The inaugural octoBREWfest at the Stark County Fairgrounds in Canton will feature more than 80 different harvest, pumpkin, Oktoberfest and other seasonal craft beers, organizers announced. To see the full list, click here. "We have worked with local distributors to help build an awesome seasonal beer list," said Phill Reda, owner of Vintage Estate Wine and Beer in Boardman and beer coordinator for the event. The proceeds from the beer festival will benefit Alliance Firefighters Charities. Tickets are on sale at www.octoBREWfest.com, the Hydro House in Alliance, Avenue Wine Shop in Canton and Vintage Estate Wine and Beer. The event is Sept. 17. A special VIP portion of the festival begins at 2 p.m. and costs $55. The main event runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and tickets are $40. For more details, click here.

Ohio is home to nearly 50 breweries — from massive production facilities pumping out much-loved national brands to tiny operations making less than a barrel at a time. And last year, my job was to visit them all. A tough job, indeed. The result — besides a thank-you card from my liver — was Ohio Breweries, a new travel book (Stackpole Books, $19.95) that profiles every brewery in the state. Over four short months, I put more than 7,000 miles on my Toyota Rav4 and sampled more than 400 Ohio-made beers. Some were fantastic. Some all right. A few downright ugly ... To read the full story featured in Wednesday's Akron Beacon Journal about my travels, click here.

I also wrote a short piece that recommends eight Ohio-made beers that every beer drinker should try. Are they necessarily the best in the state? Maybe not. But among the hundreds that I tasted along the way, they stood out for one reason or another. I'm sure this short list will spark some debate. Feel free to call me nuts. To read the list that appears in Wednesday's Beacon Journal, click here.

The Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Co. will tap its new seasonal Hudepohl Oktoberfest Bier at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Northside Tavern in Cincinnati. "Cincinnati's Oktoberfest tradition matches perfectly to the city's great brewing history," said Greg Hardman, president of Hudepohl-Schoenling, a division of Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. "Hudepohl Oktoberfest Bier is a wonderful way to celebrate both with one of Cincinnati’s most beloved brands." The beer is made with Munich, Pilsner, Caramel and Victory malts; Hallertau hops; yeast and water. "As with all beers in the Hudepohl line, there are no fillers or adjuncts added to the beer," according a company news release. "Adorned with imagery from the flag of Bavaria and the city of Munich, the blue, white and orange packaging pays homage to the Oktoberfest originations of the Munich festival." In addition to being on draft, the beer will be available in six-packs retailing for $6.99.

The four-day Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest -- which features a craft beer competition -- returns starting Friday at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea. The craft beer competition focuses on German beers, including Octoberfest-styles and bocks. The participating breweries include Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland, Rocky River Brewing in Rocky River, Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland, Black Box Brewing in Westlake, Cornerstone Brewing in Berea, The Brew Kettle in Strongsville, Thirsty Dog Brewing in Akron, Buckeye Brewing in Lakewood, Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in North Olmsted, Gordon Biersch in Columbus, Willoughby Brewing in Willoughby, Goose Island Beer in Chicago, Cellar Rats Brewery in Madison, Ohio Brewing in Akron, Main Street Grille & Brewing Co. in Garrettsville, Cleveland ChopHouse & Brewery in Cleveland. Admission is $10.

Cleveland Plain Dealer beer writer Marc Bona penned an article about Fat Head's brewer Matt Cole's trip to England to brew at Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewery in the country. Bona also writes that Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon is growing so fast that it's planning to expand production. The North Olmsted brewpub has quickly earned a national reputation, in part because its Head Hunter IPA keeps winning awards. As Cole told Bona, "Fat Head's is getting fatter." To read the full Plain Dealer story, click here.

I will be at two events this week selling and signing my new book Ohio Breweries:

Marietta Brewing Co. in Marietta will release a batch of PawPaw Wheat on Saturday night. (Sept. 3) The beer is one of the most unusual brewed in Ohio because it's made with real pawpaw, an edible fruit native to the state that has a tropical taste. There will be live music that night, too. "This is the second time we have made the beer this year," brewer Mike Arnold said in an email. "I have been asked by the locals around here when it will be coming back and have had some tourists from the Akron and Cleveland area as well come down and ask about the PawPaw Wheat. "

He warned that there are only 28 kegs of the beer, meaning it will likely go quickly. PawPaw Wheat is a hefty 9.58 percent alcohol by volume. You also can get a taste at the 2011 Ohio Pawpaw Festival, which runs Sept. 16-18 at Lake Snowden near Albany.

The Akron Aeros, the AA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, will toss a beer festival from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at Canal Park in downtown Akron. The inaugural Canal Park Beer Fest will include more than 100 different beers. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 the day of the event. The ticket price includes 20 samples. There also will be food from local restaurants, a live band and a mechanical bull. (Hmm, drinking and mechanical bull rides. Do those go together?) More details about the beer itself are expected to be released soon.

Jerry Welch must have been born in a pumpkin patch -- as opposed to the proverbial cabbage patch. The 53-year-old man from suburban Akron loves pumpkin beer. He figures he's tasted more than 40 through the years and is always on the lookout for new ones. Welch, a homebrewer who has made his own pumpkin beer, even has a list of 71 pumpkin beers that he's either tried or wants to try. Now, he wants other beer drinkers to enjoy this style, which dates back to the first American settlers. So Welch is determined to launch a pumpkin beer festival in Northeast Ohio similar to Elysian Brewing Co.'s Great Pumpkin Beer Fest in Seattle. "My goal is to recreate what these other guys have done with pumpkin fests," said Welch, a material manager for a manufacturing company. Octoberfests continue to be all the rage in Ohio, but somebody should be willing to move on to pumpkin, Welch said. So far, his effort hasn't gained enough traction to start this year, but he's willing to keep pushing for next year. As for his top five pumpkin beers, he offers up -- in no particular order -- Hoppin' Frog Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale; Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale; Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale; Fegley's BrewWorks Devious Imperial Pumpkin; and any Elysian, which makes several styles. You can contact Welch at jrwelch58@gmail.com if you're interested in helping his effort.

The Hofbrauhaus in Newport, Ky. -- a destination spot for Cincinnati-area beer drinkers -- is in trouble with the state. The Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control Board says the popular brewpub is in violation of its liquor licenses because of fighting, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The newspaper described the scene as "one might expect in a Wild West saloon and not a Bavarian beer hall popular with tourists." The Hofbrauhaus faces a fine and potential suspension of its licenses. The brewpub responded with the statement: “Management feels strongly that it operates a safe, family-friendly establishment that caters to a broad range of customers …” To read the full Enquirer story, including a state report about the violations, click here.

Tom Schaeffer, who writes for the online site Examiner.com, recently profiled Rivertown Brewing Co.'s Hop Bomber Pale Ale. "This is a very good beer from a promising new brewery," he writes. "It has everything you would want in an American pale ale -- well balanced, yet significant hop character. Give Rivertown Brewing a try and do not hesitate to pick up some Hop Bomber." Rivertown is located in suburban Cincinnati. To read the full review, click here.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland has redesigned its 12-pack sampler. Oops. Scratch the "sampler" reference. "It's not a sample pack. It's a tasting experience," according to Ohio's oldest craft brewery. The Taster's Pack features well-respected favorites Dortmunder Gold Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, Eliot Ness Amber Lager and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. The 12-pack is also educational. It includes instructions on how to sample beer, including in which order to taste the beers. (See below) "The Taster’s Pack is designed for consumers to take home and conduct a proper beer tasting," spokeswoman Lauren Boveington said in an email.

Bubblehead Bob is joining the Wooden Shoe Brewing Co. Bubblehead Bob, in case you didn't know, is the mascot of the Minster Oktoberfest in western Ohio. The brewery has created a new beer -- aptly named Minster Oktoberfest -- for the festival and is using Bubblehead Bob on its label and packaging. The beer is a traditional German-style Octoberfest that's heavy on the malt. "The people of Minster feel the Oktoberfest is not just an event, it’s a feeling, a spirit, a happy mood combined with the warmth and friendship of community. This spirit lives in this beer," brewer Marc Pelletier said. Wooden Shoe is doing something pretty nifty with the beer. It's selling commemorative five-packs -- with a Bubblehead Bob bobblehead taking the place of one of the bottles. Traditional six-packs also are available. Sales are brisk. "It's going over so well that I have a feeling that it might be a beer that we make all the time," Pelletier said. Minster Oktoberfest can be found at select locations in the Minster, Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati areas. It's been a big year for Wooden Shoe, Pelletier added. The brewery started self-distributing and has seen sales jump by 400 percent since March. If you're dying for a taste of Wooden Shoe in Northeast Ohio, its beer is being sold at Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians.

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon brewer Matt Cole is headed to England on Friday to brew a special batch of beer at Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewery in the country. Cole, along with five other U.S. brewers, were invited to visit England and make a beer.

"They place us in a brewery and then we take it from there," Cole said. "We design the beer and we name it." He plans to make Yakima Sun, a 5 percent alcohol beer with Citra and Centennial hops from the U.S. and British barley. The Citra hops, grown exclusively in the Pacific Northwest, had to be shipped over to England at a cost of $3,300. Citra hops have "a lot of tropical fruit, passion fruit, almost mango-gooseberry kind of flavors," Cole said. "It's very distinctive. It's a very unusual hop." The blend of Citra and Centennial hops provides a lot of hop flavor and aroma, but people won't "get whacked over the head by the pure raw bitterness."

One of the most unusual beer festivals in Ohio celebrates its fifth anniversary this weekend. The two-day Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha!, a festival that features more than 50 comedians and about 100 beers, will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday at Sawyer Point Park downtown. The comedy is free, but you must buy a $5 wristband to drink the beer. And, each beer sample costs $1. The headlining comedians are Bert Kreischer on Friday and Caroline Rhea on Saturday. For full details, including a full list of the craft beers available, click here. To read a Cincinnati Enquirer story about the event, click here.

The 13th annual AleFest Dayton returns to Carillon Historical Park from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 27). Organizer Joe Waizmann told the Dayton Daily News that the event will be "bigger and better than ever." The festival will feature more than 350 beers from about 140 breweries. That represents an all-time high for the event, the newspaper reported. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Each admission includes a tasting glass and 20 samples. To read the full Dayton Daily News story, click here.

Dark Lord Day is a big deal for craft beer lovers. It's a time when people from around the country descend upon Three Floyds Brewing Co. in Munster, Ind., to buy Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout. The scene has received national attention because of the fanaticism. But Three Floyds isn't the only brewery causing a stir with special releases.

There's something similar going on in Ohio at Jackie O's Pub & Brewery. The well-respected brewpub usually doesn't bottle its beer. You want to drink it? You normally have to drive to the college town of Athens in Southeast Ohio and taste it on tap. And Athens isn't exactly an easy trek for most.

UPDATED: The Lighthouse Bar & Grill at the Harbor Inn in suburban Akron will hold a special beer tasting at 6 p.m. Sept. 13 featuring Octoberfest-style brews. Representatives from Great Lakes Brewing Co., Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Hoppin' Frog Brewery and Goose Island Beer Co. are scheduled to participate. The cost is $20 and people will be able to sample 15 different beers. The tasting is the official start of the "Portage Lakes Beer Tour" -- which is similar to the Winking Lizard World Tour of Beers but on a much smaller scale. The Portage Lakes tour requires craft beer lovers to finish a total of 65 beers from a pre-selected list from September through March. But, there's a catch. Those beers must be drank between Sunday and Thursday. If you complete the tour, you receive a fleece jacket. Owner Steve Burroughs describes himself as a beer snob and thought that creating the tour would be fun. "I want to build a beer following," he said. The Lighthouse offers 101 different beers. Why September through March? Well, that's the slow time of year for the bar, which is right on the Portage Lakes. Last year, 10 people completed the tour. Burroughs hopes to at least double that amount this year.

Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland hasn't been open that long, but the brewpub is already expanding. The brewery has added two new 10-barrel fermenters and just ordered another 10-barrel and four 20-barrel fermenters, and two 20-barrel serving tanks. The new equipment should arrive in late October. In case you forgot, Market Garden is also adding a distillery and the pot still should be installed in September. Brewer Andy Tveekrem described the scene this way in an email: "Busy, busy." He also reported that early next month he will release Market Centennial Extra IPA, "which is going to be a hop lover's delight." The Oktoberfest should be released around Sept. 15, he added.

Developers made a big splash several years ago when announcing plans to transform the old Ivex paper mill and bag manufacturing plant in picturesque Chagrin Falls into a mixed-used development. Those plans included a brewery, exciting craft beer drinkers in Northeast Ohio. But here we are in 2011 and no new brewery or development. So what gives? "We're still alive and well. Things are still moving forward," partner Darren Wyville said. The partners -- who had to survive a ballot issue in 2009 that would have prevented the redevelopment -- are working on historic tax credits, obtaining permits and lowering the dam along the Chagrin River for the project. They also have hired a development group to find other tenants, including restaurants, for the 80,000-square-foot facility. The production brewery -- which will include a tap room -- will be the anchor for the project, Wyville said. "Realistically, we are 18 months out of pulling our first handle," he said. The working name of the brewery is Spillway, but that may change. The brewery will sell draft beer to area restaurants and produce 12-ounce bottles. As for the beer itself, the owners aren't interested in big, malty brews. There's a void in the market for bright, aromatic beers with reasonable alcohol, Wyville said. "The high-alcohol, big malt beers aren't real refreshing and don't go well with food," said Wyville, who runs a wine distribution company. He envisions the flagship beer being an easy-drinking beer like a kolsch. That, of course, could change, too, he said. "We'll be aromatic, hoppy beers [but] we're not looking to make the craziest, high-alcohol IPA," Wyville said. "The beer will be great. Not good. Great."

From the Associated Press: After spending their days serving the public, Ohio lawmakers soon might be able to head to the basement and get served at the pub. State officials are debating a proposal to establish what would apparently be the nation's first statehouse bar — a venue where lawmakers and even members of the public could tip a few back after hours if they reserve the space. Opponents say it would be inappropriate to open a bar in a government building frequented by schoolchildren, while others note that alcohol already flows freely at Statehouse events. "My point of view is Prohibition ended in the 1930s, so what's the big deal?" said Sen. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican. "We're not talking about putting George Jones and Willie Nelson on the jukebox and having people spending all their waking hours in the Capitol Cafe, drowning their sorrows. But the idea that there's alcohol in the Statehouse should be completely unsurprising to anyone." To read the entire story, click here.

Mike Malinowski of Massillon is living a homebrewer's dream. His German-style smoke marzen won a top award in the Society of Akron Area Zymurgists' annual ''Wizard of SAAZ'' homebrewing contest earlier this year. And now, it's on tap at The Brew Kettle in Strongsville and will be entered into this year's Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition.

Not bad for a guy who's been homebrewing for only five years. As part of the Wizard of SAAZ event, The Brew Kettle brewer Jack Kephart (shown on the right with Malinowski in the photo) had pledged to make one of the beers on a professional scale and enter it at the respected national beer festival. He chose Malinowski's smoke beer, now called The Brew Kettle Rauchtoberfest.

Growing Up Akron, an informal fundraising event that supports Child Guidance & Family Solutions, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 26 at Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. The cost is $50 a person. Child Guidance & Family Solutions is Summit County’s largest mental healthcare agency for children and their families. Last year's event drew hundreds of people to the brewery to hear a live band, sample Thirsty Dog beers and taste food from Akron restaurants. To make a reservation, click here.

Anheuser-Busch InBev will release its first Shock Top Variety Pack next month.  The 12-pack will feature Shock Top Belgian White, Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat and Shock Top Raspberry Wheat. The Pumpkin Wheat -- a Belgian-style wheat ale made with pumpkins and spices -- is a new release and will be available in six-packs later this month. "The Shock Top family’s popularity just continues to grow – up nearly 77 percent in the first half of the year, and we want to keep bringing new offerings," Shock Top brand manager Paul Byrne said in a prepared statement. "We've already expanded the family this year to include new styles and packages, and we're excited about new opportunities for the brand in 2012." To read more, click here.

Christian Moerlein, which is opening a giant brewpub along the Ohio River later this year, has hired a high school science teacher to serve as its brewer. Richard Dube, 54, was serving as a teacher at Lloyd Memorial High School before signing on to head the brewing operations at the Moerlein Lager House. "My vision is to make people appreciate beer the way I do," he told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "To me, it's going to be the pinnacle of my career." Dube has brewing experience, according to the newspaper. He has brewed in the past for Labatt, Molson and Boston Beer Co. To read the entire Enquirer story, click here.

Main Street Grille & Brewing Co. in Garrettsville is looking for new brewer. Virgil Drayer-Reed is leaving, owner Pete Kepich said Friday, and the brewpub is hoping to hire someone immediately. "I want someone who's like us," Kepich said. "They want to represent the company 100 percent and they are able to brew good beer. I'll interview anybody but I'm going to be a little bit picky [when hiring]. We've already got a great name and now I want to move forward." By move forward, he's talking about expanding the brewing operation. Main Street has signed a deal to distribute its beer on draft and there's a possibility of doing bottles, as well, Kepich said. There has been talk about moving the brewery to another nearby site in Garrettsville to help with that expansion. "We have the ability to go bigger," said Kepich, who also owns Kepich Ford Mercury in town. "I'm not going to regress." The job is full time, he said. If you're interested, you can call Kepich directly at 330-527-3673 or 330-977-0072.

The Boston Beer Co., which has a Samuel Adams brewery in Cincinnati, will soon release its 2011 Samuel Adams Harvest Collection Variety 12-pack, which includes an all-new style. Samuel Adams Bonfire Rauchbier is a dark, malty smoked beer. "The specialty malt is dried over a beech wood fire, giving the beer a distinct smokiness," the brewer says. The other beers in the 12-pack are Harvest Pumpkin Ale, OctoberFest, Black Lager, Irish Red and Boston Lager. The 12-pack has a suggested retail price of $13.99. It will be available from mid-August through October.

Willoughby Brewing Co. in Willoughby got some nice publicity on WKYC-TV Channel 3 news in Cleveland this week. Brewer Rick Seibt talked about how he chooses names for his beers, recalling that his Moonshadow IPA was named after he heard the Cat Stevens song Moonshadow on his iPod. Then, he looked outside one night from the brewhouse and saw the moon casting a shadow inside. And Moonshadow IPA was born. To see the TV report, click here.

Anheuser-Busch InBev sold less beer in the United States and Brazil -- its biggest markets -- during the second quarter and growth missed analysts' estimates, Bloomberg reported. The volume of beer sold dropped 1.4 percent in North America. Meanwhile, AB InBev’s market share in the U.S. fell by about 0.5 percentage point in the quarter and the company blamed that partly on bad weather that included heavy storms and tornados, the business news service reported. The company -- which has a brewery in Columbus -- also raised prices of some of its cheaper beers. “In the U.S. we’re all monitoring what’s going on with the economy and politics, but we’ll focus on what we can control,” Chief Financial Officer Felipe Dutra said during a conference call, Bloomberg reported. To read the full story, click here.

The BottleHouse Brewery in Cleveland Heights is looking at an October opening. The small brewery is both a production facility and a brew-on-premise operation where people can come and make their own beer. Owners Brian Benchek and Dave Schubert also plan to open a tasting room with six taps where people can sample the house beers and a retail shop where people can buy bottled beer and growlers to go. "We're a nanobrewery," Benchek said earlier this summer when asked to describe the operation. "We're going to explore so many different styles." It's been tough to get ahold of them because they are working on the facility, but in a recent voicemail, Benchek said they are shooting for an October opening. ClevelandHops.com did a full write-up about the operation in April. You can still read that by clicking here.

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in North Olmsted continues to win awards for its Head Hunter IPA. The beer picked up an honorable mention last weekend at the 14th annual IPA Festival at The Bistro in Hayward, Calif. It's always a major honor when an India pale ale from the East Coast wins in the heart of IPA country. (The gold medal went to Schooners IPA.) Fifty-seven IPAs were entered in the competition. Head Hunter has now won a silver medal at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival, first place in the National IPA Challenge in 2010, gold medal at the West Coast IPA Festival in 2009, and gold medal and best of show honors at the Cleveland Oktoberfest. The beer also has been named one of the top 25 beers in the world by Draft Magazine.

Sugar Ridge Brewery, a new small production-only operation in Perrysburg in Northwest Ohio, is open. Brewer Mike Mullins is making Perrysburg Pale Ale, an English-style pale ale; Anthony Wayne Cream Ale; Rossford Red, a Belgian-style red ale; and Sylvania Stout. The beers are available at Swig in Perrysburg. Mullins is also making the house stout for Zinful, a wine bar and restaurant in Waterville. "As you might imagine, I am quite busy but look forward to taking on another account or two in the near future," Mullins said in an email.

The number of proposed breweries in Ohio and nationwide continues to expand. So far, there are at least 10 breweries interested in opening in Ohio later this year or next year. There's Black Squirrel in Kent, Toxic Brew in Dayton, Bottle House in Cleveland Heights, Vitruvian Brewing in Yellow Springs, Four String in Columbus, Bryan Brewing in Bryan, a yet-to-be-named operation in Wooster, Buckeye Lake Brewing in Buckeye Lake, Zauber Brewing in Columbus and Ali's in Findlay. As part of its mid-year craft beer report, the Brewers Association in Boulder, Colo., said there are at least 725 breweries interested in opening nationwide. "There is a growing interest in establishing new breweries," Brewers Association Director Paul Gatza said in a prepared statement. "It seems like every day we are hearing about a brewery in planning. Will they all make it? No, but many will if they produce high-quality, interesting craft beers and can get them to market through self-distribution and beer wholesalers and beer retailers."

Craft beer sales climbed 15 percent during the first half of this year, the Brewers Association reported Monday. The trade association in Boulder, Colo., also reported that the volume of craft beer sold jumped 14 percent to an estimated 5.1 million barrels, compared to 9 percent growth during the same period last year. "Craft brewers continue to innovate and brew beers of excellent quality," Brewers Association Director Paul Gatza said in a prepared statement. "America's beer drinkers are rapidly switching to craft because of the variety of flavors they are discovering. And they are connecting with small and independent craft brewers as companies they choose to support." Part of the reason for the sales and volume growth clearly involves growth in the craft beer industry. The U.S. has 1,790 breweries — an increase of 165 breweries since June 2010.

The seventh annual Blues and Brews beer festival last Saturday in Akron was a success in its new location, said organizer John Najeway, co-owner of Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. More than 2,000 people attended the event -- less than in previous years. But Najeway attributed that to moving the festival from Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens to Lock 3 downtown. It also was obnoxiously hot. "I think the new venue will be great going forward," Najeway said, noting that there is much more space at Lock 3. He said he heard positive feedback about the additional space to walk around and the indoor restrooms -- as opposed to portable toilets. "Next year, I think we will spread out a bit more and have some more beer-related food and beer pairing areas and demonstrations," Najeway said. You can check out a review of the festival at Cleveland Food and Brews. Here are some photos of the event:

Area codes are hot news in the brewing industry right now. Anheuser-Busch InBev is seeking to trademark area codes in many major cities, including 216 in Cleveland, but is being mum about why. And news just broke about Goose Island's plan to move production of 312 Urban Wheat Ale to Baldswinsville, N.Y. -- home of the 315 area code. Now, Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron is seeking to trademark the 330 area code in Northeast Ohio. Brewery co-owner John Najeway says Thirsty Dog will produce a "330 Summit IPA," made with all Summit hops. The beer will be brewed in about four weeks and also will be the 1000th batch made at the Akron brewery. "The big boys have gotten a bunch of different area codes and they don't care enough about the 330 people," Najeway said with a laugh. "We shouldn't be forgotten."

Stackpole Books informed me today that my book, Ohio Breweries, is slated to be released Sept. 1. It's a travel book that takes a look at all the breweries operating in the state -- from the massive Anheuser-Busch InBev plant in Columbus to the nanobrewery Quarter Barrel Brewery and Pub in Oxford to the small seasonal breweries operating on the Lake Erie Islands. It's also the reason that I launched this website because there is so much interest in Ohio-made beer right now. The book, a labor of love that involved four months of driving around the state last year and many more months of writing, isn't filled with beer reviews or ratings. Instead, it tells the story of each brewery and the people behind it. The book will retail for $19.95 but is available for pre-purchase on Amazon.com for $13.57. I am available for talks and book signings. Just email me at rarmon1@yahoo.com or call me at 330-858-8696.

The Associated Press has an interesting story about how many craft brewers are pulling back their far-flung distribution to focus more on local demand. They just can't produce enough beer to satisfy drinkers everywhere. "The idea of leaving sales territories is not ideal, but demand locally is necessitating it," Paul Gatza of the Brewers Association, a craft-beer trade group in Boulder, Colo., told the news service. The article highlights Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Md., as an example of a brewery that is pulling back. To read the entire story, click here.

Steve Goble, a copy editor and beer lover at the Mansfield News Journal, wrote a column this week about kolsch. "Think of Kolsch as a style that proves a beer can be very light and still have flavor," he wrote. He highlights Ohio Brewing Co.'s Verich Gold -- a beer that has won a people's choice award at the Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest. "Overall, Verich Gold is a clean, somewhat crisp, enjoyable brew," he concludes. To read the entire column, click here.

Fishers Foods will hold a beer tasting from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Plain Township store, 4403 Cleveland Ave. NW. The cost is $5 per person. The tasting will be held at the new Old Carolina BBQ restaurant inside the supermarket. It features Rheingold, Spaten, Samuel Adams Latitude 48, Great Lakes Burning River, Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Straub, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, Waterloo Premium Dark, Zywiec, Blue Dawg Wild Blue Lager, Stella Artois, Shock Top Raspberry Wheat, Hoegaarden, Thirsty Dog Labrador Lager, Thirsty Dog Old Leghumper, Duvel Golden Ale, Brooklyn Lager, Left Hand Milk Stout, Hoppin' Frog Hoppin to Heaven IPA, and Hoppin' Frog Boris The Crusher Oatmeal Stout. In addition to the beer, there will be popcorn, potato chips and cheeses.

Budweiser today unveiled a new design for its can and packaging that will roll out of U.S. breweries -- including the Columbus, Ohio, plant -- and into the hands of American beer drinkers this summer. The design involves a bowtie logo. The new can design is Budweiser’s 12th since Anheuser-Busch began offering its flagship brand in cans in 1936. You can check out all 12 above. “Budweiser's success is rooted in aspects of the beer that will never change – a crisp, refreshing taste, an unwavering commitment to quality and the enormous pride we take in each batch,” Budweiser Vice President Rob McCarthy said in a prepared statement. “Our refreshed packaging design gives Budweiser an updated look, which dramatizes the iconic Budweiser bowtie and incorporates the brand hallmarks that loyal Budweiser drinkers will recognize and appreciate.” AB InBev Vice President of Brands Frank Abenante added: “This new visual identity is one of many steps in our quest to reinforce Budweiser’s role as a true global beer brand.  Together with our unifying global creative idea, the new global packaging look and feel will reinforce Budweiser’s bond with consumers around the world.”

Jackie O's Pub and Brewery will have one of the most unusual beers available for tasting at Saturday's Blues & Brews festival in Akron. It's called "Hogwash" and it smells and tastes like breakfast sausage. No kidding. Anyone who knows brewer Brad Clark probably isn't surprised given his well-deserved reputation for experimentation. The smoke beer is made with lavender, lemon peel, honey and maple syrup. "It's pretty sausage-y," Clark said, describing it as having a "Jimmy Dean character." So how did they come up with the name Hogwash? "We were having a hard time figuring out a name for it that wasn't too cheesy," he said. "Not to say that Hogwash wasn't cheesy -- or porky." The wort smelled like the water right after you boil hot dogs in it, Clark said. An assistant brewer remarked that it smelled like "hogwash" and the name stuck. In addition to Hogwash, Jackie O's, located in Athens, will be serving samples of Dark Apparition, an imperial stout.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat -- long a Chicago brand and source of pride for the craft beer community -- will soon be made at an Anheuser-Busch InBev plant in Baldwinsville, N.Y. 312 was named after the Chicago area code. The Baldwinsville area code is 315. Goose Island founder John Hall told the newspaper that he expects criticism over the move. Anheuser-Busch InBev bought Goose Island for $38.8 million in March. Earlier this year, Anheuser-Busch InBev moved to trademark area codes in many major urban cities, including "216" in Cleveland. The brewer still hasn't announced its plans for the trademarks. To read the full newspaper story, click here.

How's this for the economic power of beer? New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week appointed Steve Hindy, president of Brooklyn Brewery, to the newly formed New York City Regional Economic Development Council. The group is supposed to improve the relationship between the state government and businesses.

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law this week that makes it easier for breweries to open tasting rooms. Basically, brewers now are exempt from the California Retail Food Code, which required a huge financial outlay to comply with. (Click here to read a story about the California law.) So how is this relevant to Ohio? Well, Ohio breweries have been fighting a similar issue here for years. The state charges breweries $3,906 a year for a manufacturing license. But if the brewery wants to open a tasting room, the state charges an additional $3,906 for a separate permit. Obviously, production breweries think this requirement is unfair and they should have to pay for only one permit. It's also discouraged production breweries like Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron to open tasting rooms. (The most unfair part is that brewers have to pay $3,906 for an annual license while a winery pays $76.) The requirement almost was scrapped as part of the state's new two-year budget, but the change was scuttled at the last minute. Ohio brewers are now working again behind the scenes with state lawmakers on the tasting room issue. One brewer told me that they don't want any publicity about the issue, fearing that may wreck their chances.

Wayne County native Paul Fryman, a professional brewer who has worked in Colorado, New York and Wyoming, and his family are working on opening a brewery in downtown Wooster. The effort is still in its infancy, but they already have a site: 120 Beall Ave. Plans are for a production brewery at first and then a brewpub. "There are a lot of cool things they are doing in Wooster and it's a perfect spot for a brewpub," said Fryman, whose last brewing job was as brewmaster at Great Adirondack Brewing Co. in Lake Placid, N.Y. He left that gig for the opportunity to open his own operation. The goal is to open next year, possibly as early as January but more likely during the summer, he said. He's still in the process of buying equipment -- he's looking for a 15-barrel system. Also, the brewery doesn't have a name yet. "It's tough," Fryman said about picking out a name. "We don't want it to be gimmicky or anything like that. We want it to have a regional feel." He said he always wanted to open a brewery in Wooster. "It was hard to leave my job in New York but the time is now in the industry," he said. As far as beer itself, Fryman said he's a fan of "boring lagers." "I like session beers," he said. "I really appreciate a nice kolsch or something delicate that takes a little bit more brewing finesse to make."

The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. is showering Ohio with plenty of love. The Wisconsin brewery — maker of Summer Shandy and Sunset Wheat — is running city-specific television ads in the Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus markets.

While pumping up the Leinenkugel brand, the Cleveland TV ad has references to Jacobs Field, the Cleveland Browns and LeBron James’ decision to take his talents to Miami. Meanwhile, Columbus and Cincinnati viewers get references specific to those communities, including the Ohio State Buckeyes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Fountain Square and Cincinnati Reds. The ads are running during sporting events.