The Long Road to Brew Week

Weary travelers make 4-hour trek to the hills for Brew Week

From Kent to Athens, Brew Week's increasing popularity has seemed to appeal to our neighbors-to-the-North once again.

"This is my second Brew Week," said Alex Zarlino, a nursing student at Kent State University. "I'll probably be here next year too, if they let me back in..."

Zarlino is a senior at Kent State and says summertime in Athens is "much better than summertime in Kent. Here, people take more walks, blocks have more parties, ice cream is cheaper. These are all things a college town in the summer needs."

Brittany Hoose, a student in Cleveland, Ohio, is another tourist here for Brew Week.

"It's too hot here," said Hoose. "I love Bourbon Berry Grove, though. Helps me forget about this damn heat."

The "Bourbon Berry Grove" she's talking about is a honey-wheat wine which is barrel aged for about 8 months. Apparently, the 12% ABV is a tourist attraction.

The Barbarlian is Lewis Paul's main attraction for Brew Week, another 12% ABV brew. Except Lewis didn't hop in the car and take a little day trip to Athens.

"Tampa doesn't have anything like this," he said.

Tampa. As in "Florida".

"I like these beers enough to use my sister as an excuse to visit." Paul's sister is a senior at Ohio University living in Athens over the summer and seems to have the right accommodations for her brother's beer fancy. "It took about 14 hours to get here, all in all. I love this city, I love the road, I love the bricks, I love the beer. Traveling here was half the fun," he said.

On behalf of all of us Athens beer drinkers here, we welcome the amateur and enthusiast alike with open arms and tapped kegs.

Raz Wheat and Black Betty: Athens' Sexiest Beers

Sip Slowly...

The Black Betty: Jackie O's most beloved beer. For all of you who don't know, The Black Betty is Jackie O's own Imperial Blackberry Stout, served in a frosty, 10 oz. snifter. Yes, I've been sipping Black Bettys ever since I was old enough to pretend I was old enough to hang around a bar. Here in Athens, the locals seem to agree.

"It's my favorite," said Joni Morris of Landon, Ohio. "It tastes like a chocolate covered beerberry."

What's a beerberry, you might ask? Well, beerberries may not exist, but what Morris is tasting is the imperial stout. Imperial stouts offer a very strong malt flavor and hints at fruit. It is also very rich tasting and resembles a chocolate dessert.

Mmm... beerberries.

While the rest of us day dream of our cold, little tumbler full of thick brown foam, others fantasize about Jackie O's second best-seller, the Raspberry Wheat.

Brewed on-site, this fizzy red wonder beverage has had the locals here asking for it by name ("Razz Wheat, most commonly) by the pitcher-full. It's served with a wedge of lemon, a garnish OU senior Stephanie Gilster could do without.

"Don't bother with the lemon. It tastes good and summery enough as is. It's been my favorite beer since my first sip during Mom's Weekend my freshman year."

Whether you're getting in touch with your darker side or just trying to relive those hot summer months, (with or without the lemon wedge)any Jackie O's homebrew should hit the spot. Being the pub's two most popular beers, the upcoming Ohio Brew Week should afford either drink with maximum exposure to the community for some serious sipping. Check out Jackie O's website for more information on all their beers on tap and more!

Brew Week Map of Events

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