Nearly everyone has heard of Bud Light, but have you heard of 90 Schilling Ale or Nosferatu? These beers are just two of many craft beers brewed in Ohio that average, Natty-drinking college students have never heard of. If you've never enjoyed a craft beer, you're missing out.Craft beer is hard to define. What makes a beer "craft" and what makes it "mainstream" is often debated among beer enthusiasts.
BeerTown.org defines a craft brewer as "small, independent and traditional." In this sense, a craft beer comes from a brewer who produces less than two million barrels a year and is not owned by a major alcohol company.
So, what does this mean to the average beer drinker?
It means you're being offered a wide variety of beer types, each with a unique taste and experience. It means each beer is made with love instead of being produced for the masses. It also means drinking is about taste and not about getting drunk.
I hope I didn't lose you there.
If you find drinking for taste intriguing, I encourage you to try a beer crafted by the Great Lakes Brewing Company. Located in Cleveland, this regional brewery distributes five year-round beers to nine states.
I would suggest trying the Eliot Ness Amber Lager first. It's a lager like Budweiser so it will be familiar to average drinkers, but its rich malt offers more taste than a mass-produced draft. Don't believe me? The Eliot Ness Amber Lager has won seven gold medals at the World Beer Championships.
If you're feeling more adventurous, you'll want to try Nosferatu. This Great Lakes beer is a red ale brewed with a heavy amount of hops. Hops is the ingredient that gives beer a bitter taste. Usually, that bitterness is drowned out with flavorful malt or spices.
That is not the case for Nosferatu. Its bitterness will burn all the way down, but some people enjoy it. If you try it, don't say I didn't warn you.
Great Lakes Brewing Company beers can be hard to find at times, and if you can't find a six pack at the local grocery store, don't fret. Columbus has a brewpub that crafts its own beers, and finding their brews is as easy as a 25-minute drive.
The Columbus Brewing Company offers five year-round brews, and all five are served in-house at their location in Columbus' historic Brewery District. I personally like their 90 Schilling Ale–a Scottish style ale with loads of flavor. Enjoy it with a burger, and you may just fall in love.
The Columbus Brewing Company offers three other ales, all with varying degrees of flavors and hops. They also offer a porter.
Porters are dark beers flavored with highly roasted malts, and they tend to taste like black coffee or burnt toast. If you're used to lagers like Bud Light, you'll want to shy away from the porter.
Ohioans are lucky to have such great beer brewed in their state, and it's a shame that many students are unaware of the beer options available to them. Next time you're out buying a case of Keystone, be adventurous. Step out of your comfort zone, and try a craft beer. It may change your tastes forever. t&c;
