This year’s eighth annual Ohio Brew Week has already sent thousands of alumni, locals and out-of-town guests spilling into uptown Athens to sip and socialize despite its month-early move.
Though the event is usually slated for the third week in July, the date change, resulting from the quarters-to-semesters transition, has not fazed partygoers, said Melody Sands, Ohio Brew Week Marketing Director.
With almost 83 different events and 200 flavors of craft beer featured throughout the course of ten days, the celebration remains as appealing as always to guests, Sands said.
“We were a little concerned with the date change, but we had nothing to worry about, because people want to come to Athens, and they want to try these craft beers,“ she said.
The celebration, going on its sixth day, has attracted even more people than last year during the same time, said Dan Gates, the event's director.
“I’m really impressed that early in the week, I had people calling and saying we need more beer,” Gates said. “That’s never happened on a Tuesday, having people say, ‘We need more beer to get us through the week.’”
In years past, local pubs, restaurants and hotels have been busiest during the final weekend of Brew Week, but this year, crowds were bigger than usual during opening weekend, said Brad Clark, Jackie O’s brew master.
“Everything is going really well,” Clark said. “Friday and Saturday, we had a much higher crowd than what we had anticipated. There’s definitely a bigger early crowd.”
Some of the events that have taken place so far have included formal tastings, live-music performances, a cooking competition and a roller derby match.
Last weekend, Ohio University alumnus Greg Hardman, owner of Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. in Cincinatti’s Over-the-Rhine Brewery District, returned to Athens as the keynote speaker.
During his speech, he detailed how he left Athens and eventually opened one of the largest breweries in the world.
“People really appreciated listening to his story,” Gates said. “He attracts people. He’s got friends that graduated from OU, from Cleveland, from California, from all over the place, coming in to hang out with him in Athens.”
Gates said the majority of the guests in attendance are OU alumni, but during the weekend, he expects a broader crowd to flood in.
“Parents who’re paying rent on their kids’ apartments will come down,” Gates said. “It's their turn to come to Athens and have an experience.”
Clark said no matter when Brew Week is scheduled, the event will continue to serve its main purpose.
“(Ohio Brew Week) is still having an economic impact on the community,” Clark said. “It’s doing exactly what it should.”
Click here for a full schedule of events.
kg278810@ohiou.edu
