Ohio Breweries: Where to Find the Best Craft Beer & Taprooms

Lockport Brewery was Tuscarawas County’s first modern brewery in more than 65 years at its November 2016 opening. The brewery, which was founded by Andrew and Lauren Marburger, offers locally-made brews and strives to foster a sense of community and culture throughout the Bolivar region. Flagship brews include the brewery’s Lockporter American Porter, Big Debbie Imperial Milk Stout, Ruckus IPA, and Four Laurens Amber Ale, while seasonal offerings include its Twisted Stem Pumpkin Ale and Cheer Beer Winter Ale. Build-your-own flights are served at the brewery’s taproom, along with bar appetizers and craft paninis. Regular public special events include live music performances and a monthly Brewery Cruise-In, which brings oldies DJs and classic cars to the brewery for a throwback evening.

10891 OH-212, Bolivar, OH 4461, Phone: 330-874-6037

Hoppin' Frog Brewery has been rated as one of the world’s top 100 breweries by RateBeer.com for the past decade, offering high-quality beers out of its Akron microbrewery and taproom. The brewery was established in 2006 by champion brewmaster Fred Karm, the mastermind responsible for more than 20 award-winning brews honored by the Great American Beer Festival. Its new taproom facility opened to the public in 2013, offering seasonal dishes and and 24 taps, along with a specialty rare beer list. Year-round brews include the brewery’s Gangster Frog IPA, Karminator Imperial Dopplebock, Silk Porter, and Infusion A Coffee Porter. A wide variety of seasonal and specialty brews are also offered, including imperial and barred-aged styles.

1680 E Waterloo Rd, Akron, OH 44306, Phone: 330-352-4578

DogBerry Brewing was the vision of West Chester homebrewers and stay-at-home fathers Chris Frede and Tony Meyer. The pair envisioned the brewery, which opened to the public in 2015, to be a neighborhood gathering place utilizing locally-sourced ingredients in its brews whenever possible, in order to give visitors a true taste of the region’s unique flavor profile. Though a wide variety of beer styles are available within the brewery’s offerings, many of its beers focus on West Coast styles, including IPAs and American Pale Ales with citrus and tropical fruit notes. The family-friendly brewery offers taps and to-go sales and encourages visitors to bring their own food or order from a number of nearby restaurants.

9964 Crescent Park Dr, West Chester Township, OH 45069, Phone: 513-847-8208

Fifth Street Brewpub was opened in 2014 by Joe Dierkers, Jeff Young, and Brian Young, located within a renovated timber house in downtown Dayton. The pub’s building was renovated with the help of a neighborhood organization and operates under a co-op brewpub structure, modeled after the Black Star Co-op, the nation’s first co-op brewery. Today, the brewery’s biergarten serves drafts of core brews such as the year-round Deluge Pale Ale and Icebreaker IPA, along with seasonal favorites such as Cure All Cream Ale, 1600 Kolsch, 85 Shilling Scottish Ale, and Jo Jo’s Midnight Stout. A full food menu is also available at brunch, lunch, and dinner, with shareable plates and pub fare entrees emphasizing healthy, fresh locally-sourced ingredients.

Address: 1600 E 5th St, Dayton, OH 45403, Phone: 937-443-0919

Forest City Brewery offers a 40-seat tasting room, historic beer garden, and 5,000-square-foot rental hall facility in Cleveland, constructed within a historic turn-of-the-century timber frame space. The brewery, which was opened in 2016 by Jay Demagall, stands in the shadow of Ohio’s tallest mulberry tree and offers year-round brews such as its Atlantic Beer Garden Pale Ale, Black Betsy Black IPA, Duck Island Amber Ale, Hayduke Saison, and St. Wendelin Wheat Beer. Pub bites are available for purchase, and visitors are welcome to bring their own food from several nearby restaurants, including the neighboring West Side Market and Sainato’s. A full beverage experience is also offered within the brewery’s historic storefront from neighboring businesses such as Duck Rabbit Coffee Roastery and Western Reserve Meadery.

2135 Columbus Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113, Phone: 216-228-9116

Ill Mannered Brewing Company was opened by homebrewers Tom Ayers, Greg Dannemiller, Brian Mathias, and Ryan Romer-Jordan, who combined their experience to create a unique nanobrewery for the suburban Columbus region. The brewery utilizes a three-barrel system to create small batches at a maximum volume of 93 gallons, translating to a continually-rotating brew experience for visitors. Popular past brews have included its Ill Manna Shanda Lemonade Shandy, Risky Ending Cream Ale, Bringer of Joy Saison, Bitter Ex Double IPA, and award-winning Malt Tank Scottish Ale. Its intimate taproom showcases repurposed cedar and pallet wood, with all tables and tasting paddles crafted by hand by Mathias. Food trucks are offered on Fridays and Saturdays, and guests are welcome to bring their own food to the brewery or order from a number of nearby restaurants.

38 Grace Dr, Powell, OH 43065, Phone: 614-859-6819