Tag Archives: Ohio City

Inspired By Covid-19

Craft brewers are highly creative and innovative individuals. In addition to a love of beer, I would argue that the opportunity to be creative and innovative is what attracts many individuals to become home brewers, keeps them engaged in the hobby, and eventually propels them to open their own commercial brewery. Every brewer, with whom I have had a conversation, stresses the joy they get from brewing a new beer using a recipe that they concocted themselves. But creativity and innovation in the brewing world extends well beyond that of creating a new beer. Indeed, the next time you step into a brewery, you will see evidence of creativity everywhere – from the tap handles, to the designs on beer cans, to the very names of the beers themselves.

When it comes to beer names, many brewers choose beer names that connect the beer drinker with the brewery’s local community, whether that be a historical event, local landmark, or famous person. Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, OH do a particularly good job at this. Their portfolio of beers include Elliot Ness Amber Lager (named after the American Prohibition Agent who was hired as Cleveland’s Safety Director in 1935), Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (named after the freighter that sank during a storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, with the loss of its entire crew of 29), and Ohio City Oatmeal Stout (named after the Cleveland neighborhood where the brewery is located). Other breweries have named beers after people, events etc. that have no connection with their community. For example, a number of breweries released beers to recognize the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong being the first human to set foot on the moon. These include Schlafly Brewery in St. Louis, MO who released their Lunar Lager variety pack. The pack included Lift-Off Lager, Apollo’s Orbit Black Lager, Moon Walk Dunkel, and The Eagle Has Landed American Lager.

Given the penchant of craft breweries to name beers after historically significant people or events, it should come as no surprise that the current Covid-19 pandemic has spawned several appropriately named beers. Here are some of the ones I came across while browsing the web.

Fauci Spring: Brewed by Wild Heaven Beer in Avondale, GA, this Açaí Pale Ale (ABV 4.25%) recognizes Dr. Anthony Fauci. As Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Fauci has been a critical member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Most evenings he appears on our television screens during the daily Task Force Press briefings.

Fauci Spring Açaí Pale Ale (Wild Heaven Beer, Avondale, GA)

Don’t Stand So Close To Me: In efforts to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and flatten the curve we are all encouraged to maintain our social distance (six feet) from other people. Social distancing has provided inspiration for several new brews. The aforementioned Wild Haven Beer have produced a German-style Lager which they called Don’t Stand So Close To Me, a German-style Lager.

Don’t Stand So Close To Me German Style Lager (Wild Heaven Beer, Avondale, GA)

Social Distance: Brewed by Hop Springs in Murfreesboro, TN Social Distance is another beer that encourages people to keep at least six feet apart. Part of the profits from this Tennessee Ale (think a hoppier Hefeweizen) goes to support workers in the local hospitality industry who are not working because of Covid-19.

Social Distance (Hop Springs, Murfreesboro, TN)

PPE: Many of us have become familiar with the acronym PPE. It stands for Personal Protective Equipment and refers to a variety of products such as face masks, gowns, gloves etc. that protect the wearer against infection. Much of the news during the Covid-19 pandemic has focused on the shortage of PPE. Water’s End Brewery of Lake Ridge, VA and Beltway Brewing of Sterling, VA have come together and collaborated to produce PPE, an IPA with an ABV of 6.4%. In the case of the beer, PPE stands for People Performing under Extreme Conditions. Six dollars of every six pack sold is contributed to the Inova Covid-19 Emergency Preparedness Fund. Inova is northern Virginia’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider.

PPE (Water’s End Brewery, Lake Ridge, VA and Beltway Brewing, Sterling, VA)

Thank You Note: Brewed by Slow Pour Brewing Company of Lawrenceville, GA, Thank You Note is an IPA. Any frontline worker (nurses, doctors, truck drivers, grocery store clerks etc.) are able to stop by Slow Pour’s tasting room and, with an ID, can get a free six-pack of the beer. This beer is a true Thank You Note to frontline workers who are working so hard, often under stressful conditions, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thank You Note (Slow Pour Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA)

Stir Crazy: During the stay-at-home orders issued by most states, many of us went a little stir crazy right. Recognizing this reality, Boomtown Brewery of Los Angeles, CA are brewing a Hazy IPA named Stir Crazy. It has an ABV of 7%.

Stir Crazy (Boomtown Brewery, Los Angeles, CA)

For The Front Line: Harpoon Brewery in Boston, MA has released a an IPA (ABV 5%) that it is calling For The Front Line. The beer is, in fact, a re-release of its Harpoon Ale, which it first brewed back in 1986. A portion of the profits made from selling the beer will  be donated to charities in both Boston and Vermont that support frontline and hospitality workers.

For The Frontline (Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA)

Donate To Service Industry Workers By Drinking This Beer: This is perhaps the Covid-19 inspired beer with the longest name – Donate to Service Workers by Drinking This Beer. Brewed by Hi-Wire Brewing of Asheville, NC this IPA (ABV 5%) gets straight to the point. Sales of this beer will  benefit unemployed hospitality workers in both North Carolina, as well as in other parts of the country. Hi-Wire will donate some of the profits to the USBG National Charity Foundation and the North Carolina Restaurant Workers Relief Fund.

Donate to Service Industry Workers by Drinking this Beer (Hi-Wire Brewing, Asheville, NC).

FVCK COVID: Ale Asylum in Madison, WI leaves you in no doubt about how they feel about Covid-19. Their new beer, FVCK COVID, a Pilsner (ABV 4%), conveys a straightforward message. Some of the profits from the beer will go to support health care workers at local hospitals, as well as unemployed hospitality industry workers.

FVCK COVID (Ale Asylum, Madison, WI)

Lifesavers and National Heroes: Covid-19 inspired beers are also appearing on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The London Beer Factory in London, UK have brewed two beers that honor frontline workers who work for Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). Lifesavers is an American Pale Ale (ABV 4.2%) while National Heroes (ABV 4.0%) is a Lager. The revenue from the sale of both beers are going to two London hospital charities. Revenue from Lifesavers will benefit the King’s College Hospital Charity and Guy’s Hospital Charity.

Lifesavers and National Heroes (The London Beer Factory, London, UK)

All Together: Finally, there is All Together, a worldwide brewing initiative organized by Other Half Brewing Co. who have breweries in Brooklyn, NY and Rochester, NY. Other Half came up with the simple idea of getting breweries all over the world to use the same recipe to brew the same beer (All Together). Some of the monies generated from the beer support local hospitality workers, while some is retained by the brewery to help them get through this difficult period. As stated by Other Half Brewing Co., on their website:

“All Together is a worldwide, open-ended beer collaboration created to raise support for the industry we love so much. It’s an effort to raise awareness and provide relief, even in the smallest way, to those who are struggling. We’re inviting any brewer, from any corner of the planet to participate.”

Breweries wishing to participate can attain the recipe and artwork to produce the beer. As stated by Other Half Brewing Co. on their website, “the recipe is open source, the artwork is public, and the name is yours to use.” The recipe is intentionally flexible, so that brewers can produce either a New England IPA or a West Coast IPA. Literally dozens of breweries have taken up the challenge laid down by Other Half, and are producing All Together Beer. And it is not just breweries in the United States; craft breweries in Canada, New Zealand, Latin America, and Europe are participating. The name is inspired by the rallying call that, when it comes to Covid-19, we are all in this together.

Breweries wishing to produce All Together IPA can download the label template from the website of Other Half Brewing Co.
Promotional material for All Together IPA can be downloaded from the website of All Together Brewing Co.

Craft breweries across the United States, and in other countries, are struggling to sell enough beer to survive Covid-19. Some will not survive; indeed some have already permanently closed. Despite these challenges, the creativity and generosity of those working in the industry refuses to be squelched. I have written before about craft breweries (and distilleries) producing and distributing complimentary hand sanitizer to members of the general public and/or frontline workers. We also see this generosity manifest itself in the donation of monies from Covid-19 inspired beers. To some, such generosity in the face of economic adversity may be surprising. But to those of us who know and understand the craft beer community, recognize the fact that generosity is part of the DNA of those working in the craft brewing industry.

Overlooked Neighborhoods

Recently, I came across an interesting article on the website ozy.com. It was titled Overlooked Neighborhoods: Little-known Gems in Well-Known Cities. The premise of the article was pretty straightforward. When we visit a city, we tend to keep to well-trodden paths. These can be restaurants we have read about in guidebooks, museums that are on everyone’s must-visit list, or a green space such as a famous park.

But dare to look beyond the tourist traps and our own comfort zone, and we will see that every city has lesser-known neighborhoods that are worth spending time in. This particular article identifies seven such neighborhoods:

It is is an interesting list, albeit a little U.S.-centric. What I found particularly intriguing about the descriptions of these seven neighborhoods is that beer is mentioned as a key part of the urban fabric in four of them (Abasto, Bridgeport, Brevnov, and Over-the-Rhine). In the cases of Abasto, Bridgeport, and Over-the-Rhine, craft beer bars and breweries, in particular, are mentioned, while in the Břevnov neighborhood of Prague, the monks at the monastery there first brewed beer in the year 993. This makes it the earliest record of beer being brewed in the Czech Republic. In a completely separate piece on Pittsburgh’s overlooked neighborhoods, Kelly Abrogast, shines the spotlight on the city’s Troy Hill neighborhood. According to Abrogast, Troy Hill is Home to “some of the best beer you’ve ever had”. Troy Hill is home to Penn Brewery.

Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood

The fact that craft beer (whether in the form of craft beer bars or craft breweries) are considered a key contributor to interesting and vibrant neighborhoods does not surprise me in the slightest. In a 2016 piece in The Atlantic, James Fallows identified eleven signs that a city will succeed – one of those signs was the existence of at least one craft brewery. As noted by Fallows, “a town that has craft breweries also has a certain kind of entrepreneur, and a critical mass of mainly young (except for me) customers.” As Fallows correctly notes, craft breweries are a magnet for young people. As market research has demonstrated, it is the Millennial cohort who are driving the growth of the craft beer sector. A craft brewery or craft beer bar in a neighborhood attracts young people, not just from the immediate neighborhood, but from other parts of the city, and even farther afield. Beer tourism is increasingly popular, and craft beer drinkers visiting cities search out those neighborhoods with craft breweries and craft beer bars. A craft brewery opening up in a neighborhood is akin to putting up a welcome sign. It is saying to people, come check us out. This neighborhood is ok; good things are happening. In some cases, such as the Ohio City neighborhood in Cleveland, OH or the Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood in Denver, CO, craft breweries (Great Lakes Brewing Company and Wynkoop Brewing Company respectively) were pioneer investors who kick-started the redevelopment of these respective neighborhoods. In other cases, such as the Pearl District in Portland, OR or the North Davidson (NoDa) neighborhood in Charlotte, NC the craft breweries and craft beer bars have followed other investment into the neighborhood. Whatever the sequencing of investments, many of these neighborhoods have had new life breathed into them.

Great Lakes Brewing Company was the catalyst for the redevelopment of Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood

According to Denver Public Library, “back in the 1980s, Lower Downtown Denver was what we called “a little sketchy” – a lot of places were boarded up, and ones that were open were populated by the underground crowd, drifters, punk rockers and late nighters. Today, the bustling restaurant – sports bar – brew pub district looks like the Seattle or Portland we all longed for, with a huge variety of food choices both native and exotic, all kinds of great beer, espresso, chocolate, and other delicacies, and a wide array of clothing and accessory stores, art galleries, and high-end lofts.”

Back in 2016, I spent a few days in Stockholm, Sweden. While there I visited the Nya Carnegie Bryggeret (New Carnegie Brewery). The brewery is in an old lightbulb factory in the Hammarby Sjöstad neighborhood. In the early 1990s, Hammarby Sjöstad was a run-down, polluted industrial and residential neighborhood that was considered unsafe by outsiders. By the time I visited it in 2016, it had underwent a remarkable transformation. As a result of significant investment, it was an attractive neighborhood with apartments, shops, offices and, yes, a brewery.

The Nya Carnegie Bryggeret (New Carnegie Brewery) in Stockholm’s HammarbySjöstad neighborhood is in an old lightbulbg factory

The example of Nya Carnegie Bryggeret shows that craft breweries often thrive in overlooked neighborhoods, but they can also succeed in overlooked buildings. Through the process of adaptive reuse, craft brewery entrepreneurs will take an old abandoned church, fire station, automobile dealership etc. and turn it into a vibrant craft brewery. Craft brewery entrepreneurs are attracted to distressed neighborhoods because real estate is often relatively inexpensive.

Some people living in an overlooked neighborhood, may like it that way. So they may not necessarily welcome a new brewery and other investment and the visitors that they attract. Rising property values may force long-standing residents out of the neighborhood. Along with my colleagues, Jay Gatrell and Matthew Lehnert, I write about this in an upcoming book chapter. The chapter looks at the historical evolution of Cincinnati’s Over-the- Rhine neighborhood. Despite once being dubbed the most dangerous neighborhood in the United States, residents of Over-the-Rhine had for decades been suspicious of outsiders and the change they sought to bring to the neighborhood. This suspicion manifest itself in the Over-the-Rhine Peoples’ Movement who fought against gentrification of their neighborhood. In the end, their cause was a lost one and millions of investment dollars later Over-the-Rhine is very much a changed and more vibrant neighborhood.

Further Reading:

Reid, Neil. Craft breweries, Adaptive reuse, and neighborhood revitalization, Urban Development Issues, Volume 57, Issue 1, pp. 5–14.

Reid, Neil, Jay D. Gatrell, and Matthew Lehnert. Leveraging brewing history: The case of Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood”. In Thakur, Rajiv, Ashok K. Dutt, Sudhir K. Thakur, and George Pomeroy (Eds). Urban and Regional Planning and Development: 20th Century Forms and 21st Century Transformations, Springer: Dordrecht (forthcoming).

Reid, Neil and Isabelle Nilsson. From mill district to brewery district: Craft beer and the revitalization of Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood. Invited chapter for inclusion in Beer Places: The Micro-Geographies of Craft Beer, by Daina Cheyenne Harvey, Ellis Jones, and Nate Chapman (Eds).

Ohio City and Duck Island

For some time now I’ve wanted to visit the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland. In my academic research on the role of craft breweries in neighborhood change I had read a lot about Ohio City, particularly the catalytic role of the Great Lakes Brewing Company in that process. But while it is only a two-hour drive from my home I had, Continue reading Ohio City and Duck Island