There's still time to visit Athens, Ohio, for the Ohio Brew Week. Featuring more than 175 craft ales from 28 Ohio breweries, beer geeks unite for an unusual beer tasting experience.
Most major beer festivals take place under one roof such as the Great American Beer Festival held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The brewers are gathered in one centralized location and attendees wander from station to station, sampling their favorite or new beers.
Ohio Brew Week is different as various Athens businesses host the Ohio craft ales -the venue is literally the entire downtown area. Visitors can choose from formal dinners featuring local foods paired with beer or something more simple such as a beer tasting with appetizers. Brewery owners and brewers will make appearances at scheduled tastings to discuss their wares.
The Athens festival is not about swilling beer as fast as it can be poured. The celebration of craft beer is Ohio's own "cheers" to a craft brewing industry that has grown from eight in 1980 to more than 1,600 in 2010. According to the Brewers Association, you are in the majority of Americans if there is a brewery within 10 miles of your home.
While the focus of Brew Week is Ohio beer, there are several activities, culminating with full schedules on Friday and Saturday. Golf, pool, corn hole and bocce tournaments add an athletic element to the festival and music drifts into the streets of Athens from various venues.
You don't need to leave your best friend at home. On Thursday, the Dog Days Talent Show will be searching for the next label for Thirsty Dog Brewing Company. Each beer from the Akron brewery has a dog theme for the name and all of its promotion materials.
Amateur grill-masters have the opportunity to have their secret barbecue sauce declared "The Best Ohio Craft Beer Based Bar-B-Q Sauce" at Friday's Brew BQ Cook-off. Other prizes will be awarded including best vegetarian barbecue. Vegetarian barbecue?
Several Central Ohio breweries will be on hand in Athens including Barley's Brewing Company, The Elevator, Neil House Brewery and Rockmill Brewery. Other long-standing Ohio brewers attending include Great Lakes Brewing Company from Cleveland and relative new kid on the block Weasel Boy Brewing from Zanesville.
Limo busses will circulate through Athens providing transportation for attendees. Rides can be scheduled or "flagged" as the limo passes by. Single rides are $8 per person or a day pass can be purchased for $22.
The sixth edition of Ohio Brew Week is a great short-distance get-away from the central Ohio area. From Columbus, travel east on Route 33 to Athens for just under 90 minutes to Athens. There are hotels and campgrounds in the area, many offering Brew Week specials and shuttle service.
A visit to Ohio Brew Week in Athens is your opportunity to support Ohio-owned small businesses '" restaurants and breweries '" and keep your summer entertainment dollars in your home state. Visit the Ohio Brew Week website here for more information.
Debbie Henthorn has a love affair with her life-long home of central Ohio. Whether she's being a cheerleader for locally owned business or shaking her head at political shenanigans, Debbie likes to share the good, the bad and the ugly about life in central Ohio.
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