With the craft beer industry well into its maturity phase, I figured it is time to update my ranking of local breweries that I last attempted in 2020. Since then a lot of new breweries have opened, many existing breweries have expanded or otherwise changed, and more than a few have closed.
As usual, there are a couple caveats to this exercise. I haven't had every beer ever made by each brewery, so please don't consider these rankings precise or exact. I don't include breweries that aren't based here, so that excludes Saucy, Forbidden Root, Brewdog and the like. I have de-listed the breweries that have closed since I last did this, so please pour one out for Smokehouse, Random Precision, Somewhere in Particular, Lineage, and Pretentious (and please pour two out for Sideswipe). I haven't included a couple small breweries in the region, because I don't feel like going to everything just for the sake of completeness. Furthermore, there are some places that I haven't visited since 2020 that I don't feel particularly compelled to go back to because they haven't given me much of a reason to do so (I have largely copied over my 2020 blurbs for these, which are noted as such). Finally, the order of this list is based almost entirely on the quality of the brewery's own output. A lot of places have nice patios/food/guest taps which I will often mention, but very little of that will play into the rankings.#50 - Knotty Pine Brewing (2020 blurb)
Less of a brewery and more of a bar that brews a couple of mediocre beers, Knotty Pine is nonetheless a pleasant place to go on a weekday afternoon and have a beer on an empty patio overlooking residential Grandview.
#49 - Eastside Brewing Co
Someone has to be second-to-last, so why not make it a place without anything particularly noteworthy beer-wise? I visited on a lovely October day, which might have been the last day of the year to properly enjoy their spacious outdoor surroundings. And while there was nothing egregious in my flight, the highlight was probably a fine but forgettable cream ale. At this point in the rankings, having a #1 option is a key differentiator, even if it's very modest. That Eastside couldn't quite muster that gets them put here.
#48 - Elevator Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
One of the old guard brewers in Columbus that hasn't really kept up with the times. You could probably sell what they currently are as a working-class type ethos if their accompanying restaurant wasn't a mildly expensive place located in the middle of downtown. Oh and they don't make their most interesting beer (Mogabi) anymore (2026 NOTE: they started making this again recently, which bumps them up precisely one spot).
#47 - Old Dog Alehouse & Brewery (2020 blurb)
The newest of Delaware's three breweries is also its least essential. The one time I went the draft list was pretty basic. I had their IPA (Jetta's Flying Snot) and it was fine. There is a bakery (?) on the premises which is kinda cool I guess.
#46 - Grizzlybird Brewing Company
My original low ranking of Grizzlybird was based on a visit to Johnstown back when the brewery was called Galena Brewing. I finally made my way up to the "new" location last year, and was not particularly swayed by their updated beer lineup (though I did like that the space resembled a bar taken directly out of 1995). I will say that their West Coast IPA (The Dude) at least has a bit of personality to it, which is a useful contrast with the places below this.
One of the old guard brewers in Columbus that hasn't really kept up with the times. You could probably sell what they currently are as a working-class type ethos if their accompanying restaurant wasn't a mildly expensive place located in the middle of downtown. Oh and they don't make their most interesting beer (Mogabi) anymore (2026 NOTE: they started making this again recently, which bumps them up precisely one spot).
#47 - Old Dog Alehouse & Brewery (2020 blurb)
The newest of Delaware's three breweries is also its least essential. The one time I went the draft list was pretty basic. I had their IPA (Jetta's Flying Snot) and it was fine. There is a bakery (?) on the premises which is kinda cool I guess.
#46 - Grizzlybird Brewing Company
My original low ranking of Grizzlybird was based on a visit to Johnstown back when the brewery was called Galena Brewing. I finally made my way up to the "new" location last year, and was not particularly swayed by their updated beer lineup (though I did like that the space resembled a bar taken directly out of 1995). I will say that their West Coast IPA (The Dude) at least has a bit of personality to it, which is a useful contrast with the places below this.
#45 - Endeavor Brewing Company
I skyrocketed Endeavor up the 2020 list based on its near-perfect banana-hefe-hazy creation, Hammock. Unfortunately, it does not appear they have brewed the beer since then, so I am left to rely more heavily on the truly atrocious flight I had from them in 2018. The fading memory of the optimal patio beer is the only thing keeping these guys from going lower.
#44 - Grove City Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
These guys are actually in the city they share a name with, so that automatically places them higher than Galena (2026 NOTE: they also make slightly better beer, which is they still place ahead of the newer iteration). Most of what I've had there has been forgettable, though I did have a nice pale ale with kviek yeast on my last visit. At the very least, they always have double-digit taps going so there's a little more variety than some of the other smaller places.
#43 - Three Tigers Brewing Company
I have visited Three Tigers a few times; once when it was a small bar tucked into a tight space, once when it was a small restaurant that seemed focused on weekend brunch (pictured above), and once when it took its current form as Granville's hottest Vietnamese place with expansive patio space and bar seating. Throughout all that, the beer has never been amazing but has always been good. Perhaps the best example in the region of beer as a vehicle for other going concerns.
#40 - Buck's Brewing Co (2020 blurb)
There is something very pure about Buck's. The taproom opened in 2018 after years of its founder's homebrews making their way into local bars. It's located in a former pool shop on the north side of Newark. Most of the beers are unnamed and everything I had was perfectly cromulent (I had the milk stout and NEIPA). Just a small, nice place, and nothing more...nothing wrong with that.
#39 - Trek Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
Newark's other perfectly fine place for beer is located in a former Damon's. Much like Buck's it is perfectly fine (one of the small joys of the beer world at this point is that a small town like Newark can have multiple places with a competent lineup). I recommend the Trail Magik stout.
#38 - Temperance Row Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
A deli that makes beer in a town (Westerville) known as the former home of the temperance movement. This description makes it sound like an old-fashioned place and you would not be wrong. Which necessarily means that their maltier stuff is solid (Scofflaw is great, but last time I had their English Pale Ale (Hatchetation) which was also quite lovely) and their IPAs are subpar.
#37 - Olentangy River Brewing Company
In my prior write-up, I noted that the coffee stout was the only thing they had going for them, so it's very funny that I primarily go here for coffee now (I have spent multiple work mornings on their large, well-shaded patio after dropping the kids off at zoo camp). Despite the awesomeness of the space, there's just a lot of other places to get better hazies (and a lot of other places to get beer, period). And not for nothing, the food truck (Mordisco) sounds really good but is not.
#36 - Bridge's End Brewing Co.
#44 - Grove City Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
These guys are actually in the city they share a name with, so that automatically places them higher than Galena (2026 NOTE: they also make slightly better beer, which is they still place ahead of the newer iteration). Most of what I've had there has been forgettable, though I did have a nice pale ale with kviek yeast on my last visit. At the very least, they always have double-digit taps going so there's a little more variety than some of the other smaller places.
#43 - Three Tigers Brewing Company
I have visited Three Tigers a few times; once when it was a small bar tucked into a tight space, once when it was a small restaurant that seemed focused on weekend brunch (pictured above), and once when it took its current form as Granville's hottest Vietnamese place with expansive patio space and bar seating. Throughout all that, the beer has never been amazing but has always been good. Perhaps the best example in the region of beer as a vehicle for other going concerns.
#42 - Nostalgia Brewing Company
Last year, I finally made it back to the place that took over the old Pigskin spot in Gahanna. What transpired was a flight of beer that is perhaps most representative of what one should expect from a reasonably good brewery. There was a one-off beer that was awful, and wasn't on Untappd so I don't even remember it (which is good I guess lol). There were a couple of fine but forgettable IPAs. There was a lager with maple syrup that either worked or didn't work depending on the sip. And there was a truly beautiful cream ale infused with coffee (Whole Latte Love) that was smooth as hell.
#41 - Spires Social Brewing Co.
Easily the most chaotic of the newer breweries, so much so apparently that they briefly lost their liquor license a few months back. When they are able to sell beer to their patrons, they produce a fascinating mix. Bucking the trend I've observed with breweries that don't specialize in hazies, their hazy (Country Time) was far superior to their more classic IPA (PS: I'm Hoppy). I also had a thin but fine gose and a reasonably good imperial stout infused with cookies and cream. Their batting average does not appear to be high enough and most of their hard-hit balls are merely well-placed doubles, but their effort gets them a place here on the list. Which makes them the Adam Rosales of Central Ohio breweries?
#40 - Buck's Brewing Co (2020 blurb)
There is something very pure about Buck's. The taproom opened in 2018 after years of its founder's homebrews making their way into local bars. It's located in a former pool shop on the north side of Newark. Most of the beers are unnamed and everything I had was perfectly cromulent (I had the milk stout and NEIPA). Just a small, nice place, and nothing more...nothing wrong with that.
#39 - Trek Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
Newark's other perfectly fine place for beer is located in a former Damon's. Much like Buck's it is perfectly fine (one of the small joys of the beer world at this point is that a small town like Newark can have multiple places with a competent lineup). I recommend the Trail Magik stout.
#38 - Temperance Row Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
A deli that makes beer in a town (Westerville) known as the former home of the temperance movement. This description makes it sound like an old-fashioned place and you would not be wrong. Which necessarily means that their maltier stuff is solid (Scofflaw is great, but last time I had their English Pale Ale (Hatchetation) which was also quite lovely) and their IPAs are subpar.
#37 - Olentangy River Brewing Company
In my prior write-up, I noted that the coffee stout was the only thing they had going for them, so it's very funny that I primarily go here for coffee now (I have spent multiple work mornings on their large, well-shaded patio after dropping the kids off at zoo camp). Despite the awesomeness of the space, there's just a lot of other places to get better hazies (and a lot of other places to get beer, period). And not for nothing, the food truck (Mordisco) sounds really good but is not.
#36 - Bridge's End Brewing Co.
The taproom has a weird vibe (too fancy) and there wasn't anything particularly memorable the time I went, but the overall competence on display and the willingness to try some weird things (can I interest you in a cucumber-basil kolsch?) makes it impossible for me to place them any lower. And I do appreciate when a brewery that does not appear to have any interest in hops just leaves IPAs off the menu altogether (there were a couple IPLs, which were fine).
#35 - Loose Rail Brewing (2020 blurb)
Located in a barn-like building in the middle of Canal Winchester, Loose Rail executes a number of styles admirably well. Nothing sticks out in either direction, which is fine. The most average brewery in the Columbus area.
#34 - Buckeye Lake Brewery (2020 blurb)
Is Buckeye Lake actually better than the last couple entries in this list? Probably not. But every time I venture to Central Ohio's weak facsimile of a resort town to visit this place, it feels at least a little bit like a tiny vacation. And lately, the beer even matches that perception with the Peaches and Cream ale being an optimal beer to enjoy outdoors on their deck.
#33 - Ill Mannered Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
I've been less impressed by the recent beers I've had here, but this is still a solid spot with good variety if you're ever in Powell. The expanded taproom certainly helps matters as the old location was cute but extreeeemely small. My favorite beer of theirs remains the DIPA Palate Fatigue, a good old-fashioned Simcoe bomb.
Located in a barn-like building in the middle of Canal Winchester, Loose Rail executes a number of styles admirably well. Nothing sticks out in either direction, which is fine. The most average brewery in the Columbus area.
#34 - Buckeye Lake Brewery (2020 blurb)
Is Buckeye Lake actually better than the last couple entries in this list? Probably not. But every time I venture to Central Ohio's weak facsimile of a resort town to visit this place, it feels at least a little bit like a tiny vacation. And lately, the beer even matches that perception with the Peaches and Cream ale being an optimal beer to enjoy outdoors on their deck.
#33 - Ill Mannered Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
I've been less impressed by the recent beers I've had here, but this is still a solid spot with good variety if you're ever in Powell. The expanded taproom certainly helps matters as the old location was cute but extreeeemely small. My favorite beer of theirs remains the DIPA Palate Fatigue, a good old-fashioned Simcoe bomb.
#32 - Thunderwing Brewing
Look, I will always miss Sideswipe, but at least the space was able to live on with a disciple of its founder. Is the new place as good as Sideswipe? No, but that's a high bar for any place to clear for me personally. Ultimately, a biscuity mild (Far Shores) and a workmanlike IPA (Arise) is a really good place to start, even if not everything else is quite as good as those.
#31 - Zaftig Brewing Company
I've gone to Zaftig a shocking number of times for something this low on the list. I think the promise of continuous iteration on high-gravity beers is too tempting of a premise for me to abandon completely. And lucky for me, this eternal optimism has paid off on the last two visits with a couple of reasonably-good DIPAs (Hop Swapper and Sauvin & 7). Now, is it true that both of those use Idaho 7, the cheat code of hops? Yes, but having the vision to go to the well multiple times with your strongest fighter is a sign of wisdom all its own.
#30 - Combustion Brewery & Taproom
The first time I went to the original Pickerington location a decade or so ago, the IPA was solid and the Imperial Breakfast Stout was a true standout. These beers showed more than enough promise to place Combustion fairly high on the list. Nothing I have had since then has lived up to that initial promise, which is too bad because I had high hopes when they took over the old Lineage spot. My most recent visit featured a Czech lager without much personality and a Barleywine that didn't justify the booziness.
If you must absolutely go all the way out to Lancaster for whatever reason, at least they have a pretty good brewery there. I have somehow been here five (!) times now, and have had everything from a pungent sour (Axl Razz) to a very nice coffee stout with extra coffee. As is often true with breweries that don't specialize in haze bombs, the traditional IPAs (The Lateral, Seven Seas) are significantly better than the hazies. Nothing wrong with that.
I've gone to Zaftig a shocking number of times for something this low on the list. I think the promise of continuous iteration on high-gravity beers is too tempting of a premise for me to abandon completely. And lucky for me, this eternal optimism has paid off on the last two visits with a couple of reasonably-good DIPAs (Hop Swapper and Sauvin & 7). Now, is it true that both of those use Idaho 7, the cheat code of hops? Yes, but having the vision to go to the well multiple times with your strongest fighter is a sign of wisdom all its own.
#30 - Combustion Brewery & Taproom
The first time I went to the original Pickerington location a decade or so ago, the IPA was solid and the Imperial Breakfast Stout was a true standout. These beers showed more than enough promise to place Combustion fairly high on the list. Nothing I have had since then has lived up to that initial promise, which is too bad because I had high hopes when they took over the old Lineage spot. My most recent visit featured a Czech lager without much personality and a Barleywine that didn't justify the booziness.
#29 - Campfire Brewing
I find myself wildly mixed on Campfire because on one hand, their flagship IPA actually made me respect smoked beers a bit, and their conceit of releasing a bunch of "test batches" of new beers at least keeps you on your toes. On the other hand, I have yet to have something truly memorable from them. That this combination of things places them above a bunch of more established breweries is probably more indicative of my eternal optimism than anything else, so I will need to go back soon to test this evaluation.
#28 - Honest Friend Brewing
You can take a lot of what I just wrote about Campfire and repeat it here. I will not do that because that is boring. I will say that as an aging dadbod-haver, I appreciate Honest Friend's concept of only making low-ABV beers. That said, I need a little more clarity of purpose beyond that to truly fall in love with the place. Their reasonably well-executed if dainty little French saison (Louche) is probably the best thing I've had from them, which says it all, really.
#27 - Double Edge Brewing Company
#27 - Double Edge Brewing Company
If you must absolutely go all the way out to Lancaster for whatever reason, at least they have a pretty good brewery there. I have somehow been here five (!) times now, and have had everything from a pungent sour (Axl Razz) to a very nice coffee stout with extra coffee. As is often true with breweries that don't specialize in haze bombs, the traditional IPAs (The Lateral, Seven Seas) are significantly better than the hazies. Nothing wrong with that.
#26 - Edison Brewing Company
Possibly the most solid brewery on this list. A bunch of various European-type offerings and a few IPAs, all of it good, none of it otherworldly. I like the view of downtown from their location on the near-east side, but the patio is possibly the most exposed placed on Earth if you're trying to enjoy a drink on a summer afternoon. Luckily they allow you to sit inside.
#25 - Outerbelt Brewing
#24 - Homestead Beer Company
With Homestead losing their old place and then losing their new place, they are now really nothing more than a pop-up within Outerbelt's behemoth taproom. Homestead wins the in-building competition with some of their old recipes (ie. Snake Oil) still going. And there's still the memory of the wonderful bourbon barrel-aged stout (Bison) I had in 2020. That said, I had a couple of their newer (?) brews on my latest visit and was less impressed. Because I don't know quite what Homestead is as a going concern, they go here for now.
#24 - Homestead Beer Company
With Homestead losing their old place and then losing their new place, they are now really nothing more than a pop-up within Outerbelt's behemoth taproom. Homestead wins the in-building competition with some of their old recipes (ie. Snake Oil) still going. And there's still the memory of the wonderful bourbon barrel-aged stout (Bison) I had in 2020. That said, I had a couple of their newer (?) brews on my latest visit and was less impressed. Because I don't know quite what Homestead is as a going concern, they go here for now.
Outerbelt's history is less accomplished than it's brewery-mate (hence the lower ranking), but I did have a fantastic one-two punch on a recent visit, with a throwback DIPA (Double Parked) and an incredibly clean and deep red lager (Camino Amberino). Perhaps now that the initial promise of their fine (but ultimately lesser) hazies has died down, they can occupy a lane that allows them more room to shine.
Gemüt seems a little too inclined to make crowd-pleasers to be a truly great lager-based brewery, but there's nothing inherently wrong with pleasing the crowd. That said, when they do choose to go big and bold with the malt (Rubezahl Schwarzbier), they achieve something a little more special. General competence with (mostly) untapped potential gets you ranked here.
#20 - Barley's Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
An oldie but a goody. Their imperial stout is great. Blurry Bike is light and airy with a bite. Blood Thirst Wheat is a beautiful use of fruit. Barley's rarely tries to reinvent itself, but that's fine because they're just really good at making beer.
#18 - Antiques on High
The idea of revitalizing a century-old brand is kind of hokey, but Hoster pulls it off. They do this because the old recipe (Gold Top), while fine, is easily overshadowed by everything else. I can't decide if the Czech dark lager (Eagle Dark) or the altbier they brewed for their anniversary is my favorite thing I've had from them. Also I appreciate that the only IPA I've had from them (German IPA) is brewed with rye. We need more rye IPAs dammit.
#15 - Parsons North Brewing Company
#23 - Standardized Brewing
You wouldn't necessarily think a combo coffee place-brewery in one of those new-fangled developments way up north would have particularly good beer, but it does! Specifically, they do hazies reasonably well, with both a standard Citra bomb (Evans Farm) and a nice little coconutty guy (From the Heart Vol 5). Fun bonus: when I visited last summer, I was able to watch Wimbledon on the patio until a storm blew in. Then, when another patron's dog ran away because of the thunder, a group of tweens (there presumably because it's not just a brewery) helped chase it down. The suburbs: not completely terrible when they have good breweries.
#22 - Henmick Farm & Brewery
A giant barn in the country with a huge outdoor space that makes a little bit of everything and makes it well is the most down-the-middle value proposition one can imagine for a brewery. That the dunkel was truly extraordinary, with the syrupy-ness of the malt contrasting with the creamy texture from the side-pull, puts it a step above other similarly cromulent breweries.
#21 - Gemüt Biergarten
#20 - Barley's Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
An oldie but a goody. Their imperial stout is great. Blurry Bike is light and airy with a bite. Blood Thirst Wheat is a beautiful use of fruit. Barley's rarely tries to reinvent itself, but that's fine because they're just really good at making beer.
#19 - Restoration Brew Worx (2020 blurb, mostly)
I've been up to Delawarethrice four times, but have somehow never had any of Restoration's high-ABV stouts. As such, this is remains an incomplete grade. That said, I've had so many successful variations on their hoppy beers, that I feel confident in saying that they are skilled at what they do.
I've been up to Delaware
#18 - Antiques on High
#17 - The Getaway Brewing Co
I resisted Seventh Son's conceptual offshoots for long enough, as it turns out to my detriment. Antiques on High's initial offerings were admittedly mixed, but the lineup of sours I had recently were all perfectly good. Like I said in my write up of Portland, you don't necessarily need to re-write the book on sours to be worthwhile, especially in an era that pays short shrift to the more classical versions of the style.
The Getaway is a comparatively sparser concept (lagers and such), but one of the beers I had (the Italian pils Italo Disco) was such an exemplar of the style, with all the silkiness and stankiness you want in equal measure that I couldn't help but stand up and applaud (not literally). I would like to see more than four beers from them (most of their taps are occupied by their sister breweries), but for now they go here.
#16 - Hoster Brewing Company
#16 - Hoster Brewing Company
#15 - Parsons North Brewing Company
The most average brewery on this list (positive). Their IPAs are well-executed versions of their eponymous styles. Their Mexican lagers are the second-best Cinco-related beers in town (North High's Jalalima is still the best). And their barrel-aged offerings have ranged from beautiful displays of the barrel (Dark Sour) to wonderful use of adjuncts (Toasted Coconut and Cinnamon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout). Their refusal to name any of their beers remains a sticking point, but as long as they stubbornly continue to make all of their beers good, it's only a very minor complaint.
#14 - Land-Grant Brewing Company (2020 blurb, mostly)
While refreshing my memory for this piece I found that I have checked in35 40 distinct beers from Land-Grant on Untappd. This is my second fourth-highest total among local places, which is only appropriate as volume is kind of their whole deal (ie. my most-recent check-in was on Ohio State's campus). This commitment to quantity means there are some duds but there's also some really good ones, like CMYK, a really sharp and crisp DIPA. They recently expanded their footprint to include a large outdoor space, which someone without small medium children could probably tell you gets busy on weekends in the summer.
#14 - Land-Grant Brewing Company (2020 blurb, mostly)
While refreshing my memory for this piece I found that I have checked in
#13 - Rockmill Brewery
This is a very incomplete grade as I haven't been since the ownership changed hands. Rockmill was historically one of the best places in the area, executing classic styles with aplomb. The updated menu looks to have carried over some of this, but with more than a few notable changes. For now, a decade-plus of positive memories is enough to land them here, but I reserve the right to move them radically up or down the list whenever I get around to visiting again.
This is a very incomplete grade as I haven't been since the ownership changed hands. Rockmill was historically one of the best places in the area, executing classic styles with aplomb. The updated menu looks to have carried over some of this, but with more than a few notable changes. For now, a decade-plus of positive memories is enough to land them here, but I reserve the right to move them radically up or down the list whenever I get around to visiting again.
#12 - Happenstance Brewing Project
The name of this place is appropriate for my experience with it, as I happened by it on the way back from a trip. If you find yourself in Marysville with time to kill, you can't go wrong here. I was limited to two beers, but they were both bangers: an English IPA that was brewed perfectly to style and their flagship IPA (The Stance), which complements the aggressive amount of Nelson with a lovely touch of Mosaic. I am excited to find an excuse to stop back here to see just how good the rest of their extensive menu is.
#11 - Nocterra Brewing Company
#10 - 2 Tones Brewing Co.
#9 - Seventh Son Brewing Co.
This is still a great space with maybe the fullest lineup of flagship beers in town. What holds them back ever so slightly is a lack of upside, best exemplified by the middling Scientist series of IPAs or the hit-or-miss nature of their high-ABV offerings.
#11 - Nocterra Brewing Company
While I have cooled a bit on kettle sours as a concept, it's hard to deny that Nocterra is good at making them. Since the last time I ranked all the breweries I had the Sheboygan version of their Swell Line series, which might be the only time I've had cranberry in a beer (that can't be right)? I also had a wonderful wild ale (Notarctia Proxima) at their new location in Audubon Metro Park. Their hazies and such remain fine but forgettable, but as long as they churn out unique and interesting things on all ends of the sour spectrum they stay here.
#10 - 2 Tones Brewing Co.
This is simply a place that is good to great at everything from your basic Citra-Mosaic bomb (About a Month) to a syrupy lager (French Toast Crumble). Plus it's close to the VA, so you can always overhear amazing conversations between old people if you go early enough. Win win.
#9 - Seventh Son Brewing Co.
This is still a great space with maybe the fullest lineup of flagship beers in town. What holds them back ever so slightly is a lack of upside, best exemplified by the middling Scientist series of IPAs or the hit-or-miss nature of their high-ABV offerings.
#8 - CounterBalance Brewing Company
As the newer little brother of a place higher up on the list, I'm not quite sure what to make of CounterBalance yet. The focus on low-ABV beers doesn't preclude big, bold tastes from sours (Neon Tides), lagers (Pizzazz), and even a 4% Citra bomb (Element of Surprise). But I have yet to see much variance (the taplist on my two visits was small both times and nearly identical), and I've had a couple of duds as well. I see no reason these guys can't climb the ranks, but I need to see juuust a little bit more.
#7 - Staas Brewing Company (2020 blurb)
Delaware's finest brewery runs the gamut from saisons to IPAs, but everything has a very classical feel to it. And to be clear, all the beers are well-executed and very good. The House English Ale is probably the star (if only because I don't think I've ever had anything quite like it), but you literally can't go wrong here which is something you might not be able to say about anywhere else on this list.
#6 - North High Brewing
I am torn on my evaluation of North High because on one hand, they still make a lot of their classics (Stardust to Stardust, Fly, Jalalima) and those are still very good. But on the other hand, their newer locations lack the charm of the now closed namesake location. And more importantly, the newer offerings I have had at those locations were relatively mediocre. There's a ways to go before I drop them from their lofty spot in these rankings, but let's just say I at least started thinking about it.
#5 - Wolf's Ridge Brewing
Similar to North High, Wolf's Ridge development over time has focused on locations over beer. Wolf's Ridge maintains the edge because 1) the newer locations are far more charming, and 2) their batting average on making great beers remains higher. Problems with their barrel program have led to a decrease in output of their most special beers. But what does get out is still great, and there's still the cream ales and the main Dire Wolf to fall back on.
#4 - Columbus Brewing Company
CBC's relationship to physical spaces remains an ongoing comedy, though the one remaining spot near East Market is very good. Most importantly, they still make Bodhi. I have admittedly not done a good enough job keeping up with all of their newest creations, but what I have had has been good enough to suggest They've Still Got It. Specifically, I had wet-hopped beers in consecutive autumns that highlighted the specific hops (Idaho 7 in 2022, Cashmere in 2023) to such an absurd degree that I am kicking myself in retrospect for not seeking out whatever they came out with the last two years.
#1 - Hoof Hearted Brewing
In a certain light, Hoof has some of the same "problems" as the other decade-plus-old breweries near the top of this list: issues with the second location, the same old lineup of legacy beers, and relatively less excitement over new recipes. But everything I just said in defense of DankHouse goes the same if not more so for Hoof. That "same old lineup" is incredible, and they've still made room for new discoveries (an oat lager collab with DISSOLVR is probably the best of those for my buck). The place that makes Konkey Dong and Musk of the Minotaur and Slo Turbo will probably be the best of Central Ohio until whenever they decide to stop.
Delaware's finest brewery runs the gamut from saisons to IPAs, but everything has a very classical feel to it. And to be clear, all the beers are well-executed and very good. The House English Ale is probably the star (if only because I don't think I've ever had anything quite like it), but you literally can't go wrong here which is something you might not be able to say about anywhere else on this list.
#6 - North High Brewing
I am torn on my evaluation of North High because on one hand, they still make a lot of their classics (Stardust to Stardust, Fly, Jalalima) and those are still very good. But on the other hand, their newer locations lack the charm of the now closed namesake location. And more importantly, the newer offerings I have had at those locations were relatively mediocre. There's a ways to go before I drop them from their lofty spot in these rankings, but let's just say I at least started thinking about it.
#5 - Wolf's Ridge Brewing
Similar to North High, Wolf's Ridge development over time has focused on locations over beer. Wolf's Ridge maintains the edge because 1) the newer locations are far more charming, and 2) their batting average on making great beers remains higher. Problems with their barrel program have led to a decrease in output of their most special beers. But what does get out is still great, and there's still the cream ales and the main Dire Wolf to fall back on.
#4 - Columbus Brewing Company
CBC's relationship to physical spaces remains an ongoing comedy, though the one remaining spot near East Market is very good. Most importantly, they still make Bodhi. I have admittedly not done a good enough job keeping up with all of their newest creations, but what I have had has been good enough to suggest They've Still Got It. Specifically, I had wet-hopped beers in consecutive autumns that highlighted the specific hops (Idaho 7 in 2022, Cashmere in 2023) to such an absurd degree that I am kicking myself in retrospect for not seeking out whatever they came out with the last two years.
#3 - Derive Brewing Company
By far the best new place since I last did this exercise, Derive is something of a poor man's Triptych. This is no insult, as I consider Triptych one of the finest breweries in the land. What makes Derive similar is their commitment to brewing a large assortment of quality lagers, and other such "smaller" beers. They also have a wide range of quality when it comes to IPAs ranging from truly excellent modern IPAs (Canary Diamonds) to welcome throwbacks (Rewind) to offerings that lean way too much on Cryo (this is another similarity to Triptych, and is the main drawback to both places). They also make a fairly wide range of kettle sours, which are distinct/good enough to be worth your time.
#2 - DankHouse Brewing Company
As DankHouse has gone from its infancy to maturity, I've noticed something of a pattern to their myriad recipes. That is, there is a certain level of sameness to the average DankHouse sour or IPA. In this way, they are something of an antithesis to my favorite brewery in existence, whose every offering reeks of purpose. And the wholehearted embrace of AI labels doesn't help matters (though they get something of a pass since their original artist passed away). It would be very easy to default to this base judgment and lump them in with other "disappointing" breweries like, say, Belleflower. However...well...you may have noticed they are #2 on this list.
#2 - DankHouse Brewing Company
As DankHouse has gone from its infancy to maturity, I've noticed something of a pattern to their myriad recipes. That is, there is a certain level of sameness to the average DankHouse sour or IPA. In this way, they are something of an antithesis to my favorite brewery in existence, whose every offering reeks of purpose. And the wholehearted embrace of AI labels doesn't help matters (though they get something of a pass since their original artist passed away). It would be very easy to default to this base judgment and lump them in with other "disappointing" breweries like, say, Belleflower. However...well...you may have noticed they are #2 on this list.
First off, this baseline of thick sours and citrus-y IPAs is a pretty good baseline to have. Sure, I am addicted to checking in new beers on Untappd, but I'm not just picking up every new offering I can get from them for funsies. And among those pickups have been some truly special finds. The flashy things like the cereal milk beers and the bombastic IPAs are the obvious highlights, but there's a lot more to what they do than that. Garden Grove uses pineapple in a way that makes me actually like what I normally consider to be the most overrated adjunct. Their German pilsner (Righteous Liquid) stacks up with the best of other similar local offerings. And their "throwback" IPAs (ie. HumanFrequency) harkens back to the days of yore, in some ways surpassing their hazy output. But the recent highlight comes from last year, when they produced a sour aged in Sotol barrels that was beautifully distinct and perfectly blended with strawberry and other complementary fruits. This became what I believe to be my first 5-star rating for a local beer on Untappd.
#1 - Hoof Hearted Brewing
In a certain light, Hoof has some of the same "problems" as the other decade-plus-old breweries near the top of this list: issues with the second location, the same old lineup of legacy beers, and relatively less excitement over new recipes. But everything I just said in defense of DankHouse goes the same if not more so for Hoof. That "same old lineup" is incredible, and they've still made room for new discoveries (an oat lager collab with DISSOLVR is probably the best of those for my buck). The place that makes Konkey Dong and Musk of the Minotaur and Slo Turbo will probably be the best of Central Ohio until whenever they decide to stop.
