Jon Sparhawk and Don Gates wanted to bring people together in Athens during the slow summer months, so they created the Ohio Brew Week, a six-day celebration of Ohio microbrews.
Now in its second year, the sponsor-funded Brew Week will showcase 24 Ohio breweries and over 70 microbrews in 21 Athens restaurants and bars.
Brew Week is all about quality
said Gates. It's quality food quality beverages quality atmosphere
quality conversation and quality fun.
Local businesses are excited about the event because it brings a lot of money into Athens, said Melody Sands, the festival's marketing director. Chefs at the restaurants are coming up with unique dishes made with microbrews
and everyone is really getting into the spirit
she said.
Brad Clark of Jackie O's Pub and Brewery developed Sparbock, a beer just for Brew Week. He said, It's a German-inspired beer with a slightly nutty
caramel taste. It was named in memory of Brew Week visionary Sparhawk, who died in June.
Clark said that he likes Brew Week because it offers fun, experimental beers. His beer, like many other specialties created for Brew Week, will only be offered once a year.
The festivities kick-off with the official keg-tapping ceremony at Jackie O's Pub and Brewery Monday at 5:30 p.m. Each night through Saturday, participating bars and restaurants open their doors to beer tasters.
There will be live music, entertainment and featured activities throughout the week, culminating with Saturday's Boogie on the Bricks from 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Court Street, where people can sample beer on the street and meet the brewers.
Julie Bradford, keynote speaker and editor of All About Beer Magazine, will talk about cooking with beer, women and beer and beer's impact on society.
Other events include: Tuesday's cooking with microbrews competition at Toscano's Cucina Italiana, 4 Depot St.; Wednesday's homebrew competition at The Wire, 21 Kern St.; and Thursday's Brewer's Ball, which features a five-course meal made with all microbrews, at The Blue Gator, 63 N. Court St.
Most of the activities are free, but some of the formal beer sampling events and other special events do cost money. All proceeds will benefit the Jon Sparhawk Memorial Scholarship Fund, which helps send Appalachian students to college.
Brew Week is organized to be a classy
educational event
said Sands. It should be a great experience.
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