The Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood has announced it will hold its sixth annual 420 Hopfest from April 19-22. Organizers promise that the four-day event will feature plenty of drafts, and cask conditioned beer served from the brewpub's two beer engines. A small sampling of the beers include: Founders Double Trouble, Bell's Hopslam, Brooklyn Blast, Avery Maharaja, Victory Hop Wallop, Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye, Heavy Seas Black Cannon and Epic Hopulent on nitro. The brewer from Boulder Beer Co. is planning to attend on April 19, and there will be a Sunday morning brunch featuring Dogfish Head on April 22. More details are expected to come later.

Columbus Alive! has named the Columbus Brewing Co. as the best brewery in the city as part of its Best of Columbus awards.

"CBC’s beers are well-crafted and easy to find," the paper wrote. "You can grab a fresh brew at the flagship restaurant and brewpub in the Brewery District, but the beers are readily available at most fine grocery stores, too."

Harvey Gold sees a significant food void on television.

Sure, there are plenty of wacky, offbeat shows.

I had a pretty lengthy and entertaining conversation Tuesday afternoon with Slouch Sixpack from the website Aleheads.com about the Ohio beer scene. That discussion is now available as a podcast and you can check it out by clicking here.

The Cincinnati Enquirer noted Tuesday that Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. has opened its tasting room and that Rivertown Brewing Co. will start opening for tours on weekends. Rivertown also is putting the finishing touches on its tasting room. To read the story, click here.

The brew-on-premise business concept -- where folks come to a brewery and make beer under the guidance of a professional brewer -- has long been relegated in Ohio only to the northeast portion of the state. The Brew Kettle in Strongsville was the place to go. Well, in many circles, it still is.

But Ohio is now seeing brew-on-premise operations opening elsewhere. There's Little Mountain Brewing Co. in Kirtland, and at least three others being developed: the Bottlehouse Brewery in Cleveland Heights, the Bryan Brewing Co. in Bryan (more on that in a separate post) and now BRU in Columbus.

By Duane D. Stanford

(Bloomberg) -- At a beer industry summit last month, Ed McBrien, distribution chief for MillerCoors, compared himself to a typewriter salesman in an iPad age.

McBrien was sketching out plans to resurrect light beer, a $50 billion market battling to stay relevant as makers of craft beer, wine and spirits increasingly steal customers from Molson Coors Brewing Co., SABMiller Plc and Anheuser-Busch Inbev NV.

Light beer is ceding ground as cabernet-loving baby boomers and millennials weened on exotic cocktails seek more complex flavors in their brews. High unemployment among light beer drinkers also has prompted some to drink less or switch to cheaper brews. In a bid to return the froth to light beer, the U.S. joint venture between Molson Coors and SABMiller last week unveiled new advertising for a key brand, Miller Lite.

If the companies can’t revive the brand, "we’ve got big trouble ahead of us," said Bump Williams, whose Stratford, Connecticut-based BWC Co. advises more than 100 beer retailers and distributors. "Light beer has become a commodity."

The new Miller Lite ads will revive the brewer’s classic tagline, "It’s Miller Time." Aimed at men in their 20s and 30s, the campaign will tone down outdated talk of carbs and calories in favor of a "brewed for brotherhood" theme. The brand will spend 50 percent more on media during the crucial summer selling season.

"Miller Time is all about real friends getting together over a real beer," MillerCoors Chief Marketing Officer Andy England said in an interview. "We’re going to articulate that with a kind of Midwestern grit that can only come from Miller Lite."

American Invention

Light beer, an American invention, took hold in 1975, when Miller Brewing Co. became the first to distribute a low-calorie beer nationwide. Now four of the five best-selling suds in the U.S. are light beers, including Leuven, Belgium-based Anheuser’s Bud Light and MillerCoors’ Coors Light.

Still, as consumers turn to more exciting alternatives, U.S. beer sales volumes have dropped for three straight years, including a 1.5 percent decline in 2011, according to the Beverage Information Group, a Norwalk, Connecticut-based researcher. Coors Light -- the only Top 5 U.S. beer still growing -- posted a 1 percent increase last year, the same as in 2010.

The shift has retailers stocking more wine and spirits. Beer lost 2.3 share points of display space during the past five years as spirits and wine gained, according to Nick Lake, senior director of category management for Heineken NV in the U.S. in Atlanta, who cited Nielsen data.

Consumer Relevance

"Our competition has convinced retailers that their categories are providing more value and have more relevance with the consumer," Lake said at an industry conference hosted last month by Beer Business Daily in San Diego.

Miller Lite has always sought broad appeal, with early television ads featuring athletes pitching the brew as "Everything You always Wanted in a Beer. And Less." New York Yankees baseball legends George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin later argued over whether it was better to say the beer "tastes great" or was "less filling."

By the mid-2000s, craft beer’s rise made it harder for light beers to make a case for taste. They tried anyway. In 2008, Miller Lite brought back the "Great Taste, Less Filling" idea in its advertising amid falling sales. Anheuser-Busch went with the tagline "Drinkability," a brewer’s term used to describe beer that goes down easy.

Fat Tire

The following year, Miller Lite advertised itself as "triple hops brewed for great pilsner taste," as more Americans discovered more heavily hopped craft beers such as New Belgium Brewing Co.’s Fat Tire. Miller followed that up with its "Taste Greatness" campaign. Sales didn’t recover.

Coors Light has grown while largely staying away from taste claims, focusing instead on what it calls "Rocky Mountain Cold refreshment." Coors Light used special ink on cans to show when the beer was at its optimal temperature.

The industry also has attempted to juice sales with packaging innovations, such as wide-mouth screw top cans, aluminum bottles and wide-mouthed vented cans. Now Anheuser is turning to higher alcohol content with the January introduction of Bud Light Platinum, featuring 6 percent alcohol, compared with 4.2 percent for regular Bud Light.

Miller Lite will ship new cans by Labor Day that have darker, more masculine blue graphics. Other cans will have a perforated second opening that will have to be punched out with a tool of the drinker’s choice, because millennial guys "like to tinker," England said. The opening will allow the beer to flow more like a glass, he said.

Miller Lite focused on its buddy theme after research revealed that sociability was high on beer drinkers’ minds. England said the campaign will go beyond Bud Light’s more generic "here we go" advertising, by focusing on close friends, not just acquaintances.

"We’re going to kill it," England said. "Obviously, I’d like to see some immediate results, but what’s more important is sustainable improvement."

To contact the reporter on this story: Duane D. Stanford in Atlanta at dstanford2@bloomberg.net

By Duane D. Stanford

A: Not to sound full of myself, but it would be our own double IPA, Amarillo Brillo. If I had to choose someone else’s beer, it would be almost anything from Stone Brewing Co. I love their IRS Stout and their IPA. They’re both really solid brews.

Ohio Brewing Co. in Akron is looking for a head brewer with at least two years professional brewing experience. "We're interviewing applicants right now and hopefully we'll have someone chosen very soon," said Chris Verich, owner and manager of brewing operations. The current brewer is leaving for a position with Lager Heads Brewing Co. in Medina, he said. Resumes can be emailed to: cverich@ohiobrewing.com.

Verich also said the production brewery, located in the historic Selle Generator Works building, plans to open a tasting room in April. A specific date hasn't been selected yet.

Rock Center with Brian Williams, a television show on NBC, ran a feature Wednesday night about Americans opening businesses in China. One of the individuals highlighted is Carl Setzer, a Cleveland native who opened Great Leap Brewing Co. in 2010 in Beijing. Check out his story below:

The new Ohio law that allows production breweries to open tasting rooms without paying for a second, costly license goes into effect Thursday. The law is expected to increase beer tourism in the state, as many smaller breweries start selling beer at their locations. The law also will allow more micro-distilleries in Ohio.

State Department of Commerce Director David Goodman and Division of Liquor Control Superintendent Bruce Stevenson have scheduled a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Thursday to present the first micro-distillery permit to Watershed Distillery in Clinton Township. Eric Bean, the owner and brewmaster at the Columbus Brewing Co., also will attend.

By Eric Gorski
The Denver Post
GOLDEN, Colo. - In a corner of the Coors empire, in what used to be a storage room for bags of malt, a group of brewers is experimenting with beer that never will be advertised in a Super Bowl commercial.

Oak barrels that once held wine are stacked on racks. Look closely at one, and you’ll notice a sticker from the Belgian brewer Cantillon, a source of inspiration. The humming sound is from exhaust fans partly reponsible for bringing Coors Light to the masses.

Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery in Athens will hold one of its special bottle releases Saturday. That’s when the brewpub, which normally doesn’t bottle, sells … well … bottles. Jackie O’s fans usually descend upon the brewpub and turn the event into a party.

The Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood will hold a special beer dinner at 7 p.m. March 27 with Brewery Ommegang, a Belgian-style brewery near Cooperstown, N.Y. The cost is $60. The dinner will include samples of Witte, Aphrodite, Belgian Pale Ale, Zuur, Art of Darkness and Rouge. For more details or reservations, call 216-226-2337.

The Akron Beacon Journal beer blog is changing – sort of. The beer blog, which I started a year ago this month, will no longer be hosted on Wordpress. Instead, the blog will appear on the newspaper’s regular website at www.ohio.com/blogs/the-beer-blog. The appearance, obviously, will be different. But the content will remain the same: news about Ohio breweries. Please be patient as I work through some growing pains. Heck, I have to learn a new posting system, including how to post logos that don’t look horrific. And as always, if you’ve got any Ohio-related beer news, you can reach me at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.

Matthew Barbee is the brewer and owner of Rockmill Brewery, a small brewery outside of Lancaster that makes Belgian-style beers. Rockmill – which has garnered national recognition for its beers -- is located on a former horse farm and has one of the most picturesque brewery settings in Ohio. The brewhouse is in the former horse stables. 

Question: Why did you become a brewer?

Drink Up Columbus reports that Zauber Brewing Co. in Columbus will unveil its first beer, a German-style hefeweizen called Vertigo, tonight (March 15) at the Jury Room. Owner and brewer Geoff Towne plans to have an official opening later this month, the website says.

Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon plans to become the first craft brewer in Ohio to can its beer. Fat Head’s, which is opening a production brewery in suburban Cleveland, has purchased a small, used canning line from Upslope Brewing Co. in Boulder, Colo. The initial plan is to can its Belgian-style beers and possibly some others, brewer and co-owner Matt Cole said. (Fat Head’s will still bottle, too.) “I think canning is pretty hot right now and I’ve been impressed with the quality of beer I’ve been tasting in cans,” he said. Cole admitted he — like many other craft beer fans — has been skeptical about cans. But he noted that canned beer has won medals at the Great American Beer Festival, and that many well-respected breweries, including Sierra Nevada and New Belgium, are either already canning or have announced plans to start. Not to mention the other benefits. For example, cans protect beer better from light and shipping costs are less. Cole said he’s interested to find out how the Ohio market receives craft beer in a can. While it’s commonplace on the West Coast and in Colorado, craft beer cans are still an emerging trend here. “As long as the quality of the beer is great, people aren’t going to care what kind of container it’s in,” Cole said. He’s still deciding what size can. But Fat Head’s, which also has a brewpub in North Olmsted, may sell four-packs of 12-ounce cans, he said. Meanwhile, work is progressing at the new production brewery. Fat Head’s is still about three weeks out from firing up the brewhouse, Cole said. You can follow the progress at the Fat Head’s Brewer’s Blog by clicking here.

Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. in suburban Cincinnati is releasing a 12-pack sampler called the “Porch Pack.” The sampler, which will be available soon across Ohio and in Kentucky, features Nut Brown Ale, Amber Ale, Blonde Ale and India Pale Ale. “Fans wanted more of our beers — that’s the only reason we developed the Porch Pack,” Mike Dewey, brewer and owner, said in a prepared statement. “But this will also introduce folks to our craft in newer territories.” Mt. Carmel calls itself Cincinnati’s oldest microbrewery. “In Cincinnati, we re-established the frontier of craft brewing,” Dewey said. “The Porch Pack is just another way we’re continuing to push it forward.”

After trying Ghost Scorpion Lager, Micah Siegmund lost the capacity for speech and coherent thought. The beer — made with two of the hottest peppers in the world, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion and ghost chilies — was that hot. “Quite literally the hottest thing that has ever passed my lips,” Siegmund, 37, of Lewis Center, wrote in a review on Ratebeer.com. “After exploding into my mouth and making me see stars, I could track the progress of the liquid fire from my lips to my tongue, throat, esophagus and stomach.”

Ghost Scorpion Lager was created by the Elevator Brewing Co. and CaJohns Fiery Foods to satisfy pepper freaks at the Fiery Foods Weekend in Columbus last month. But the beer, originally served on draft with red pureed peppers still floating in the liquid, turned out to be too hot even for many chili heads.

The West Point Market in Akron is adding an extra incentive for homebrewers to enter its first “Brew My Beer Ohio Homebrew Challenge.” The grocery will hand out cash prizes to the top brewers. The first-place winner will receive $1,000, a trophy and have their beer brewed and bottled by Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron. The beer will be sold at West Point Market and the Winking Lizard Tavern. The second-place winner will receive $500. There are cash prizes for the 10 best beers. The grocery announced the competition last month. As reported earlier, the contest is open to any Ohio homebrewer. Entries must be received at the grocery by 5 p.m. July 11, along with a $5 entry fee per beer. To view the entry form and official rules — including all the nitty-gritty details about how the judging will be done and the types of bottles accepted — click here.

Matt Chappel is the owner and brewmaster at Indigo Imp Brewery, a small production brewery in Cleveland. Indigo Imp is unique in Ohio because it uses the old-school way of brewing with open fermentation, which provides a different flavor profile for its beers.

Buzzbin magazine has a feature highlighting the arrival of Columbus Brewing Co. in Northeast Ohio. The brewery recently started distributing in the Cleveland and Akron areas. Columbus has earned rave reviews from hopheads because of its Hop Odessey program the last couple of years. But owner and brewmaster Eric Bean wants the brewery to be known for more than just hoppy beears. "We all really love what we do and are proud to be doing it in Ohio," he told Buzzbin. "I guess that people out there who really only know us for our hoppy beers will be surprised to discover that we have a soft spot in our hearts for clean, crisp German-style lagers." To read the full story, click here.

Elevator Brewing Co. took home the top prize as the "best brewery" at the Akron Art Museum's Art of Ale beer tasting on Friday. A select group of judges handed out three awards: best brewery, best beer and most unique brewery. Elevator, both a production brewery and brewpub in Columbus, brought along Dark Horse, Three Frogs IPA, Bleeding Buckeye and Horny Goat to the event, held in the museum lobby. "We're honored, obviously," owner Dick Stevens said afterward. "I've always felt we've been the Rodney Dangerfield of the brewing industry." The best beer honor went to Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. of Akron for its Old Leghumper cask conditioned with Italian roast coffee. Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster, which makes Belgian-style ales, won the most unique brewery award. Other breweries attending were: Main Street Grille & Brewing Co., Indigo Imp Brewery, Hoppin' Frog Brewery, Lager Heads Brewing Co. and Ohio Brewing Co. The House of LaRose also provided Goose Island beers.

Chardon BrewWorks & Eatery will hold Brewpalooza starting at 3 p.m. Saturday to raise money for the Chardon Healing Fund, which was created to help the families affected by the deadly shooting at Chardon High School last week. A student opened fire on fellow students, killing three and injuring two others. The Brewpalooza will feature the following bands: 3 p.m., Brandon Karcic; 4 p.m., Polka Revolution; 5 p.m., Terminal Blues Band; 6 p.m., Chardon Polka Band; 7 p.m., In Cahootz; 8 p.m., Leon and the Reckless All-Stars; 9 p.m., Vince Menti; and 10 p.m., Swamp Rattlers. There's no cost to attend but donations will be accepted. For more details, click here for the Chardon BrewWorks Facebook page.

Main Street Books and Martini's on Main in Mansfield will hold a special Books & Brews book signing and beer tasting March 15 with Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. and Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at Main Street Books, where I'll be signing copies of my book Ohio Breweries and chatting about the Ohio beer industry. John Najeway, co-owner of Thirsty Dog, and Patrick Clark, assistant brewer at Mt. Carmel, also are attending. The beer tasting will follow at Martini's on Main. Organizers say the event will last "til they make us go home."

Toxic Brew Co., a new production brewery and taproom in Dayton, is getting closer to opening. "If everything lines up, hopefully we will be brewing beer by mid-April and open the doors in May," owner Shane Juhl told me during a visit last week to the brewery. Toxic Brew is located in a two-story tan building along East Fifth Street, a brick road in the Historic Oregonian District downtown. The area, considered Dayton's entertainment district, is filled with bars, restaurants, tattoo shops, art galleries and historic homes. Toxic Brew also just happens to be next to a sex shop and there is a sex shop across the street. "For a destination spot, this can't be beat," Juhl said about the overall district. He has plenty of remodeling work to do inside the massive building, a former pawn shop that has been gutted to the walls. (Below is a video of Juhl and a couple of photos.) The building, which dates back to at least the early 1900s, had been used for storage for years and Juhl noted that he filled 10 Dumpsters with junk. The interior features some exposed brick and plaster over the brick. The plan is to install hardwood floors. Toxic Brew will feature a seven-barrel, direct flame brewing system and the ultimate goal is to have to 15 Toxic Brew beers on tap -- although that won't happen at first. The brewery won't be a brewpub, just a taproom. But Juhl said he will encourage people to bring their own food. Dayton has been a lost city for years for locally made craft beer. But there are several breweries hoping to open this year in the area. "I'm really excited for Dayton," Juhl said. "It's been a long time coming."

Here's a reason never to complain about Ohio's 12 percent limit on alcohol in beer: It could be worse. You could live in Mississippi. That state has the lowest limit in the United States at 5 percent. But beer drinkers in Mississippi are rejoicing over a proposal working its way through the state legislature that would increase the limit to 8 percent. "If you're Baptist and can't stand this bill, then hold your nose and vote for it," state Rep. Steve Holland told fellow lawmakers, as quoted by the Biloxi Sun-Herald. "We're talking about specialty beers that every other state has. We're the last state in the Union to have this." Anheuser-Busch InBev has even stepped up to support the effort, called Raise Your Pints Mississippi. Last year, Ohio beer drinkers bemoaned the fact that lawmakers killed a proposal at the last minute that would have boosted Ohio's limit from 12 percent to 18 percent. Again, it could be worse.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday proposed a bill to create a new brewing license category for "farm breweries" -- craft breweries that focus on using New York-made ingredients in their beer. The bill -- which essentially would allow the farm breweries to operate like the state's wineries -- is designed to boost the craft beer industry in the state and help New York farmers, the Albany Times-Union newspaper reported. "This legislation will provide a significant benefit to local farmers, by helping to create a sustained demand for their products," said Dennis Rosen, State Liquor Authority chairman. "Ultimately, by providing incentives for farm breweries to expand, these businesses will become, much like farm wineries, destination locations that will promote economic development and tourism within their communities. This bill will boost agriculture and breweries, as well as create jobs and increased economic development across New York." To read the Times-Union story, click here.

Reuters reported Tuesday that the Molson Coors Brewing Co. plans to launch Coors Light Iced Tea and other new products, as the beer company fights to win a greater share of the struggling beer market. "Someone else is eating our lunch in the alcohol space," Molson Coors Chief Executive Peter Swinburn said at a meeting of Molson executives. Coors Light Iced Tea will go on sale first in Canada, where consumers are interested in flavored beers and other refreshing drinks, Molson executives said. They did not, however, rule out an expansion into the United States. To read the full Reuters story, click here.

Indigo Imp Brewery, a small production brewery in Cleveland, is looking for a part-time bottling line worker/brewing assistant. The person doesn't have to have previous brewing experience. Click here for more details on the job. In other Indigo Imp news, the brewery has brought back Fiend, an ale made with spicy rye malt and caramel malt, for the spring. The beer, which is 5.6 percent alcohol by volume, is available as one of the brewery's small batch four-packs. The brewery also will hold a beer tasting March 14 at the Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern in Twinsburg. Blue Canyon will pair five Indigo Imp beers with hors d'oeuvres. Brewmaster Matt Chappel will be there to talk about the pairings and answer questions about Indigo Imp. To make a reservation, call 800-486-BLUE.

SaveOnBrew.com -- a website and mobile app that promises to alert beer drinkers to the lowest advertised beer prices in their zip codes -- put together an interesting chart breaking down the cost of ordering suds at NBA arenas. I spotted it after getting an email about the website launching a new blog: the Cheap Beer Blog. Unfortunately, the chart doesn't include which beer brand goes for that price. It'd be helpful to know the cost of ordering Miller Genuine Draft vs. some craft beer. SaveOnBrew.com says that NBA fans will consume more than 5 million servings of beer during games. You can check out the chart below:

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon's Head Hunter IPA -- already considered one of the best India pale ales in the nation -- took home the top prize Sunday at the annual National IPA Championship. The event, run like the NCAA's March Madness basketball tournament with beers judged against each other until one is left standing, is sponsored by the Brewing News. The competition featured 128 beers. Fat Head's beat out Firestone Walker Brewing Co.'s Union Jack IPA in the final matchup. Believe it or not, those two beers squared off in the 2010 final with Head Hunter winning then, too. Ohio was well-represented in the competition. To see the brackets and how they shaked out, click here.

Matt Cole is the award-winning brewer and co-owner of Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon, a brewpub in North Olmsted. Fat Head's also is in the process of opening a production brewery in Middleburg Heights so it can start bottling and distributing its beer statewide this year.

Question: You went to college for criminal justice. How did you end up in the brewing industry?

Vintage Estate Wine and Beer in Boardman will host a special beer tasting and food pairing from 6 to 8 p.m. March 10 with Nøgne Ø, which describes itself as Norway's leading and largest supplier of bottle conditioned ale. The cost is $20 per person and people will get eight tastes along with light foods. For more details, click here.

Anheuser-Busch InBev doesn't give public tours at its Columbus brewery, but beer drinkers can get an inside look at the plant in a new video produced as part of Budweiser's "Track Your Bud" campaign. The three-minute video (seen below) is narrated by Columbus brewmaster Jason McKibben who talks about the brewing process. "Beer is the most amazing food process of all time, it's mesmerizing," McKibben said in a prepared statement. "Through this interactive experience, Budweiser fans will learn more about the brand's storied history and see what it takes for us to brew this legendary beer and why I love my job."

The Track Your Bud program allows people to trace the origin of their beer to one of 12 Budweiser breweries in the United States, including the Columbus plant. Beer drinkers can use their smartphone to scan the QR code on Budweiser packaging, download a free Track Your Bud app or visit TrackYourBud.com. By entering the Born On Date found on bottles and cans, consumers can watch the video tour. The Columbus brewery, opened in 1968, supplies beer to Ohio and Michigan, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Maumee Bay Brewing Co. in Toledo has released its new Blood Orange Imperial Witbier. “Our brewers took inspiration from a classic Witbier recipe that employs the use of unmalted white wheat and coriander spices and doubled the grain bill for a double strength take on a Belgian classic,” brewery spokeswoman Shannon Mohr said in an email. “We took it one step further by adding puree and zest of 240 pounds of blood oranges which give the beer an orange/amber hue and loads of citrus flavor and aroma.” They also added a bit of grains of paradise, which lends even more fruit layers and spice character. The beer was made as part of the brewery’s sponsorship of the The Glass City Beerfest, which benefits ARC of Lucas County and Northwest Ohio Hemophilia Society. The sixth annual Glass City Beerfest is today.

The Newark Advocate newspaper has a story about the new Buckeye Lake Brewery in Buckeye Lake. "At first, a lot of people were surprised that I would have this in Buckeye Lake," owner Rich Hennosy told the newspaper. "But I couldn't think why not. I thought it was missing a place at the lake, to get away from the lake. It gives them someplace else to go." To read the full story, click here.