Metazoa Brewing Company | TheBeerProfessor

One of the things that I like about craft breweries are the myriad ways they are embedded within and engage with their communities. This can range from naming a beer after a local event of historical significance to hosting a weekly yoga class to raising money for a local non-profit. As noted on the website of the Brewers Association a defining characteristic of craft brewers is that they “tend to be very involved in their communities through philanthropy, product donations, volunteerism and sponsorship of events”. In a 2023 paper published in the Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Colleen Myles and colleagues at Texas State University examined the different ways in which craft breweries across the United States engage in what they term advocacy. Their findings reveal breweries engage with their communities in a wide variety of ways, with environmental and social issues being particularly important to them. Indeed, 43% of the breweries sampled engaged in some form of social advocacy, while nearly a third engaged in environmental advocacy.

Examples of both types of advocacies abound. Brewability, a brewery in Englewood, CO hire employees with a disability, while Metazoa Brewing Company in Indianapolis, IN donate 5% of their profits to animal and wildlife organizations. With respect to environmental advocacy, SaltWater Brewery in Deray, FL use edible, biodegradable six-pack rings made from barley and wheat remnants — an innovation that helps combat the pernicious impacts of plastic pollution on both oceans and marine life. Meanwhile, Portico Brewing in Somerville, MA have a comprehensive environmental stewardship program that includes a reduce, reuse, recycle initiative, adding pollinator plants to their patio, and, in 2024, collaborating with the Massachusetts River Alliance to raise awareness of river restoration initiatives by hosting a trivia night.

I recently had the opportunity to experience firsthand an event where a craft brewery’s support for both social and environmental advocacy overlapped. The event was a collaboration between one of my local breweries, Quenched & Tempered Brewing Co and Metroparks Toledo, in support of the latter’s Good Natured Membership Program. The mission of the Good Natured Program is “to help break down the barriers that prevent historically underserved individuals, groups, and communities from experiencing, engaging with and benefiting from our area’s natural resources”. Funds raised in support of the Good Natured Program are used to support programing which provides fun ways for underserved communities to connect with nature and the outdoors. The Metroparks system is one of the Toledo region’s greatest assets. It comprises nineteen parks that encompass ~12,000 acres of protected natural land. Its vision is the “conservation of natural resources; strengthening of community; and the activation and promotion of spaces that enhance physical and mental health”.

The evening was billed as a “Paddle and Pint” event. The “paddle” part of the evening (in which I did not participate) involved kayaking on the Maumee River from Middlegrounds Metropark to Glass City Metropark – a distance of under a mile. The second part of the evening (which I did attend) was the release of Quenched & Tempered’s Saw-Whet Sangria Ale, a portion of the sale of which will go towards support of the Good Natured Program. The beer release took place in “The Garden” section of Glass City Metropark, where entertainment was provided by one of my favorite local bands, Chloe and the Chloe and the Steel Strings.

Quenched & Tempered’s Saw-Whet Sangria Ale, a portion of the sale of which will go towards support of the Good Natured Program.

Saw-Whet Sangria Ale by Quenched and Tempered Brewing Company was released at the Paddle and Pints event

Local band Chloe and the Steel Strings provided entertainment at the Paddle and Pints event

The Glass City Metropark provided a spectacular setting for the beer release. Opened in 2023, on a former brownfield site, the park provides a multifunctional space which includes a mini waterpark, a nature-based playscape an adventure playground, a kayak cove, an ice-skating/roller skating ribbon, and a locally owned restaurant. The park is located on the east side of the Maumee River just across from downtown Toledo.

Located on the east side of the Maumee River, the Glass City Metropark provided a spectacular setting for the Paddles and Pint event

What I really enjoyed about this evening is that it was happening in a beautiful new Metropark that has, since its opening, made a considerable contribution to enhancing the quality of life for Toledo residents. The beer being celebrated was made by a locally owned brewery, the food available was from a locally owned restaurant, and the entertainment was provided by a local band. And all of these came together in support of a local charitable non-profit whose primary mission was to create fun and educational opportunities for underserved communities to access, enjoy, and learn about the natural environment. The evening proved to be a resounding success – a good time was had by all and, more importantly, a local charitable cause was showcased and supported.

Further Reading

Myles, Colleen C., Delorean Wiley, Walter W. Furness, and Katherine Sturdivant. 2023. Brewing change: Advocacy in craft brewing in the United States. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Volume 113, Issue 4, Pages 996-1019.

As per usual, I end the year with a pictorial review of the breweries and taprooms that I have visited during the previous twelve months. While the situation with respect to COVID-19 did improve during 2020, the virus did hang around, restricting my travel for significant parts of the year. While personal travel was a little easier this year, professional travel to academic conferences continued to be highly restricted. With respect to visiting breweries and taprooms, I did visit 22 in 2021, slightly less than the 26 that I visited in 2020. In a non-COVID 19 year I typically visit over 60 breweries/taprooms.

Before providing more statistics on my 2020 visits, let me explain the difference between a brewery and a taproom. The difference is quite simple. A brewery is an establishment where beer is produced, whereas a taproom is an establishment owned by a brewery that sells but does not produce beer on-site.

Of the 20 breweries that I visited, 10 were in my home state of Ohio and 10 were in other states. Outside of Ohio I visited breweries in Indiana (4 visited), Michigan (3), Colorado (2), and Texas (1). Most of the Ohio breweries that I visited were in the northwest Ohio region, the two exceptions being in Cincinnati. Both of the taprooms that I visited were in northwest Ohio. Of the 12 Ohio establishments that visited, six were ones that I visited for the first time. Of the 10 non-Ohio breweries that I visited, all but one were new visits – the exception being Hop & Sting Brewing Co. in Grapevine, TX. In the lists below, establishments that I had visited before are indicated in italics.

As per usual, I have posted one photograph from each of the breweries/taprooms that I visited during 2021. I hope you enjoy them. At the time of writing, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu , Director-General of the World Health Organization , is optimistic that COVID-19 will be “beaten in 2022“. I hope that his optimism is well-founded and that we can all look forward to a happy and healthy New Year.

Ohio Breweries (10)