With Autumn quickly approaching later this month, the weather will hopefully take a hint and chill. Just as the seasons are changing, so too are the styles of beer which line the shelves. Many of the lighter styles like hefeweizens, pale ales, and light lagers will be replaced with darker ones such as ambers, brown ales, and oktoberfests.
There is a new brewery open in Bowling Green called Gasper Brewing. It has actually been open for a few months now, but the reason I bring it up now is that they are starting to distribute their beer to other local restaurants and bars in the area. You may run into Gasper beers in unexpected places, though the brewery itself is still pretty cool. There is, of course, a bar where the “beertender” will help you find what you need, but beyond the bar is a wide open space with tables, board games, skeeball, a backyard patio area and shelves full of books and stuff if you just want to come and hang out. They often have food trucks parked outside as well, so even though Gasper doesn’t have a kitchen, there’s a good chance you could still find something to snack on. Gasper has many styles available on tap, and there are a few perfect for cooling weather like their Downtown Brown or the Shakedown Coconut Brown.
The return of Steal the Pint Night at Mellow Mushroom being back in full swing has given us some pretty sweet pint glasses to show off at home. One of the Thursday Pint Nights this month is Brewdog, which was originally opened in Scotland, but now has brewery locations in the US for crafting an even wider range of beer styles. They will have Elvis Juice and Hazy Jane available for that night. Elvis Juice, their grapefruit-infused IPA, is one of their most popular for good reason. The strong grapefruit-peel backbone supports the additional citrus notes like orange, making this a fully fruity IPA. The caramel malts and pine balance out the citrus levels really well, making Elvis Juice pretty refreshing and drinkable. Hazy Jane is a New England IPA and, as the name suggests, is hazy. New England IPAs are purposely cloudy or hazy, which gives the beer a smoother mouthfeel. They also focus more on a juicy, sweeter finish than other styles of IPAs like West Coast. This is apparent in Hazy Jane, which has many similar notes to Elvis Juice, but is smoother in its drinkability, as well as less of a hoppy and piney finish.
The Brewdog Brewery location in Columbus, Ohio is also home to the world’s first craft beer hotel, The Doghouse. Each beer-themed room has beer on tap so you don’t even have to leave your room. The rainfall showers also have little beer mini-fridges in them so in case you get thirsty mid-soap, you won’t have to worry about getting out and slipping around to get to the beer tap or the other mini-fridge full of beer. Yes, there are two mini-fridges in each room, and one of them is in your shower. Obviously, you could spend the entire trip inside the room, but why would you when not only is there a taproom to visit and socialize in, but it also has a gameroom with pinball and shuffleboard. Still not convinced? There’s also a 6,000 square foot craft beer museum next to the brewery, which you can wander the aisles of with a beer in hand as you learn about how beer is made, as well as the history of Brewdog specifically. As you may be able to deduce, I am a fan, and would very much like to check it out sometime, as should you. If you do go, tell them I sent you. They won’t know who I am, but do it anyway.
-by Josh Helton
