all its beers are bottle-conditioned.

The old saying is that when the economy tanks, people drown their sorrows with alcohol. That apparently hasn't escaped the attention of state and local governments. The New York Times has a story today about how 12 states have either raised its alcohol tax or changed its laws to boost revenue from alcohol sales since 2008. "These are kind of antitax times, so it's tough to raise any kind of tax, but this is one they might have more success with," Mark Stehr, an associate professor of economics at Drexel University in Philadelphia, told the newspaper. To read the entire story, click here.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. announced today that its Christmas Ale -- which beer drinkers go bonkers over every year and is the brand that launched the Christmas beer phenomenon in Ohio -- will be available on tap at its brewpub only starting at 4 p.m. Oct. 25. Great Lakes spokeswoman Lauren Boveington says the beer is usually available early at the brewpub. Christmas Ale will be sold by the glass only. No growlers or six-packs will be available until Oct. 31 -- the traditional release date. The brewery also is holding a contest to sample the first pour of the 2011 batch. People can email a favorite Christmas Ale photo or memory to laurenb@greatlakesbrewing.com by Oct. 17. A winner will be notified with full instructions by email by Oct. 21.

Willoughby Brewing Co. in Willoughby picked up a mention in Cleveland Magazine's Best of Cleveland 2011 edition. Not for its beer, which is worthy, but for its beer soup. "With the consistency of a chowder that's nearly a fondue flecked with bacon shards and wisps of onion, garlic and sweet peppers, the Willoughby Brewing Co.'s potato cheddar ale soup makes a temporary detour from your diet totally worthwhile," the magazine says. "Potatoes and cheddar belong together, but they do something magical when combined with the brewery's Rusty Rail Pale Ale." To read the Best of Cleveland 2011 winners, click here.

BJ's Restaurants -- which operates 110 restaurants nationwide -- plans to open a new BJ's in Dublin. It will be the third BJ's in Ohio. The company, which supplies its BJ's brand beer to the restaurants, already has sites in Columbus and Cincinnati. In a news release issued last week about a Florida opening, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jerry Deitchle said: "Additionally, we anticipate opening two new restaurants before the end of September in Dublin, Ohio, and Brentwood, Calif. As such, we remain on track to open as many as 12 to 13 new restaurants during 2011, and we have a solid pipeline of locations in place for potential 2012 openings."

With the much-anticipated arrival of Yuengling in Ohio next week, Fishers Foods will hold a Yuengling beer tasting from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 8 at four of its stores in the Canton area. The stores are located at 8100 Cleveland Ave.; 44th & Cleveland Avenue; Fulton Drive and Frank Road; and 4401 W. Tuscarawas St. Yuengling, Yuengling Light and Black & Tan will be available at all seven Fishers Foods stores beginning Monday (Oct. 3).

The Akron Beacon Journal today published its "Beacon's Best" awards for 2011. Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron was selected by readers as the top "Local brewery/Craft beer." The rest of the top five, in order, were: Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland, Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron, Ohio Brewing Co. in Akron and Portage Lakes Brewing Co. (a beer store in the Portage Lakes). Readers cast nearly 155,000 votes across nine major categories and 127 subcategories. If you're interested in checking out the rest of the awards -- which include Best Bartender, Best Happy Hour, Best Neighborhood Bar and Best Sports Bar --click here.

Draft beer is coming to the Buehler’s Fresh Foods store at 275 Forest Meadows Drive in Medina. The grocer will hold a soft opening for its latest "Big Beer Exchange" -- where people can purchase half-gallon growlers to go -- on Wednesday and Thursday, and then officially start pouring beer Friday. The beer station will be located in the beer department and will feature eight taps of both craft and specialty brews. The grocer expects to offer beer from such local breweries as Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron, Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland and The Brew Kettle in Strongsville. The selection will constantly change. Buehler’s also has expanded its craft beer selection at the store and now offers more than 400 beers. This includes an assortment of single bottles that customers can mix and match to build their own six-pack. The Big Beer Exchange is the second for the Wooster-based grocery chain. The first opened in May at the Brunswick store and it "has seen a tremendous response," the company said.

Portsmouth Brewing Co. along the Ohio River in Portsmouth is the latest brewpub in Ohio to get into the bottling game. The brewery, also known as Mault's Brewpub, is gearing up to bottle its beer. "It's very true," a woman answering the phone told me. I've held off posting the news for a little bit hoping that the owner or someone there would call me back with all the details to share. Alas, I've been waiting for awhile. And due to past experience -- the owner and brewer never returned calls while I was researching the book Ohio Breweries and didn't bother to show up during my visit there -- I decided just to go ahead and post the tidbit. If anyone knows more, please feel free to share.

More than 1,500 Anheuser-Busch In-Bev employees across the United States, including Ohio, won't be at work today (Sept. 23). Instead, they'll be visiting bars, restaurants and grocery stores to promote the use of designated drivers as part of "Global Be(er) Responsible Day." Kevin Lee, general manager of the Anheuser-Busch Columbus brewery, and Columbus brewmaster Jason McKibben, along with distributor Columbus Distributing Co., are participating. "We put a lot of effort into making the highest quality beers, and we want to ensure our products are enjoyed responsibly," Lee said in a prepared statement. "Our employees understand that we all have an important role to play in promoting alcohol responsibility because no one benefits from the misuse of our products."

Robert Massie, the beer blogger behind Bobby Likes Beer and a guy who does his homework and digs for beer news, reports today that respected brewer Three Floyds Brewing Co. from Munster, Ind., is re-entering the Ohio market on a limited basis. To read his full report, click here.

Cleveland Beer Week -- a giant celebration of beer -- is right around the corner. The event, which runs Oct. 14-22, features hundreds of tastings, dinners, demonstrations, educational programs and specials at bars, restaurants and groceries throughout Northeast Ohio. Quite frankly, there are too many to list here but some of the highlights include:

 -- Grains vs. Grapes: The Ultimate Matchup is the official opening ceremony and will feature Garett Oliver from Brooklyn Brewery and Marianne Franz of the American Wine School. The event is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Crowne Plaza. Tickets are $75 a person.

A big worldwide brewer owner is getting even bigger. SABMiller has agreed to buy Foster's in Australia for $10.2 billion. It's the largest takeover since InBev bought Anheuser-Busch Cos. for $52 billion. "The deal makes stategic and financial sense for SAB," Barclays Capital analyst Simon Hales told the Bloomberg news service. "It'll be taken well even though the headline offer price is slightly more than we would have hoped." To read Bloomberg stories about the acquistion, click here and here.

Every day, Yahoo! sends me an update about the most interesting and quirky searches through its website. Not surprisingly, Yahoo! queries for "Oktoberfest" are up 5,822 percent this month. Oktoberfest runs from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3. Searches for "beer pong," "sausage recipes," "potato pancakes" and "In what year was the first Oktoberfest celebrated?" also are popular this month.

Vintage Estate Wine and Beer in Boardman is holding its second annual Blind Pumpkin Beer Taste from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 8. It's one of the most unusual beer tastings and competitions around. People taste at least 12 different pumpkin beers and rate them on a variety of factors to determine their favorite. The beer with the highest score is declared the winner. Sounds simple enough. Ahh, but there is a twist. Vintage Estate doesn't identify the beers before you taste them. In fact, the participants don't even know which brands are being tasted. Ergo, the "blind" part of the tasting. All is revealed at the end. "We decided to do it because of the growing popularity and availability of pumpkin beer," said Phill Reda, owner of Vintage Estate. "It's just a fun event." Last year, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale won. The brewer was later invited to an event at Vintage Estate and presented a certificate for winning the competition. The cost is $21 and all participants get a rating sheet and tasting glass. The event is limited to about 70 people and Reda expects it to sell out just like it did last year. In case you miss the pumpkin tasting, Vintage Estate does a similar event with Christmas beers. For more details, click here.

Chardon BrewWorks, a brewpub in Chardon in Geauga County, will hold an Oktoberfest celebration Friday through Sunday (Sep. 23-25). The event will feature German-style beer, including Kolonel Klink Kolsch and Matzenweizen Dunkelweizen; German food such as sauerbraten and weinerschnitzel; and polka music. A keg tapping ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Friday and people are encouraged to bring their own beer steins for a beer stein contest at 8 p.m. Friday. For more details, including the hours, click here.

The Beer and Wine Cave in Toledo will hold a beer and wine tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 21 and 22). Great Black Swamp Brewing Co. in Toledo will be featured and will unveil its Imperial Red. Brewers and co-owners Paul Traver and Bob Morris will be on hand to chat with folks. The cost of the beer tasting is $12 and includes a pint glass. The wine tasting is $15. I also will be there Wednesday signing copies of the Ohio Breweries book and answering any questions beer drinkers have about the Ohio beer industry.

The Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service in Akron will hold its second annual "Joyful Tastes of Life" featuring craft beer, wine and food sampling from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 13 at Todaro's Party Center. Heidelberg Distributing Co., Superior Beverage Group, Ohio Brewing Co. and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. are participating. Presented by the Akron General Development Foundation, the event raises funds for end-of-life patient care and supportive services at Hospice of VNS. The fundraiser will feature a wine and craft beer tasting, as well as sampling of seasonal foods from some of the area’s top chefs and restaurants. For more details, click here.

Two local beer makers are battling over the rights to resurrect Fort Pitt Beer, the post-World War II king of Pittsburgh beers, the Associated Press reports. Jones Brewing Co. of Smithton, which has brewed Fort Pitt in the past, is vying over the rights to the latest iteration of the beer with Duke Brewing's Mark Dudash, the Upper St. Clair attorney who resurrected Duquesne beer last year. Jones Brewing, which makes beers under the Stoney's label, has received federal and state approval for a label for Fort Pitt. But Dudash said Jones let the trademark for Fort Pitt lapse and that he acquired the rights to the brand when he registered the Fort Pitt trademark in 2009. To read the full story, click here.

The 13th annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival, which starts today (Sept. 16) at Lake Snowden in Albany in southeastern Ohio, will feature plenty of pawpaw beers this year. If you're not familiar with the pawpaw, it's a fruit native to southern Ohio that has a tropical flavor. The following Ohio breweries will be there with pawpaw beers: Marietta, Pawpaw Wheat; Weasel Boy, Weasel Paw Pawpaw Pale Ale; Jackie O's, South Paw; and Black Box, Cookie Duster. Buckeye Brewing also is participating but the festival website doesn't mention the specific beer it's bringing. The Pawpaw Festival includes music, food, contests and art. Tickets are $6. Kids under 12 are admitted free.

Main Street Grille and Brewing Co., a small brewpub in Garrettsville in Portage County, has a new brewer. Joe Kearns, 30, of Tallmadge took over at the end of August and has been busy putting his stamp on the beer. His first two beers -- an oatmeal stout and wheat -- likely will hit taps next Friday. (Sept. 23) "It's awesome," Kearns said about his experience so far. "I can pretty much do whatever I want. It's basically homebrewing that I get to share with the fine people of Garrettsville and the surrounding community." Kearns, who once worked as a paramedic and studied as a nurse, trained under Fred Karm, the owner and respected brewer at Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron. When asked about his brewing style, Kearns replied: "I learned professional brewing from Fred and you know Fred, he likes to brew big beers." Of course, with eight taps, Kearns knows he can't provide only big beers. Flagship beers such as Garrett's Gold, Main Street Joe and River Rat Ale will remain on the beer menu, he said. He plans to always have a stout and India pale ale available. And then he will experiment. "(Owners Pete and Peggy Kepich) have given me creative freedom," Kearns said. "For me, the sky's the limit." His main goal, he said, is to improve the quality of the beers and boost Main Street's reputation. One of his other goals, he added, is to bring back the Frozen Falls Beer Festival.

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon plans to open a separate production brewery in the Cleveland area to start bottling and distributing its beer statewide next year. "We'll do the whole state of Ohio right of out of the gate," co-owner and brewer Matt Cole said. The brewery will have the ability to produce 10,000 barrels a year. Not that they will make that much initially, but that's the capacity and it leaves room for expansion. "Once we start establishing ourselves and get a feel for the market, we will reach out to eastern Pennsylvania and New York and the southern part of Michigan and slowly take on more territory," Cole said.

Fat Head's will bottle its Head Hunter IPA, Bumbleberry and others, and has plans for plenty of seasonals. "People are going to expect us to have a wide portfolio," Cole said.

Cincinnati artist Jim Effler will join the festivities at the Mt. Adams Oktoberfest by unveiling and signing of a commemorative poster for the Hudepohl 14K Brewery Run. After a 10-year hiatus, the Hudepohl 14K Brewery Run returns at 8 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 17) to kick off Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. The event includes a 14K run, 7K run, two tethered runs (runners tethered together for the entire distance) and the WEBN Bier Laufen –- a soapbox derby race. Effler, known for creating Bockfest art and Christian Moerlein beer labels, was commissioned by Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. to create the run's commemorative poster. The posters will be offered for sale at the Mt. Adams Oktoberfest for $10 each and Effler will sign posters beginning at 7 p.m. The Mt. Adams Oktoberfest runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on Pavilion Street. For more details, click here.

The Beverage Information Group, which recently released its 2011 Beer Handbook, says the "future of the beer industry does not look promising." For four consecutive years, the overall industry has shrunk. But there is some good news for craft brewers and imports, which both experienced growth last year. Despite the struggling economy, the higher-priced craft segment continued to post solid gains, the group said. Meanwhile, imports, which previously have been experiencing declines, gained 0.9 percent last year, but that is 11.1 percent lower than its pre-recessionary levels. "The super premium, craft/specialty, and flavored malt beverage category has benefited from the craft sector's growth," Beverage Information Group Manager of Information Services Eric Schmidt said in a prepared statement. "Consumers are gravitating toward premium products with exciting and new flavors -- something the craft segment has done well in providing." The growth in super premium, craft/specialty and flavored malt beverage segment is predicted to show positive growth in the next five years, but won't offset the losses in the remaining domestic segments, the group said.

One night while emailing a professional web video telling the story of Sun King Brewery to every beer blogger and beer website he could think of, Cantaloupe.tv founder Jon DiGregory realized there had to be a better way to get the video seen. What if, he thought, beer drinkers sought out the video instead of him seeking out the audience? That was the beginning of Brewmerica.tv -- an online video magazine launched earlier this year and dedicated to sharing stories behind craft breweries. "People are passionate about beer and we're looking to capitalize on that and keep delivering stories that they can't get enough of," said DiGregory, whose five-year-old web video production company is based in Indianapolis. The videos obviously are good publicity for the breweries, but they are not commercials. Brewmerica, which doesn't charge breweries, wants to tell interesting stories, he said. Producer and videographer Zach Shields is traveling the United States filming episodes. A new one is posted each month. One of the first breweries featured is Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster. Shields captured the sheer beauty of Rockmill, which produces Belgian-style ales on a former horse farm. "The big thing is we're trying to do stories that are on the art and craft of making beer and how it relates to everyday life," Shields said. "We're trying to do stories that are under the radar. It's mostly about the story behind the beer and not how popular and big they are." Other breweries featured so far are Sun King in Indianapolis and 5 Rabbit Cerveceria in Chicago. To check out the Brewmerica website and videos, click here.

If you're dying to take a little Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA home in a bottle, you better act fast. Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in North Olmsted bottled about 30 cases of its award-winning beer this week after not having it available in bottles this summer. The brewpub didn't have enough to bottle while also feeding its draft customers at the restaurant and numerous summer beer festivals. General Manager Ted Lipovan said about two-thirds of the bottled beer was sold by Monday night. "I expect them to be sold out by the end of business today (Tuesday)," he said. "People like taking the bottles home. They've been denied for the summer so I figure they will go really quick." The cost is $8.99 for a four-pack. Head Hunter has a stellar reputation. The beer won an honorable mention this year at the 14th annual IPA Festival in California. The beer's other honors include a silver medal at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival, first place in the National IPA Challenge in 2010, and gold medal at the West Coast IPA Festival in 2009. The beer also has been named one of the top 25 beers in the world by Draft Magazine.

The three-day Oktoberfest Zinzinnati starts at noon Friday with a special "sneak peek" at Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati. The event -- considered the largest Oktoberfest in the country -- officially kicks off at 11:30 a.m. Saturday with the opening ceremony and keg tapping. It runs from 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Organizers estimate that the festival will attract about 500,000 people to downtown. They also say that more than 800 barrels of beer are consumed each year at Oktoberfest. Ohio brewers Anheuser-Busch InBev, Christian Moerlein, Great Lakes, MillerCoors, Rivertown and Samuel Adams will be represented. For more details, including a rundown of all the events, click here for the official website. You also can read a story from the Hamilton Journal News by clicking here.

Yuengling fans in Northeast and Central Ohio can start celebrating with their favorite beer next month. Those living in the Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo markets will have to wait a little bit longer, though.

D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. — which announced earlier this year that it would bring its coveted beer to Ohio — will release Traditional Lager, Light Lager and Original Black & Tan in the Akron, Cleveland, Columbus and Youngstown areas beginning Oct. 3. The remainder of the state will see the beer in November.

The first International Beer Fest earlier this year in Cleveland went over so well that organizers vowed to bring it back in 2012. The dates are now set so mark your calendars. The second annual International Beer Fest will be held May 11-12 at the I-X Center. This year's event featured more than 200 breweries and about 800 individual beers from around the world. The festival and beer competition attracted 8,567 visitors to three tasting sessions Friday and Saturday. For more details about the event, click here.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Columbus will tap its FestBier at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 15). The brewpub describes the beer as a "keller-style beer that is amber in color with a slightly sweet toasted maltiness." FestBier won a third place medal in the German Light Lager category at the recent Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest. The brewpub also is rolling out a limited-time only menu featuring German food. People also can participate in the "It Pays to Play" sweepstakes, with the grand prize being a trip to the 2012 Oktoberfest Festival in Munich.

Americans are no longer flocking to several big-name national beers -- as some of the country's most recognizable brands have seen sales plummet over the last five years, according to 24/7 Wall St., a financial news corporation and opinion website. 24/7 Wall St. analyzed sales of 23 best-selling brands using two databases from SymphonyIRI Group and Beer Marketer's Insights. It found that eight brands lost more than 30 percent of their sales in the last several years. Topping the list was Michelob, which saw sales drop 72 percent between 2006 and 2010. Michelob Light was second worst. The rest, in order, were: Bud Select, Milwaukee's Best, Old Milwaukee, Miller Genuine Draft, Milwaukee's Best Light and Budweiser. All those brands are made by either Anheuser-Busch InBev or MillerCoors, which both operate large breweries in Ohio. 24/7 Wall St. blames the fall on Americans moving to low-calorie beers, imports and craft beers. To read the full story, including the statistical breakdowns, click here.

The Cincinnati Beer Fest is today through Sunday at Fountain Square in downtown. More than 150 beers will be available. There is no admission. Three-ounce tastings are $1 or $2 depending on the beer. Local brewers Christian Moerlein, Rivertown, Mt. Carmel and Samuel Adams will be represented. The event -- which includes live music and food -- runs from 5 to 10 p.m. today, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more details, including a full list of the beers, click here.

The inaugural Canal Park Beer Fest set for Oct. 1 in Akron has been canceled. The Akron Aeros announced the move today. The event was scheduled to take place at Canal Park, the baseball stadium where the Aeros play. “We apologize for the inconvenience to our fans and those looking forward to this inaugural Canal Park Beer Fest event," Aeros Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Pfander said in a prepared statement. "Due to some scheduling conflicts and other unforeseen circumstances, we have decided to cancel our plans for Saturday, Oct. 1. Even though this event is not coming to fruition, we look forward to providing our fans the very best in entertainment and fun at Canal Park in 2012." Anyone who purchased tickets in advance may return them by mail or in person at the Canal Park box office to receive a full refund.

The Milan Museum will celebrate the town's brewing heritage with its third annual Brew-Haha beer tasting Sept. 17. The brewery sponsors include Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Columbus and Put-in-Bay Brewing Co. There also will be a variety of other craft beers available and food provided by Angry Bull Steak House. Milan -- located west of Cleveland and south of Sandusky -- is best known as the birthplace of Thomas Edison, but the community also has a strong brewing past. It was home to the Joseph Herb Brewing Co. and then the Milan Brewing Co., which produced Milan Pure Beer from the 1850s and until Prohibition killed the brewery. The company converted to a mushroom plant and the building now houses the Growers Chemical Corp. The event is from 2 to 5 p.m. on the Milan Museum lawn. Tickets are $10 for non-museum members and included tokens for four tastings, a five-ounce souvenir glass and food. Additional beer tokens can be purchased for $2. People also can receive unlimited refills with the purchase of a $20 Milan Brewing mug. Raffle tickets will be sold throughout the day for limited edition reproductions of Milan Brewing memorabilia and merchandise. For more details, click here.

The Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Association is disputing an Ohio Department of Health report that claimed people are still going out to bars despite the state's smoking ban. The report also stated that heart attacks are down because of the ban. In a news release issued Thursday, the group says the state agency put out misinformation. Only 0.7 percent of non-smokers said they are going out to bars more often since the ban went into effect, while 39.5 percent said they are going out less often. "This data supports the claims bar owners have been making since day one," the release says. "Many lost smoking customers, never saw the influx of new non-smoking customers as promised, while 39.8% of the non smokers who do frequent bars go less often." The association makes no mention of the impact that the economy has had on bar visits, though. To read the entire news release, click here.

Robert Massie, who runs the entertaining and educational blog Bobby Likes Beer, reports that Southern Tier Brewing Co. in Lakewood, N.Y., has made an exclusive beer for the fast-approaching Cleveland Beer Week. It's an American pale ale called I-90 Pale Ale. To read his report, click here.

Blue Moon Brewing Co., a division of MillerCoors, is creating a limited-edition beer to release on Aug. 31, 2012 -- the date of the next "blue moon." The company is asking beer drinkers to offer their suggestions about styles, ingredients, packaging, designs and names via the Blue Moon Facebook page. The brewery will make three new beers as part of its "Craft the Next Blue Moon" program, and fans will be able to sample the contenders and vote on a favorite at tasting events across the country. The winning beer will be announced in March 2012 and available in the Blue Moon Fall Brewmaster Sampler Packs released Aug. 31, 2012. “We love hearing from our fans and we value their input,” Blue Moon brewmaster Keith Villa said in a prepared statement. “So I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a blue moon than with a new beer inspired by Blue Moon drinkers. I like to think of this as the world’s largest collaboration brew.”

Every so often, I receive questions about beer. My job as a newspaper reporter helps me get access to folks in the beer industry a little easier than the general public so I can get answers easier -- sometimes. If you have a burning question, I'm more than happy to track down an answer. Just drop me an email at rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Now here are a couple of recent questions:

Q: Which parts of the state are getting Yuengling first?

The 30th annual Great American Beer Festival kicks off Sept. 29 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It's considered the premier beer festival and competition in the United States. The three-day event will feature 2,400 different U.S. beers from 465 breweries, including many from Ohio. Five Ohio breweries won medals at the prestigious event last year: Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron, Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in North Olmsted, Weasel Boy Brewing Co. in Zanesville, The Brew Kettle in Strongsville and Columbus Brewing Co. in Columbus. The entire event is sold out. I am trying to line up some Ohio brewers and attendees to provide live updates from the festival. If you're interested, send me an email at rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. For more details about the Great American Beer Festival, click here.

The sixth annual Columbus Microbrew Festival will be held Sept. 16 and 17 at the North Market. The event features many Columbus-area breweries, including Barley’s Brewing Co., Barley’s Smokehouse & Brewpub, Columbus Brewing Co., Elevator Brewing Co., Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Hoster Brewing Co., Neil House Brewery and Weasel Boy Brewing Co. Tickets -- available online and at the North Market -- are $20 and include a pint glass, 10 tasting tickets and a $5 North Market food certificate. Additional tasting tickets are 50 cents. The festival runs from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 16 and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 17. For more details, click here or call 614-463-9664.

The Brew Kettle in Strongsville continued its recent string of strong showings in beer competitions this weekend at the Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest. The brewery took home the "best of show" first-place award for its Smoked Maerzen in the festival's microbrew competition. The other best of show winners were Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier, second, and Goose Island Summertime Ale, third. Other winners included Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland, Thirsty Dog Brewing in Akron, Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in North Olmsted, Black Box Brewing in Westlake, Ohio Brewing in Akron and Cellar Rats Brewery in Madison. The breakdown by category and beer can be found by clicking here. There were 53 overall entries in the microbrew competition, more than twice as many as the previous year, according to the festival website. The Oktoberfest continues today and Monday. Click here for more details.

Willoughby Brewing Co. director of brewing operations and beer Cicerone Rick Seibt, and award-winning homebrewer and certified beer judge Paul Shick are teaming up to put on a "Beer Sensory Evaluation Class" at the brewpub in Willoughby. The class -- from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 17 -- will focus on detecting problems in beer. "Style guidelines help the brewer understand what the resulting beer style should look, taste and smell like," Seibt said in an email. "But it's sensory evaluation that allows him or her to assess whether the resulting beer achieved those profiles and also whether unwanted flavors resulting from the brewing and fermentation techniques can be found." He recommends that beer bloggers, in particular, hone that skill. "They have a passion for great beer, and this class will help them identify potentially problematic beers, expand their brewing knowledge and increase their ability to assess beers," he added. The cost is $20 and the class size is limited to 50 people. For more details or to sign up, click here.

Cellar Rats Brewery in Madison has built a new brewhouse and will start distributing its Rat Tail Ale in bottles in September. For years, brewers used a small 3-barrel system in the basement of the main winery building and the beer was available only on draft. (Yes, winery building. Cellar Rats and Debonne Vineyards are the only estate winery-brewery in Ohio and one of the few in the country.)

Cellar Rats has purchased a 15-barrel Premier Stainless system (see photo below), 30-barrel fermenters and a small bottling line to expand its operation. The brewing capacity has jumped from 180 gallons a day to 900 gallons a day, said Joel Sandrey, director of sales and marketing for the brewery and winery.