Beer most dear:
Athens festival celebrates the brewer’s art

The Columbus Dispatch

Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Holly Zachariah

Alan Eames says beer is the gift of a goddess. The author and fifth-generation anthropologist has spent the past 40 years studying beer — its history, its manufacture and its relevance in society — in 44 countries.

So divine is this potent blend of malt and hops that people should bow to its aroma, its taste and its tradition, he says. To practice what he preaches, he will lead a round of nectar-worshipping in the bars, restaurants and pubs of Athens this month.

Eames is billed as the star of Ohio Brew Week, Athens’ inaugural festival celebrating Ohio’s microbrewed beers, which runs July 17-22. Fifteen Ohio-based craft brewers, including the Columbus, Elevator and Cowtown brewing companies from central Ohio, will take their products on the road for the event.

"The prevailing American mindset for beer is to drink lots of it and drink it ice cold," Eames said with more than a hint of distaste. "Craft brewers can show people the light, lead the way, open up a whole new world of fine taste and experience."
An Athens restaurateur came up with the idea of a beer-themed festival months ago, said Dan Gates, special events coordinator for the city. The idea seemed a great way to attract visitors to small-town Ohio when life is slower and more relaxed, Gates said.

Many of the 20,000 students at Ohio University are gone for the summer, and Athens "has taken on its resort-town feel," Gates said.

Ohio beer festivals are nothing new. Communities often showcase beer, especially during Octoberfest celebrations. But Athens’ history and the scenic landscape of Appalachia are bonuses for visitors, Gates said.

But according to the Web site of the Brewers Association, the industry’s trade organization, specialized-beer drinkers don’t need much added enticement. The association says the United States is home to 1,415 craft breweries. It is a $4.3 billion industry that last year produced nearly 7 million barrels of beer.

Craft beers are those that come from microbreweries, brew pubs and regional, specialized breweries. They are made from all-natural ingredients of malt, hops, and yeast and are produced by hand in small batches, often from generations-old recipes.

In addition to featuring beer from 15 Ohio breweries, 10 downtown Athens restaurants will serve dishes from beerrelated recipes and host demonstrations, entertainment and speakers. There will be 48 styles and types of beer to try within a three-block area, organizers said.

Eric Bean, brewmaster at the Columbus Brewing Co., will take five beers to the festival, including two new ones, Ohio Honey Wheat and 90 Shilling Scottish Ale.
He said he looks forward to the opportunity to convert those who may not be familiar with craft beer.

"It’s definitely a lifestyle drink, but there are no beer snobs," Bean said. "We’ll welcome anybody to the table."
hzachariah@dispatch.com

©Copyright Ohio Brew Week 2008