Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Contemplating making a New York run later this year. Not sure if I wanna go south (Half Time Mamaroneck, Capt Lawrence, whatever else in Westchester) or north (Albany/Troy area)
Contemplating making a New York run later this year. Not sure if I wanna go south (Half Time Mamaroneck, Capt Lawrence, whatever else in Westchester) or north (Albany/Troy area)
Great Lakes in Cleveland - LoveLuckLaughter has hooked me up with some Great Lakes on her adventures east and it's good stuff. I also pick it up when I see it in NY.
For Cokes, and anyone else looking for beer in Cleveland:
Great Lakes is the undisputed top brewery in Cleveland. The brewpub is cool, and most places in NE Ohio that sell beer (which includes virtually every bar, supermarket, gas station and convenience store - HAH!) carry at least Dortmunder Gold and a current seasonal. Their Edmund Fitzgerald is my favorite porter ever, the Christmas Ale is a regional favorite (and synonymous with winter seasonal ales here), and lots of their other beers rank very highly on Ratebeer and other places.
Market Garden Brewery is the current trendy spot if you'll actually be drinking in Cleveland proper. Definitely try the Citramax if you like IPAs.
Platform is a newcomer but another real gem I highly recommend. I haven't made it to their taproom yet (and I think they opened on in Columbus?) but it isn't far from the two above. Area beer stores and supermarkets with bigger selections carry some of their cans, which seem to change monthly. Everyhting I've tried from them has been good, and they branch out a bit more than GL, with a variety of goses and other fringe styles. And their cans are pretty descriptive, which is nice, so you can pick whatever sounds good to you and I promise you won't be disappointed. Their Sour Series are the first sours I've really liked.
Fathead's is also pretty popular locally. They're in the suburbs but close enough to consider visiting if you're in town, and any good beer store should have several of their brews. I find their name and logo to be a big turn off for some inexplicable personal reason, but don't let that dissuade you - they brew great beer.
Hopping Frog in Akron is absolutely top notch. They have a taproom and sell a lot of $8-$9 bombers in stores. I've only had a few, and was not let down.
Thirsty Dog, also based in Akron, is a personal favorite. Their dog breed motif is more interesting than some brewers' gimmicks and naming schemes, and their beer is tasty.
The Brew Kettle in Strongsville is another choice you can't go wrong with. White Raja and Black Raja are award winners, to name two.
There are actually a bunch of other local brewpubs and breweries that do such a nice job. Lager Heads, Ohio Brewing, Willoughby Brewing Co., Buckeye, and Portside (downtown taproom) are a few more I can think of. I really haven't spent enough time elsewhere to truly gauge the craft beer scene in other cities, but I get the feeling that the brewers in the Cleveland area can compete with anyone. We're in a golden age for beer right now, and everyone seems to be proud to claim Cleveland on their labels.
Rhinegeist out of Cincinnati has also become pretty popular lately. Doesn't sell for shit at my restaurant, not that anything good does, but I see lots in stores. I dig the Mosaic. And Jackie O's down in Athens (everyone at Ohio University knows them) now distribute to NE Ohio, and are amazing. They have become the main beer vendors at Nelsonville Music Festival, which is one of the many perks of NMF, BTW.
Anywho, I'd say if you're visiting try Market Garden or Great Lakes, take GL home if you want bottles, and definitely check out Platform cans if you see them. Anything else is delicious icing on the cake, if it happens to be convenient. I can't recommend any good stores unfortunately, unless you're going to be way out on the East side. But any Giant Eagle or Heinen's supermarket, at least, should carry a few styles from each of several local brewers.
For reference, if it matters: craft/micro 6-packs are most commonly $9 here, with $10-$12 common. For draft, $4-$7 is pretty common, though prices are highly variable.
I'm going on a big road trip later in the summer, and I'm hoping to bring back or otherwise drink some of the best beer in the states I'm visiting along the way. I want the best kept secrets of the beer scene, if possible
Massachusetts (home state, got this covered) New York (via Ithaca) Pennsylvania (I won't really be here long enough, plus I've been to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) Ohio (Cleveland) Indiana (via South Bend?) Illinois (Chicago, paging Alyssa) Wisconsin (Madison, Eau Claire) Minnesota (Twin Cities) South Dakota (Rapid City, maybe Sioux Falls?) Wyoming (Cheyenne) Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Pueblo) Kansas (Topeka, Kansas City) Missouri (Kansas City, St. Louis) Kentycky (Louisville) Tennessee (Nashville) Georgia (Atlanta) North Carolina (Asheville) Virginia (driving the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, so anything near there) Washington DC
For Kansas City: Can find in stores or at taproom - Crane, Torn Label, Martin City Can only buy at taproom - Double Shift, Big Rip, Cinderblock
If you make it west of Topeka definitely detour up to Manhattan and go to Tallgrass (they are bigger than the ones I listed for KC and you can find their beers in most stores in the midwest)
Wicked Weed had distro to Massachusetts before the sale, so I'm not that concerned about them
Some folks here in NC are super salty 'bout the whole thing. Personally I don't care much as while WW made good beer, they never made a favorite of mine. Although their French toast stout is delicious. Either way I don't think their quality will change fer the next few years.
On another note I'm doin' a happy dance tonight! In two separate raffles I won bottles of one of my absolute favorite seasonal stouts! Westbrook Brewin' Co. outta SC releases Mexican Cake 'round Cinco de Mayo every year at their brewery, then it hits very limited distro. Notes of spicy peppers, coffee, and vanilla! I cannot wait to dive into these bad boys! I usually only get one a year, so I might share some this time.
I prefer the studios, but if you want some great bbq go to the foundation one it shares space with 12 Bones. Also if it's rainy since basically all the seating is outside at the studio one.
October, a leading beer culture mag created by Pitchfork's creative studio Slow Focus, brings you OctFest, a new kind of beer & music festival.
At the intersection of great music, food, and an incredible selection of contemporary beers, OctFest aims to unite novice and experienced beer lovers over the course of a single day at The Brooklyn Hangar on September 9th.
One epic day, 8 artists, and 40 breweries from around the world pouring unlimited samples of their best craft beers.
The musical line-up includes Guided By Voices, Okkervil River, The Sadies, Charles Bradley, Kilo Kish, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and more to come.
Stellar breweries include local favorites like Singlecut, Sixpoint, and Peekskill, as well as breweries from around the country like 4 Hands, New Belgium, Rogue, and international standouts like Cloudwater, Radeberger Gruppe, and Weihenstephan.
October, a leading beer culture mag created by Pitchfork's creative studio Slow Focus, brings you OctFest, a new kind of beer & music festival.
At the intersection of great music, food, and an incredible selection of contemporary beers, OctFest aims to unite novice and experienced beer lovers over the course of a single day at The Brooklyn Hangar on September 9th.
One epic day, 8 artists, and 40 breweries from around the world pouring unlimited samples of their best craft beers.
The musical line-up includes Guided By Voices, Okkervil River, The Sadies, Charles Bradley, Kilo Kish, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and more to come.
Stellar breweries include local favorites like Singlecut, Sixpoint, and Peekskill, as well as breweries from around the country like 4 Hands, New Belgium, Rogue, and international standouts like Cloudwater, Radeberger Gruppe, and Weihenstephan.
I wish they teased Copenhagen with one beer from each brewery, but without saying which session that beer would be a part of. Would help me decide if it's worth it to go or not.
I wish they teased Copenhagen with one beer from each brewery, but without saying which session that beer would be a part of. Would help me decide if it's worth it to go or not.
If it's anything like last year it is worth it. Just the fact that Bokkereyder is there is worth it alone.
