Ohio celebrates beer diversity
Published by Paige Panter on 6.11.2008 at 12:19 p.m.At the world’s only weeklong microbrew festival, beer lovers will gather for a taste of Appalachian culture, regional foods and craft beers at the third Ohio Brew Week, July 14 through 19. Restaurants and venues throughout the downtown area of Athens, Ohio will attract visitors with seminars, demonstrations, other leisure activities and the chance to taste more than 75 craft beers from 22 microbreweries around the state. Aside from learning about the history of beer and enjoying fine food and live music, festival goers can also partake in a number of tournaments and competitions. The Microbrew Cooking Competition returns alongside a progressive dart tournament, a meatball eating competition and the BBQ Ribs, Chicken and Vegetarian Cook-off Competition. New to the festival is the first Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sanctioning of the homebrew competition on Saturday, July 19.
The Brew Week’s director Dan Gates reports that “Ohio Brew Week celebrates the rich flavors of Ohio microbrews,” and offers all who attend the unique opportunity “to talk directly with brewers, hear nationally-known beer experts and brew writers and editors, and sample some of the tastiest beers made on the planet.” Athens promises to be an idyllic location for the festival; those who attend are invited to take a Brew Choo Choo ride on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway and also peruse an Art Walk through the Historic Arts District in Nelsonville. www.ohiobrewweek.com.