Cranky in Columbus

The last few weeks, months even, have been a struggle. You can tell my the decreased number of posts here. Schedules have changed, then changed again and it's been frustrating to redevelop any sense of flow. So I'm tired and may be a bit burnt out.

I'm still trying to process one of the neighbor's adult children who noticed the door to my shed open and told me he was going to have to shoot that person before he realized it was me in there. A late afternoon stand someone else's ground west side shooting would have been a blast to cover.

At least I have finally made the calls to get some bids on pruning the tree in the yard that has branches going over their roof, and mine.

After falling asleep about 10:30 last night my son decided to get up at 3AM and stay awake until about six. I was not pleased by his random babblings, humming and various uses of Dora the Explorer dialogue. Ended up having to call into work, again, because of his sleep habits. It's very frustrating, has been for years. I've learned to not go into work sleep deprived because I'm a real pain in the ass to deal with. Might be easier in my current job, but not when I worked the circulation desk in the morning.

Did manage to get him on the bus then fell asleep for a couple of hours. Headed downtown to get some lunch, still in a mean mood but this beer at The Jury Room helped me out a bit.



Downtown looked good on an early autumn day. Columbus made me sit in the Commons and forced some Jeni's down my throat too, I hate when that happens.

Ich Bin Berliner Weisse

It's no secret that I like beer. It's also no secret that I've been quite contemptuous of breweries who use obscene amounts of hops and alcohol in their beers to mask flaws when they're so unbalanced. So last week when my wife and I were out to dinner I noticed one of the breweries I have taken to task had a very different style of beer available on tap.

Berliner Weisse is a rare style of wheat beer that is soured with lactobacillus, it is very light and low in alcohol. It's also flavored with raspberry or woodruff syrups to cut the acidity. Back when I was in the beer and home brewing business, there was no Berliner Weisse commercially available in Ohio until the late 90's. Boldly, I went all in and attempted to create the style in my kitchen without having tasted the style. I attempted an all grain beer and special ordered the liquid yeast and lactobacillus culture to add to the wort. I even buried a couple of bottles in the backyard for a few months, as tradition stated.

The results were, meh, I was never a decent home brewer to begin with, but the beer was pale, low in alcohol but not well balanced with the acidity. Not a failed effort, but not quite sound. So when Berliner Kindl came to our shores, I could see what I did wrong.

What was on tap where we ate was a Festina Peche made by Dogfish Head. Since I avoid their beers because of their overwhelming and unnecessary addition of hops and alcohol I did not realize they had been making this beer for a few years.



I thought the tartness and acidity were spot on for the style, and the use of peaches was a good touch. A very refreshing beer on a hot day. Not a warming winter brew at all. Overall, a very representative version of a rare style, with a unique twist on the syrup tradition with the addition of peaches during fermentation.

Dogfish Head, you got one right. Slainte!

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.