The state of Ohio is officially home to 400 active breweries – roughly 50 of which are in Central Ohio.
The Ohio Craft Brewers Association announced the milestone, with Guernsey Brewhouse in Cambridge, which is slated to open in July, marking lucky number 400. While that equates four-and-a-half breweries per Ohio’s 88 counties, according to the organization, there’s plenty of room for more beer. Ohio ranks in the middle of the pack in breweries per capita (#24), but the state’s residents manage an outsized portion of consumption, ranking #13 in gallons of craft beer drunk per person every year (which would be 4.6).
While momentum around craft beer has been growing for the last several years, the organization reports that 40% of the state’s breweries opened in the last three years, despite the pandemic. Since 2020, the state has averaged 48 openings per year and 11 annual closings.
Central Ohio has done its part to add to the state’s numbers. Since 2020, the region has seen 10 plus additions to the craft beer scene through the likes of 1487 Brewery, Crooked Can, Saucy Brew Works, Holy Trinity Brewing Company, Getaway Brewing, Ohio Brewing Company and more.
“The landscape of craft brewing in Ohio has changed quite a bit since we hit the 300 brewery milestone just three years ago,” the organization shared. “The pandemic brought some unforeseen challenges, but the qualities that got breweries through the lowest points of the past two years – determination, resilience, cooperation, unity – will be what fuels the growth that we hope to see ahead.”
And there’s plenty of growth on the horizon. The Association reports that another 70 breweries are in the planning stages and will soon be up and running in Ohio.
For more information, visit ohiocraftbeer.org.