Beer, beer is still good

Back in my crazy kid days of retail I had a small dream to open my own business. It was small, but it was mine, even if it did not have a decent name. The concept was a shop of Ohio related books and beverages. Fiction, non-fiction, beer, wine and other local products. It was a niche idea, but one I would have been comfortable with during a time when I was more comfortable dealing with the public. Not anymore.

Just last week a local business opened up called The Ohio Taproom. What it sells is beer, locally brewed beer to go. You can sample for fifty cents a shot, and get a quart or half gallon to go. Selling beer in a growler is a growing trend. There are parts of the city where Growler Walks occur, the craft beer stores are that close together.

After work today I stopped at the Ohio Taproom (1291 West Third Avenue) to pick up a growler and check the place out. It's a cozy place on the busy corner near Grandview that once housed a barber shop. Parking may be an issue, but I was there early enough to park close. It's also a residential area, with a good amount of foot traffic. The owners were talking about all the foot traffic they've already had. I bought the 64oz. jug for $4.50, which is obviously reusable as long as you keep it clean and took a look at the selection, but not without buying a shot first.



It's a small, but well curated selection of 16 beers from all over the state. The list is meant to be updated frequently and seasonally. I chose a Wiesel Junge Koelsch from the Weasel Boy Brewery of Zanesville. A very tasty and snappy German style lager you do not see often commercially. We'll enjoy this beer over the next day or two, clean out the growler then head back for a refill.

I'm still uncertain about the novelty and saturation of craft beer businesses in Columbus, but people do like beer. Who wants a place that makes and/or sells good beer to fail? Not me! Last time I checked, I'm a person who likes beer, too.