Ohio University students and Athens residents who are at least 21 years old have a chance to sample Brew Week craft beers tonight and tomorrow at four local bars.
Brew Week will showcase Ohio craft beers July 11 to 17 in Athens, but festival organizers have planned preview nights this spring, which conclude tonight and tomorrow at The Oak Room, 14 Station St., The Pub, 39 N. Court St., Abrio's Brick Oven, 859 E. State St., and The Pigskin, 38 N. Court St.
Brew Week was created by Jon Sparhawk, the late owner of The Oak Room, to help boost the economy when students leave in the summer, said Dan Gates, Ohio Brew Week director. He added that Athens was the second city in American to host a weeklong microbrewery celebration; San Francisco was the first.
Now there's 18 weeks out of the year where an American city hosts a weeklong brew fest
Gates said. We're still the only ones to celebrate only Ohio's craft breweries.
Local breweries featured during the preview nights include Jackie O's Pub and Brewery, Buckeye Brewing and Great Lakes Brewing Company. Patrons can purchase specialty brews to sip, such as blueberry ale and peanut butter stout.
This is the fifth year for the Ohio Brew Week and attendance has increased exponentially, said John Glazer, treasurer of Brew Week.
There's only so many hotel rooms in Athens Glazer said. The economic benefit from Brew Week has surpassed the Halloween festival.
Brew Week also helps the microbreweries involved, said Garin Wright, co-owner of Buckeye Brewing.
My God (brewing) is a hard business
Wright said. It's still a struggle. We're still trying to get there. In the next six months
we might be there.
The preview nights began because of student demand, Gates said.
There have been at least 500 students who have asked why we don't have the brew fest during the school year
he said. The answer is that it's good for tourism. We need the tourism in the off-season.
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Culture
Luke Abaffy
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