Just over four years after it was initially announced, Ohio Brewing Company has officially opened its doors in Columbus.
Hailing from Cuyahoga Falls, the brewery set up its operations in a 37,000 square-foot former warehouse at 421 E. Second Ave. in Milo Grogan.
The massive space is one big tribute to the Buckeye State, with Ohio-themed artwork and the faces of notable Ohioans lining the walls. Just how big is the space? Brutus mans a (small) plane hanging from the ceiling.
Ohio Brewing Company’s beer menu features a variety of styles – a Mexican lager, pilsner, IPAs, nitro Irish stout and more, all unique from the Northeast Ohio location. Of their current eight taps, Brewmaster Joe Kearns says six will likely be mainstays with a few seasonals rotating in.
The location’s brewery is set up for more than just on-site consumption, but launches the brand into distribution capacity with its size and own canning line. Ohio Brewing Company beers have started appearing in other bars and restaurants and at retail locations around Central Ohio.
To pair with its beers, Ohio Brewing Company offers a wide-ranging menu of bar fare. Beer makes its way into the appetizer department, with chips or soft pretzels and beer cheese, or beer-battered cheese curds. Wings and dips round out the starters.
In the mains department, on the lighter side are salads, and on the I-need-carbs-to-soak-up-my-beer side are burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, pizzas and tacos. Sandwiches include signatures like the 2nd-to-None, house-made Pitchback Session IPA-braised corned beef, pastrami, house-made creamy coleslaw and Swiss cheese on sourdough, or the Darby Dagwood, featuring the same corned beef and pastrami along with turkey, ham, mozzarella and cheddar, topped with roasted garlic-olive aioli on a sourdough baguette.
Ohio Brewing Company in Columbus is owned by Elenida Veliu, who is also part-owner of the Cleveland location. Veliu is the wife of Jim Velio, owner of Jimmy V’s and roughly a dozen other bar and restaurant concepts across Central Ohio, bringing years of industry experience to the table.
Since its opening earlier this month, Velio says things are still in phase one. Plans are in the works to build out a stage on the patio and start hosting live music. They’ll also add two bocce ball courts. Additionally, an events space is slated to open early next month, offering indoor and outdoor areas.
Ohio Brewing Company opens at 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, visit ohiobrewingcolumbus.com.
All photos by Susan Post