The Tap 'N' Run 4K

The event combines beer and a 2.4-mile run/walk race over the Purple People Bridge and by both Reds and Bengals stadiums. Participants are encouraged to dress in costume and run with teams, friends and family of legal drinking age. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Greater Cincinnati Sports Corp.

The cost is $45 if you register before May 29. The signup is $50 after that or $55 at the time of the race.

Operated by Louisville, Ky.-based JAM Active, Tap ‘N’ Run encourages participants to run, jog, walk, hop, skip or crawl to three different “chug stations” along the course. The “chug stations” will have participants chugging a four-ounce sample of beer before continuing along the race route. At the finish line, participants receive a full beer and the chance to win one of many awards, including Best Mustache, Best Belcher, Most Original Team Concept, Hot Mess and others. A news release made no mention of what brand or brands of beer are involved.

-- Beer writer Adrienne So writes on Slate.com that the craft beer world has fallen in too much love with hops. "In fact, everyone I know in the craft beer industry has a problem: We’re so addicted to hops that we don’t even notice them anymore," So writes. To read the full column, click here.

-- Goose Island Beer Co. celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 13. "When we started brewing back in 1988, craft beer options in Chicago were non-existent," founder John Hall said in a prepared statement. "Twenty-five years later, we like to think we had something to do with improving the Chicago beer scene." To read the full story, click here.

-- A study by Restaurant Sciences, a research firm, premium and sub-premium beers like Budweiser, Miller Lite and Pabst Blue Ribbon have seen price hikes of 3.5 percent o 6.8 percent over the past seven months at bars and restaurants. "While all the attention has been on craft beers, the price of mainstay brands in the mid-price (Premium) tier have risen more dramatically," the company said. "And traditionally lower-priced beers such as Pabst Blue Ribbon have seen sizeable double-digit price increases in both restaurants and bars & nightclubs." To read the full article, click here.

-- The Associated Press reports on Cambridge Brewing Co. creating a stout to honor slain Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier. ‘I think Sean would be beside himself if he knew a beer was being named after him,’’ said Travis Dixon, one of Collier’s roommates. To read the full story, click here.

-- Confused about the diferences between the Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2013 (BEER Act) and the Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act (Small BREW Act)? Both pieces of legislation are pending before Congress. To read a story by TheStreet.com breaking down the two bills, click here.

-- The Toronto Star reports on Vulcan Ale, a Star Trek-themed beer. “I’ve lived and breathed Star Trek my entire life, it’s a wonderful show and I guess this is just a way of contributing to the story,” veterinarian Dr. Richard Weger of Calgary, one of the creators of the ale, told the newspaper. “And yes, yes . . . I have a costume, Mr. Spock, my favourite character.” To read the full story, click here.

The 33rd annual Walleye Festival in Port Clinton will feature a craft beer tasting from 7 to 11 p.m. May 23. The Port Clinton Walleye Beer Fest will include more than 100 beers from 20 breweries, local restaurants pairing their food with beer, and live performances by the Last of the Wildmen and the Naked Bacon Band.

Participating breweries include Atwater, Bell's, Catawba Island, Christian Moerlein, Fat Head's, Founders, Goose Island, Great Lakes, Hoppin' Frog, Jolly Pumpkin, Lagunitas, Maumee Bay, Mt. Carmel, New Holland, Revolution, Rivertown, The Brew Kettle and Thirsty Dog.

The Cecala and Guagenti families have owned and operated C&G for more than 60 years, and have been selling Anheuser-Busch products in a nine-county area in west central Ohio since 1967.

"This investment reinforces our commitment to providing local retailers with exemplary service and consumers with a broad portfolio of brands and unique beers to enjoy," Anheuser-Busch Regional Sales Vice President Kevin Feehan said in a prepared statement. "For more than 100 years, Anheuser-Busch has been dedicated to adding value to, and providing competition in, the wholesale tier. We look forward to growing our brands and enhancing competition in this market, which will benefit west-central Ohio retailers and consumers."

Ohio lawmakers recently passed legislation, Senate Bill 48, barring big brewers from owning distributors -- a move that Anheuser-Busch protested.

"Substitute SB 48 should have no impact on the deal as we fully expect to complete this transaction prior to the legislation’s effective date," Christine Czernejewski, director of communications-government affairs, said in an email. "However, we continue to believe the provision in Substitute SB 48 that will prohibit  a wholesale distributorship from selling to a brewer will have a significant impact on our company and those wholesalers who want to sell. This provision restricts free-market competition and creates a climate of uncertainty that will negatively impact future economic investment in the state."

Anheuser-Busch has been in a fight with Illinois lawmakers over a similar issue. (To read a story from Chicago Crain's Business, click here.)

Anheuser-Busch has strong ties to Ohio. The company has a brewery in Columbus and also operates A-B Sales of Canton, serving more than 1,000 restaurants, bars, convenience and grocery stores in Stark, Tuscarawas, Carroll, Wayne and Holmes counties. Between the two facilities, Anheuser-Busch has nearly 800 employees in the state.

Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Great Lakes -- Ohio's oldest craft brewery -- will expand into the Gettysburg and Harrisburg, Pa., areas during the second quarter of this year; into the West Virginia panhandle, Indiana, St. Cloud, Minn., and Northeast and North Central Pennsylvania in the third quarter; and throughout North Carolina in the first quarter of next year. The brewery now serves 13 states and Washington, D.C.

The brewery also plans to improve automation in the brewhouse, allowing it to make 10 brews a day, up from seven; upgrade its labeler so it can do 240 bottles a minute as opposed to the current 170; and make other improvements, including to water daeration. The company did not state in a news release the cost of the financial investment.

"I just want to make some beer and have some fun," Smart said. "I just love making beer, you know."

He’s transforming a plaza storefront at 1674 Merriman Road into a small production brewery and tasting room, and waiting for state and federal approvals.

The taproom will feature draft beer, a small custom-made cedar bar and wooden picnic tables for seating.

The Trailhead name and picnic tables are perfect for the setting because the brewery sits at the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Trailhead should fit in well in the neighborhood. The Merriman Valley is filled with bars and nightclubs. It also was home to the former Liberty Street brewpub, which closed in 2001.

Smart’s custom-made brewhouse will be able to make a maximum of three barrels of beer at a time — a tiny amount compared to other operations. For comparison, Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron can produce 18 barrels in one batch.

Smart, who lives in Stow with his wife and infant son, plans to have four beers on tap at first and then add a fifth and sixth. Those will include an India pale ale, Belgian-style dark strong ale, imperial pilsner, stout and wheat beer.

"I like a lot of flavor in my beer," he said, adding that his brews will not be filtered.

He also would like to offer firkins — limited-edition cask-conditioned ales — on Thursdays.

There are no plans right now to distribute or bottle Trailhead beers, meaning the only way you’ll be able to taste them is by visiting the brewery. There also will be no food service, other than snacks.

The beer culture in Ohio is exploding and it’s the perfect time to start a brewery, Smart said. He and his wife — who are both Ohio State University graduates — moved to Stow last year for work after five years living in Colorado, where he managed a restaurant.

That state is beer heaven for those who love craft beer. There’s a brewery and taproom on every corner. Well, maybe not every corner, but Colorado is filled with more than 130 breweries.

Ohio has more than 70 craft brewers now with many more operations planning to open later this year.

Trailhead will be the fourth brewery in the city, joining Thirsty Dog, Hoppin’ Frog and Ohio. The new Nauti Vine on South Main Street also is seeking a state license to brew under the name Mucky Duck.

Thirsty Dog co-owner John Najeway welcomed Trailhead, noting that beer drinkers who travel to Akron want to visit other breweries.

"It’ll be nice to have another brewery because it will give you another option if you’re a craft beer fan," he said.

Brenda Becker, the widow of longtime Beer Institute President Jeff Becker, presented the award during a reception at the Capitol Visitor Center. Boehner was honored as part of the group's annual Brewers’ Day gathering.

"Speaker Boehner has been an advocate for fair taxes, for both business and for taxpayers," Joe McClain, president of the Beer Institute, said in a prepared statement. “Since he arrived in Congress more than 20 years ago, Speaker Boehner has shown the kind of leadership that we in the beer industry appreciate. The Jeff Becker award recognizes Speaker Boehner’s friendship to both the industry and to the American beer drinker.”

Boehner, R-West Chester, who was personal friends with Mr. Becker, said he was honored to receive the award. "Brewers and beer importers fuel a national industry that supports jobs in my district and every district across the country," he said in a prepared statement. "I’m proud to support hardworking Americans and stand up for fair policies for all consumers."

The Jeff Becker Beer Industry Service Award is given annually to an individual who embodies Becker’s passion for brewing industry.

For Brewers’ Day, CEOs and top executives from Beer Institute member companies, such as Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Heineken USA, Crown Imports and Brooklyn Brewery were in Washington to support the Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2013 (BEER Act), which would reduce excise taxes for all brewers and beer importers.

The event will feature Yellow Springs Brewery's Porter and Wyatt's Eviction ESB, along with Goose Island 312, Goose Island Summertime, Widmer Hopside Down, Kona Longboard Lager, Red Hook Long Hammer IPA, Redhook Wit, Harpoon IPA, Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler, Redd’s Apple Ale, Rivertown Blueberry Lager, Samuel Adams Summer Ale and Third Shift Amber Lager.

There also will be pulled pork and beef brisket sliders, live entertainment with the Omega Point Band, and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For tickets, call 937-399-3872

The 232-page book was written by Dick Cantwell, the head brewer at Seattle-based Elysian Brewing Co., which has three brewpubs and a production facility. The how-to guide covers everything from ingredients, financing, business plans and quality assurance to distribution, wastewater, sustainability, the association says. The cover price is $95.

“Planning and opening a thriving, quality-oriented brewery is hard work but completely achievable with the right guidance,” Cantwell said in a prepared statement. “At a time when the industry is booming and more breweries are emerging, I’m thrilled to be able to share my experience and help fellow brewers start on the right foot. The updated edition gets readers thinking about what’s important and provides practical advice that will help turn any craft brewing dream into a reality.”

The first edition of The Brewers Association’s Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery was released in 1996. To view a behind the scenes interview with Cantwell on the new edition, please click here.

-- The Sun News reports that Buckeye Brewing Co. will hold a beer tasting during the Taste of Lakewood on June 2. "Visitors can learn about beer and food pairings as they sample six unique craft beers from Buckeye Brewing, each carefully selected to complement foods from seven of Lakewood’s best-known restaurants.," the newspaper reports. To read the full story, click here.

-- WVXU-FM (91.7) in Cincinnati reports on Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. as part of a story on American Craft Beer Week. To listen to the report, click here.

-- The website Thrilllist.com writes about the 33 best craft beers in a can -- most of which aren't available here in Ohio. The list includes Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, Abita Purple Haze and Anderson Valley Hop Ottin. To read the full list, click here.

-- KPTV in Portland, Ore., reports on the nation's first nonprofit brewpub. The Oregon Public House will funnel money to charities. "I really like the idea of spending money and having it go somewhere rather than just in someone's pocket," customer Andrew James said.     To read the full story, click here.

The radio ads feature New Holland Dragon’s Milk, Huma Lupa Licious from Short’s Brewing, Grizzly Peak’s Steelhead Red and the Motown Lager from Motor City Brewing Works.

Pure Michigan and Founders Brewing Co. also announced that Vanilla Stout will be the Pure Michigan beer style featured in the Founders Grand Rapids taproom during Michigan Craft Beer Month.

“Our craft beer industry is booming and we encourage beer enthusiasts across the Great Lakes region and beyond to find their new favorite beer on tap right here in Pure Michigan,” George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan at the Michigan Economic Development Corp., said in a prepared statement. “For a great place to start, head into the Founders Brewing Co. taproom this July and try the special edition Vanilla Stout chosen by fans of Founders and Pure Michigan.”

Michigan is home to more than 100 breweries, ranking fifth in the nation. Also, Grand Rapids was named 2013 Beer City USA. The state's craft beer industry grew by 20 percent last year, outpacing the national industry growth rate by 12 percent, and has a total economic impact of more than $133 million in the state, officials said.

For more details on beer trail suggestions and brewery tours, visit michigan.org/breweries. 

The Fishers Foods store on Fulton Drive Northwest in Jackson Township will hold a special Belgian beer tasting from 4 to 8 p.m. May 24 featuring PALM Ale, Rodenbach and Steenbrugge Tripel from PALM Breweries.

Rebecca Weatherwax, brand development manager from Latis Import Brands, will attend to discuss the beers. Samples will be 25 cents.

-- Granite City Food & Brewery reported this week that total restaurant sales increased 22 percent to $35 million and same store sales climbed 2.7 percent for the first quarter of 2013. "We are excited to remain one of the industry leaders in same store sales and guest traffic during the quarter," Chief Executive Officer Rob Doran said in a prepared statement. To read the full story, click here.

-- The Mentor Patch website reports on Little Mountain Brewing Co.'s relocation from Kirtland to Mentor. To read the full story, click here.

Cleveland -- one of the 23 qualifying cities -- finished near the bottom with less than 300 votes. To read the full Examiner.com story, click here. To read a story from the Detroit Free Press about Grand Rapids, click here.

Williams, a web design developer in Cincinnati, and friends Kevin Yania, Mark Driscoll and Ron Tulley launched the weekly Ohio Beercast in March. So far, they’ve released interviews with the crew behind MadTree Brewing in Cincinnati, Dick Stevens at Elevator Brewing in Columbus and Scott LaFollette at Blank Slate Brewing Co. in Cincinnati. (I’ll also be recording an interview this week.)

“I’m not sure if we have a finite goal to accomplish,” Williams said. “Overall we are still working at finding our groove. We are new to podcasting and a show of this nature. But I think in the end, we want to give people the chance to discover Ohio beer and what it has to offer. You hear about Colorado, California and other big states in the beer scene and I wanted to at least show the Ohio population that we have something exciting going on here. Besides, as we go about doing this and organizing more interviews, we will be able to visit more sweet locations to find good beer.”

So far, the Ohio Beercast has featured interviews with brewers and roundtable discussions. But Williams said they are open to chatting with Ohio bloggers and others in the industry. He also wouldn’t rule out talking with someone on the national level. (If you're interested, you can reach them at 260-232-BEER, @OhioBeercast and speak@theohiobeercast.us.)

Asked if he had a “dream interview,” Williams mentioned President Obama. “First there is the recent post (rumor) that he had growlers picked up the last time he was in Columbus,” he said. “Then there is the White House beer he has made. But most of all, I would like to have him explain why he had to make beer look so uncool by having the 'Beer Summit' a few years ago. But overall, he is the most recent president that has been so personally involved with beer in a positive light.”

Episodes are usually released on Thursday nights. People can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, Stitcher Radio or the Microsoft podcast network.
 

Christian Moerlein

People also will be able to sign up for a free tour of the brewery. Buses will be available every 15 minutes to take people to the brewery. The first 5,000 visitors will receive a free "Moerlein Lagers & Ales" pint glass.

The Taste of Cincinnati is noon to midnight May 25, noon to midnight May 26, and noon to 9 p.m. May 27.

-- The Boston Globe praises Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron for producing some of the best barrel-aged beers around. Writer Gary Dzen highlights both BORIS The Crusher and Barrel-Aged Outta Kilter. To read the review, click here.

-- The Washington Post reports on the federal Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2013, which would cut the excise tax on beer in half. There's also a second proposal that would reduce the tax, but not by that much. To no one's surprise, brewers are praising the effort. "But public health research suggests that both plans are bad ideas," the newspaper says. "Annoying as they may be for responsible drinkers, alcohol taxes really do save lives." To read the full story, click here.    the tax

-- NASDAQ.com reports on the five states with the highest beer taxes: Tennessee, Alaska, Alabama, Georgia and Hawaii. "State excise taxes on beer don't necessarily have a huge impact on state budgets overall, but in tough times, they still represent an important source of tax revenue, and beer producers from giants Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors down to smaller craft beer producers like Boston Beer end up bearing their share of the burden along with their customers," the report says.  To read the full story, click here.

-- CNN reports on "Seven don't miss U.S. beerfests:" Savor in New York City, American Craft Beer Festival in Boston, Firestone Walker Invitational in Paso Robles, Calif., Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland, Ore., Burning CAN Beer Fest in Lyons, Colo., Paste Untapped in Dallas, and The Festival in Portland, Maine. To read the reasons why, click here.

Beer drinkers can expected to see television ads focusing on the bottle design starting May 20, said the company, which has a brewery in Trenton, Ohio.

 “Miller Lite is giving beer lovers a long-overdue reinvented look and drinking experience with the breakthrough new bottle design,” Ryan Reis, senior director of Miller Lite, said in a prepared statement. “In our testing, consumers overwhelmingly preferred the new bottle to the standard beer bottle. We’re proud of the new design and we’re excited to see how everyone reacts to our new look. This time when you grab a Miller Lite, you’ll know it.”

The bottle was designed by 4sight inc. -- a process that included Miller Lite consumers in interactive brainstorming and targeted focus groups. 

“The beer category is focusing heavily on packaging design innovation and the new bottle from Miller Lite will take this category to new places,” Stuart Leslie, president of 4sight, said in a prepared statement. “We are proud to help Miller Lite use design as a tool to influence the market and continue to be an industry leader.”

Elevator Brewing Co.

Taylor will talk about his brewery and beers. The cost is $10.

The beer list features: Elevator Bleeding Buckeye, Elevator Three Frogs IPA, Elevator Angry Goat Barrel-Aged Nut Brown Ale, Elevator Horny Goat Barrel-Aged Porter, Victory Prima Pils, Victory Summer Love, Full Sail Amber, Full Sail IPA, Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale, Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, Smuttynose Finestkind IPA, Smuttynose Robust Porter and Mike's Hard Shandy.

For more details, click here.

“When we realized how excited people were to taste the specially brewed cask beers at Big Tap In 2013, we found ourselves brainstorming about an event that we could host that would focus on firkins of cask ale and highlight the creativity of the great brewers in the craft beer community," organizer Sandy Reda said in a prepared statement.

“We felt like we could create a great experience for craft beer enthusiasts by creating an event whereby we could combine great cask, fall, harvest and pumpkin beers with the spirit of the Oktoberfest and the fall harvest season," Reda added.

The Sprouted Table of Youngstown will be the primary food vendor. “octoBREWfest attendees can expect to sample and purchase extraordinary locally sourced farmer’s fall harvest foods and specialty frankfurters," Adam Lee, president of the Sprouted Table, said in a prepared statement.

Entertainment will include traditional German music as well as a stein hoist competition. The event will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Shepherd Event Center in Boardman. Sept. 21 marks the start of Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. The event will benefit the nonprofit group Making Kids Count.

Tickets will be limited and not be sold at the door. They are $58 per person and go on sale Tuesday (May 14) at 7:30 a.m. at www.octoBREWfest.com. Tickets also will be sold at Vintage Estate Wine and Beer in Boardman with cash or check only.