Hoppin’ Frog Brewery will celebrate its recent Ratebeer.com honors with a party.
The Akron brewery was chosen by the website as the 17th best brewery in the world this year.
Owner/brewer Fred Karm and his staff will celebrate with fans at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at Baxter’s, 205 S. Main St., Akron. Karm has promised “some tasty and rare Hoppin’ Frog kegs, including the new Karminator Imperial Dopplebock.”
The annual Ratebeer Best Awards were announced two weeks ago. Hoppin’ Frog’s B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher also was chosen the top beer in the state.
Ogrefest under way
The Brew Kettle, 8377 Pearl Road, Strongsville, is holding its ninth annual Ogrefest this week. The event, a celebration of big beers, runs through Sunday.
“We have 60-plus kegs of 8.5 percent and up beers that we will be pouring,” owner Chris McKim said. “Many are rare, vintage or very hard to come by offerings.”
For more details, go to www.thebrewkettle.com.
New Great Lakes beer
Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland has released its new surf-inspired beer called Alchemy Hour Double IPA.
The beer is now available on tap at the Great Lakes brewpub. The gift shop will start selling bottles in four-packs at 5 p.m. Friday and it will be distributed Monday.
Alchemy Hour Double IPA is made with Mosaic and Nugget hops and honey malt. It’s the first of two new seasonal brews from Great Lakes this year. The second, Rye of the Tiger IPA, is set to launch in April.
Cleveland festival
The International Beer Fest, which attracted more than 9,500 people last year to the I-X Center in Cleveland, will be combined this year with the eighth annual Fabulous Food Show and moved to the fall, organizers announced. The event is scheduled for Nov. 8-10.
“We are combining the best assets of the International Beer Fest with the Fabulous Food Show to continue to build this event as the premier culinary celebration,” Director of Events Jeremy Levine said in a prepared statement.
The beer festival was first held in May 2011.
Tickets are expected to go on sale in the summer.
West Point tastings
West Point Market, 1711 W. Market St., Akron, has two upcoming beer tastings to introduce new breweries to the local market.
Distributor House of LaRose will pour samples of Kona Brewing Co. from Hawaii from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. The featured beers are: Longboard Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Koko Brown Ale, which is brewed with toasted coconut.
Samples are 25 cents, and six-packs will be available for purchase. Koko Brown also will be on draft for growler sales.
Distributor Tramonte & Sons will pour samples of Knee Deep Brewing Co. from California from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 23. The featured beers are: Simtra 3x IPA, Hop Shortage 3x IPA, Hoptologist DIPA, McCarthy’s Bane Imperial Red Ale, and Tanilla.
Samples will be 25 cents, and 22-ounce bottles will be available for purchase.
Woody Haze
Looking for that perfect Valentine’s gift?
Barley’s Smokehouse & Brewpub in Columbus will tap a special beer Thursday honoring former Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes, who was born on Feb. 14, 1913.
Called Woody Haze 100, the beer is a Scottish export ale aged in a Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel. As the promotional materials say: “Unfiltered, like the man.”
Woody Haze is a limited release, as the brewpub has only 50 gallons.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/the-beer-blog.
