Analysis: Ohio Beer Taxes Among Lowest

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s beer excise tax rates are on the low end of the spectrum, according to an analysis by the Tax Foundation.

Ohio’s 18 cents per gallon tax ties it with West Virginia for 34th […]

Ohio Wines In A Nutshell

Don’t know much about Ohio’s wine industry? Fear not, for here — just in time for what’s left of this year’s Ohio Wines Month celebration — is a thumbnail of the industry’s past, present and […]

Toledo Beer & Bacon Fest Set For June 15

TOLEDO — More than 20 Northwest Ohio breweries are scheduled to participate in the fifth annual Toledo Beer & Bacon Fest June 15 at the Hungarian Club of Toledo.

Participating breweries will include Black Cloister, Black […]

Key Lime Pie Ale Is Latest Braxton, Graeter’s Beer

CINCINNATI — Braxton Brewing Co. and Graeter’s Ice Cream are teaming up again with the release of Graeter’s Key Lime Pie Ale.

Braxton Brewing’s Graeter’s Key Lime Pie Ale is brewed with vanilla beans, cinnamon, lactose […]

Ohio Wine Industry On Positive Course

In 1978, a small group of Ohio winemakers declared June as Ohio Wine Month.

Their intent was to celebrate an old and respected winemaking industry that had its roots in the 1820s, had fallen on hard […]

Gewurz From Ferrante Is State’s Best

GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE — A Northeast Ohio Gewurztraminer was crowned the top wine in the recently completed 2019 Ohio Wine Competition.

Ferrante Winery of Geneva was awarded the competition’s overall Best of Show for its 2017 Grand River […]

Boston Beer Acquiring Dogfish Head Brewery

BOSTON —The Boston Beer Co. announced this month it is acquiring Dogfish Head Brewery in a cash and stock deal worth about $300 million.

Boston Beer, maker of the Samuel Adams line of beers, will pay […]

Taverns a Part of America’s History

May is National Tavern Month, making it a good time to examine the roots, history and contributions of taverns since Europeans first landed in America more than 400 years ago.

The American tavern is a direct […]

Younger Generations Still Have A Taste For Flavors

With youth generations a major driver, flavored spirits are expected to generate significant profits over the next few years.

Whether it’s vodka, tequila or whiskey, companies are infusing spirits with different kinds of flavors, such as […]

New Company Resurrects Hilltop Brand

COLUMBUS — A new company is bringing back the local Hilltop beer brand that appeared destined for history when its original brewer closed last fall. […]

‘Drunk Shopping’ Hits $39.4 Billion

NEW YORK — Americans spent an estimated $39.4 billion on spontaneous shopping purchases after drinking in the past year, according to a recent finder.com “Drunk Shopping” study, topping the $30.43 billion spent the previous year. […]

National Tavern Month Has Ohio Roots

Six decades ago this month, an Ohio tavern owner was the impetus for a nationwide promotion that touted the neighborhood tavern as the “Friendliest Place in Town.” […]

The Evolution Of National Beer Day

Earlier this month, many Americans were wishing themselves “Happy National Beer Day.” It would be interesting to see how many of those people actually knew what they were celebrating, particularly in a nation of beer […]

Gallo Acquires 30-Plus Brands From Constellation

MODESTO, Calif. (PRNewswire) — E. & J. Gallo Winery recently agreed to purchase more than 30 wine and spirits brands, along with six winemaking facilities, from Constellation Brands Inc. […]

Court Denies Stone Injunction Against MillerCoors

ESCONDIDO, Calif. — A federal judge last month rejected Stone Brewing’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the craft brewer’s lawsuit claiming MillerCoors’ revamped packaging for its Keystone brand infringes on the craft brewer’s trademark. […]

Despite Falling On Sunday, Cinco de Mayo Expected To Be ‘Caliente’

Most everyone has heard by now that the Cinco de Mayo celebration marked by so many Tex-Mex restaurants and taco-burrito bars throughout the Buckeye State is an American creation. […]

USBG Launches Lucid-sponsored Cocktail Contest

HOOD RIVER, Ore. (PRNewswire) — Marking the 12th anniversary of the repeal of the ban on the sale of absinthe in the U.S., the United States Bartenders’ Guild has kicked off the 2019 edition of […]

Brewfontaine Again Named ‘Best Beer Bar’ In Ohio

BELLEFONTAINE — For the third straight year, a local bar was named Ohio’s “best beer bar” as part of CraftBeer.com’s Great American Beer Bars competition.

Brewfontaine was selected the top beer bar in Ohio by readers […]

Ohio Distillers Embrace Craft’s Past, Future

Ohio craft distilleries come from two camps — one that gives due deference to distilling’s history, spanning centuries and continents, and the other which wants only to shake up things.

Both have profited from and aided […]

Beers Announced For Winter Warmer Fest

CLEVELAND — Sixty-two Ohio craft breweries poured more than 200 beer varieties, including winter seasonals, limited-editions and high-gravity beers, at the 13th annual Winter Warmer Fest earlier this month.

The March 9 event, a fundraiser for […]

Lawsuit Filed Over Drink Pouch Design

NEW YORK (PRNewswire) — The owner of the flavored juice drink Capri Sun last month filed a lawsuit in United States federal court against American Beverage Corp., claiming ABC breached a license agreement involving the […]

Brewfontaine named Ohio’s Great American Beer Bar

Bellefontaine, Ohio (February 28, 2019) — Today CraftBeer.com, the Brewers Association’s website for beer lovers, released its annual list of Great American Beer Bars.

For the third year in a row, Brewfontaine took home the title […]

Middle West Spirits Earns National Recognition

Columbus, OH (February 14, 2019) — Middle West Spirits recently received national honors at the 2019 American Craft Spirits Awards in Minneapolis, MN.  This year’s trade event attracted nearly 1,000 producers and suppliers from across the U.S.

As […]

Continuing the Rose Bowl Win Celebration

Jan. 30, 2019 — Ohio State fans have a new reason to continue celebrating the Buckeyes’ 2019 Super Bowl win over the Washington Huskies. Mano’s Wine and The Ohio State University have partnered to release […]

Buffalo Trace Distillery Recommissions 1883 Fermenter

Craft Beer’s Year Highlighted By Record Numbers, Impact

BOULDER, Colo. (Globe Newswire) — A record number of craft brewers and continued growth were among the highlights of the industry during 2018, according to the Brewers Association.

Of note in 2018, according to the association:

[…]

Winter Warmer Fest Breweries Announced

CLEVELAND — More than 60 Ohio craft breweries have been announced as participants in the 13th annual Winter Warmer Fest, scheduled for March 9 at Windows on the River here.

The Winter Warmer Fest is a […]

Ohio Wines Garner High Scores from Renowned Wine Critic

Reynoldsburg, OH (December 18, 2018) – Ohio continues to earn recognition as a wine destination, receiving global attention among other world-class growing regions. As the sixth largest producer of wine in the country with more […]

Sazerac and Partners Launch New Mezcals

CHICAGO, IL (Dec. 13, 2018) – In close partnership with Casa San Matias and a group of mezcaleros in Oaxaca, Sazerac is launching a new family of mezcals called Los Vecinos del Campo.

These hand-crafted spirits […]

Buffalo Trace Distillery Introduces Old Charter Oak Bourbon

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Dec. 6, 2018) – Have you ever wondered how barrels made from trees that grew in different countries, climates, and soil would affect the flavors of the whiskey? Buffalo Trace […]

Athens Brewery’s Beer Named To Top 50 List

ATHENS — A collaboration beer made by Little Fish Brewing Co. here was named to Men’s Journal magazine’s recent 50 Best Beers in America.

Ohio’s entry to the magazine’s list, Home Slice, was made in collaboration […]

Winter Warmer Fest is March 9

CLEVELAND — The Ohio Craft Brewers Association is presenting its 13th annual Winter Warmer Fest March 9 at Windows on the River in Cleveland.

The 2-5 p.m. event will feature 50 Ohio craft breweries showcasing their […]

Distilling Pioneer Dave Pickerell Dies At 62

WASHINGTON, — Spirits icon and pioneering distiller Dave Pickerell died Nov. 1 in San Francisco. He was 62.

Pickerell spent 14 years as master distiller for Maker’s Mark before venturing out to help start many of […]

Sazerac Company Purchases Brand from Diageo

LOUISVILLE, KY (Nov. 12, 2018) The Sazerac Company, one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers, is purchasing 19 brands from Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands […]

Rare Bourbon On Auction Block

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Division of Liquor Control is in the midst of several auctions of limited-supply bourbons.

The auctions to win the opportunity to purchase one of several rare bourbon releases began Nov. 1 and […]

Columbus Agency Hosts One-Off ‘Last Call’ Sale

COLUMBUS — Expanding on a concept launched in January to sell delisted distilled spirits by discounting them up to 40 percent, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control took what was an agency-by-agency “bargain bin” approach […]

SGSW Taps Top Sales Performers

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Ohio recently announced its Top Performing Salespersons of the year.
Tom Martin and Cory Schneck shared the honor in the Independence, while Taylor Scott was recognized for the Capital […]

Barton 1792 Distillery Earns Medals

Record setting wins for Ohio Brewers at 2018 GABF

DENVER — Ohio craft brewers won a record 14 medals last month at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival.

Brink Brewing of Cincinnati paced the Ohio field with two medals, a gold for Moozie in the […]

ODLC, Wild Turkey Partner Again On Single Barrel

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Division of Liquor Control recently partnered with Wild Turkey on another single barrel bourbon release.

Alongside Wild Turkey master distiller Eddie Russell, division representatives selected eight barrels of Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit […]

OCBA’s Ale-O-Ween Set For Oct. 20

DAYTON — The Ohio Craft Brewers Association will host its second annual Ale-O-Ween beer festival Oct. 20 at the Dayton Steam Plant.

Forty Ohio craft breweries will be pouring samples of seasonal styles and popular favorites […]

Braxton, Graeter’s Release Pumpkin Ale

COVINGTON, Ky. — Braxton Brewing Co., a Cincinnati-area brewery, and Graeter’s Ice Cream have launched a seasonal Pumpkin Pie Ale.

The beer was inspired by Graeter’s classic seasonal pumpkin ice cream and features notes of […]

Crown Royal Debuts ‘Water Break’ Initiative

NORWALK, Conn. (PRNewswire) — Crown Royal is building on its “Hydrate Generously” platform that started in 2017 and is now launching its largest-ever responsible drinking campaign: the football-themed Water Break.

Recognizing that water breaks are essential […]

Martini Winery To Restore Historic Winery

ST. HELENA, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Louis M. Martini Winery has announced plans to restore its historic winery, with a scheduled opening in March.

The restoration project includes an atrium leading into the building’s open floor plan, […]

Angel’s Envy Ups Support Of Oak Trees

LOUISVILLE, Ky., (PRNewswire) — Angel’s Envy recently announced it is doubling its commitment to support the future of the white oak tree population through its fifth annual “Toast the Trees” campaign, hosted in honor of […]

Sam Adams’ Koch To Open Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

CINCINNATI — Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch will be on hand to open Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, set for Sept. 21-23 in downtown Cincinnati.

Koch, whose Samuel Adams beer is presenting Oktoberfest, will preside over the opening […]

New Categories Draw Big Entries At GABF

BOULDER, Colo. — Brewers are taking advantage of the addition of three new styles of ale into the Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines by making them among the most entered categories in this year’s Great […]

Barton 1792 Distillery bourbons earn top awards

BARDSTOWN, KY (Sept. 5, 2018) – Eight bourbons from Barton 1792 Distillery received high honors at the prestigous International Wine & Spirit Competition this summer.

The Barton 1792 bourbons receiving Silver Outstanding Medals were:

• 1792 Small […]
  

Guinness Brewery Debuts In Maryland

BALTIMORE (PRNewswire) — The Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House in Maryland celebrated its opening earlier this month with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Located 10 miles from downtown Baltimore and 30 miles northeast of Washington, […]

Passport Brew Tour To Launch In Northeast Ohio

CANTON (PRNewswire) — In an effort to support and promote craft beer in the area, four regional convention and visitors bureaus in northeast Ohio are collaborating on the Passport Brew Tour.
The official passport program features […]

Mid-Year Growth Pace Stable For Craft Brewers

BOULDER, Colo. — Growth for craft brewers remained stable for the first half of 2018, according to new mid-year metrics released by the Brewers Association.

Production volume for the craft segment increased 5 percent during the […]

Portman Receives BA Legislative Champion Award

WASHINGTON — A legislator from Ohio was among five legislators recently presented with the Brewers Association’s Legislative Champion Award.

Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman was recognized for his “leadership, dedication and support of small and independent […]

Ontario Premier Launches “Buck-A-Beer”

PICTON, Ontario, Canada (CNW) — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling for a reduction in the province’s minimum price on beer to $1 from the current $1.25.

Ford’s “buck-a-beer” challenge encourages brewers to lower their prices. […]

Chimay Issues Voluntary Recall

AUSTIN, Texas (PRNewswire) — Belgian brewer Bieres de Chimay and its U.S. importer, Manneken Brussel Imports of Austin, Texas, have issued a voluntary recall of approximately 415 cases of Chimay Grande Reserve Trappist Ale in […]

Diageo Recognized For Diversity

NORWALK, Conn. (PRNewswire) — Diageo North America was named to Diversity MBA’s “50 Out Front for Diversity Leadership” list of the best places in the country for women and diverse managers to work.

Ranking 13th overall, […]

Malcolm Gosling Keeps Rum Business A Family Affair

If you ask Malcolm Gosling, rum is ready for its moment in the spotlight.

But what else would you expect from a man whose family has been in the rum trade for more than 200 years? […]

Ohio Wineries Win Medals At Indy Competition

INDIANAPOLIS — Several Ohio wines came away with medals from the recent Indy International Wine Competition here.

The big winner was Old Mason Winery & Vineyard, which won a double gold medal for its 2017 Niagara. […]

Ohio Homebrewers Win Medals

PORTLAND, Ore. — Two homebrewers from Ohio brought home medals from the recent 40th annual National Homebrewers Conference & Competition here, presented by the American Homebrewers Association.

Tim Lawson of Cincinnati won a silver medal in […]

Ohio Breweries Headed To CANvitational

INDIANAPOLIS — The sixth annual Sun King CANvitational is returning to downtown Indianapolis on Sept. 8.

Touted as the Midwest’s largest canned craft beer festival, this year’s CANvitational will feature more than 55 craft breweries from […]

Sazerac Distillery Getting New Home

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A year after distilling its first Tennessee whiskey in Newport, Tenn., Sazerac is planning for a new distillery, including bottling, barrel warehouses and a visitor center on 55 acres it recently purchased […]

Two Beers From Ohio Brewers On ‘Best Beers’ List

BOULDER, Colo. — Two Ohio beers were voted among the top 50 “Best Commercial Beers in America, which saw last year’s new No. 1 beer hold steady at the top.

Readers of Zymurgy Magazine voted Hop […]

Ohio Restaurants Receive Wine Spectator Awards

NEW YORK — More than 60 Ohio restaurants were included in Wine Spectator magazine’s 2018 Restaurant Awards, which recognizes the world’s best wine lists.

This year, the Restaurant Awards program honored 3,759 dining destinations from all […]

Ohio Craft Brewers Tap New Board Members

COLUMBUS — Members of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association recently elected six representatives to its 11-member board of directors, including a new vice president.

Board member Jimmy Stockwell of Little Fish Brewing in Athens was elected […]

Select Barrels Offered

Ohio Division of Liquor Control Superintendent Jim Canepa lends a hand during a special sale of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel bourbon at Weiland’s Market, Agency 794, in Columbus. Weiland’s was one of only seven agencies […]

National Dive Bar Day Launched

NORWALK, Conn. (PRNewswire) — A newly created “day” missing from this issue’s editorial on daily designations (“Day-ly Specials Can Drum Up Business”) is National Dive Bar Day.

Launched by Seagram’s 7 Crown to celebrate the “quintessential” […]

Distillery Fined After Warehouse Collapse

BARDSTOWN, Ky. — A Kentucky distillery is being fined for being slow to report a whiskey spill caused by the collapse of a warehouse.

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is fining Sazerac Co. Inc. for […]

Craft Brewers’ App Offers New Rewards

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Craft Brewers Association is rolling out a new set of rewards for users of its Ohio On Tap mobile brewery finder and passport app.

After July 16, Ohio On Tap users can […]

DISCUS Recognizes Liquor Control

Masthead Named To ‘Best New Breweries’ List

CLEVELAND — A local brewery recently was named to Beer Advocate’s “50 of the Best New Breweries” list.

Masthead Brewing Co. was among nine Midwest breweries named to the list. It opened in January 2017 by […]

9 Ohio Breweries Win Beer Cup Medals

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nine Ohio brewers won 10 medals at the 2018 World Beer Cup competition earlier this month during the Craft Brewers Conference here.

Fat Head’s Brewery in Middleburg Heights scored two medals, […]

‘101 Best Beers’ List Has 5 From Ohio

NEW YORK — The Daily Meal’s recent list of “101 Best Beers in America” includes five beers from Ohio brewers.

The list was based on ratings on Untappd, BeerAdvocate and RateBeer, as well as Daily Meal […]

Four Wines Named Director’s Choice

COLUMBUS — Four Ohio wines recently were selected by Agriculture Director David T. Daniels to receive 2018 Director’s Choice honors.

This year’s recipients were Debonne Vineyards 2016 Riesling Reserve, best white wine; Meranda-Nixon Winery 2015 Estate […]

Ohio Brewers Win 34 Medals At Commonwealth Cup

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Ohio brewers won 34 medals at last month’s fifth annual Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fest here, which for the first time honored a Kentucky-brewed beer as the competition’s best of show.

Dayton […]

Middle West Has Top Bourbon At ADI Awards

COLUMBUS — Middle West Spirits here won six medals, including a Best of Category gold, at the recent 2018 American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits.

Middle West’s OYO Sherry-Finished Bourbon was voted the Best of […]

Elysian Event In Columbus To Honor Local DJ

COLUMBUS — Elysian Brewing Co.’s national “Dust Up Tour” will stop in Columbus on April 26 at Little Rock Bar.

The local tour stop will feature Seattle-based Elysian Brewing’s craft beers, and Columbus artists and musicians, […]

Brewers Association Releases 2018 Beer Style Guidelines

BOULDERS, Colo. — The Brewers Association has released its Beer Style Guidelines for 2018 that include three new styles of juicy or hazy ales.

Reviewed and revised annually by the BA, the guidelines serve as a […]