It’s been an amazing three years in Columbus. My wife Georgina and I decided to move here from Boston on a whim during the height of the pandemic and it was the perfect place for us to be during this phase of our lives.
Knowing we would be in the city for a good time and not a long time, we tried to immerse ourselves in to as much culture, food and Columbus daily life as we could. Of all the different things to focus on, the beer scene quickly became and remained central to my time here.
I dove deep into the beer scene in the city and state and sampled as much as I could to find my favorites. I drove around on many beer day trips to find the hidden gems in small towns. I bought the most expensive beer to brew in the world. I shipped limited edition releases to my beer snob friends who had their eyes opened to the quality of beer from Ohio. I sat on all the patios. I got a job working on the canning line at Land-Grant which resulted in us meeting so many amazing people who instantly became friends for life. And of course, I got this job writing about beer for CU!
We are headed to Atlanta this month for the next adventure. There is a lot I will miss about the beer scene in Columbus and the people that make it special but on the internet we love LISTS so here are the top Columbus beers I will miss.
Any Dry-Hopped IPA from Hoof Hearted
I moved here from Boston, the land of dry hopping. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find beer on par with what I was leaving behind. Hoof Hearted immediately put my mind and mouth at ease. Sitting at the bar in the afternoon snacking and trying a few of their latest offerings was one of my favorite weekend activities.
The First Sip of a Trashy “Dad Beer” at a Tailgate
For me, one of the best sips of beer you can have is an ice-cold crispy pilsner outdoors on a cool fall morning – preferably a game day. In New England, that meant PBR and Narragansett, but coming to the Midwest unlocked about 10 new varieties of dad beers I had never even heard of! I was lucky enough to be invited to a few tailgates, and those are some of the beer moments I will never forget about Columbus.
The Most Sour Beer on the Menu at Antiques on High
When we moved here, Antiques was the first brewery we visited. It was near where we lived, and felt like a safer option during that time, with the open air upstairs patio. It was also the focus of my first article for Columbus Underground! Because of this, it will always be special for me. It’s a must-stop when friends from out of town are visiting. Sours aren’t usually my first choice, but I rotate them in often. When I go to Antiques I like to get the most sour option and see just how far the brewers are pushing the limits. The crispy, tart and fizzy beers pair well with a warm summer day on the roof.
Fruit Slices on the Land-Grant Patio
I worked at Land-Grant for one year, and lived a block away. I made most of my Columbus friends through this brewery. I hosted my book launch party there. I treated the tap room as a second office, and scheduled business meetings there. It was the first stop for any visiting friends and family, and I could be sure when I showed up that I would know half the people hanging out on the patio. I danced to my friends’ bands, then later discovered new music for my playlists. The day of the anniversary party, I showed at 11 a.m. and stayed until 2 a.m.! The way things are in the world, a communal place like that doesn’t exist for most people, and is becoming rarer and rarer. I made sure not to take it for granted.
Many Thanks!
Thank you so much to Susan and Walker for giving me the opportunity to write about beer, the freedom to write about the things I wanted to write about, and the flexibility to switch it up when an article didn’t go the way I wanted it to. Thanks to the city and beer scene here for being awesome. Columbus will always feel like a second home!
Read all of Dan’s articles here.
All photos provided by Dan Whalen