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Ohio craft beer is booming, with over 400 craft breweries pumping out enough great beer to rank the state fifth in the country in craft beer production. The Great American Beer Festival is the perfect opportunity to taste some of the best beers from the Buckeye State. Here’s our guide to the Ohio breweries at GABF and the beers you don’t want to miss.

The most award-winning brewery in the state simply doesn’t brew a bad beer, and they’re bringing multiple GABF medal-winners with them. Their legendary Hop Juju Double IPA has medaled three times at the big show and packs a wallop of hop flavor from Simcoe, Citra, Ekuanot and Mosaic hops. Bone Head Red IPA is heavier at 9.4% ABV, but it goes down smooth and is a two-time gold medalist. If you want to steer away from hoppy offerings, check out Goggle Fogger, a perfectly to-style Hefeweizen that won gold in 2020 and at the World Beer Cup earlier this year.

If you want to taste a perfect Milk Stout, look no further. Brewmaster Kelly Montgomery’s Higher Purpose Milk Stout is the reigning gold medal-winner in the category, and he won the three Golds before it too with his last brewery, Brink Brewing. The man knows Milk Stouts, and he brews pretty much every other style well too. Kelly’s Private Stash Barrel Aged Barley Wine is quietly one of the best barrel-aged beers you’ll find on the festival floor, and Untapped Potential is the reigning style champion at the Ohio Craft Brewers Cup.

This brewery from small-town Wooster might claim to be Just Another _______ Brewery (seriously, that’s what the name means), but their track record says they’re anything but. Check out their Hefeweizen, which won gold in 2021 (seriously, what is it with northeast Ohio and great Hefeweizens?), or JAF IPA, which has medaled twice, most recently a silver in American-Style IPA in 2021.

This destination taproom in Mason has already made a name for itself in just four years, and with their brewing pedigree, it’s no surprise—co-founder and COO Chase Legler cut his brewing teeth at Wisconsin’s revered New Glarus brewing. Check out their Kato, a 4.8% Kölsch brewed with Ethiopian coffee that perfectly exemplifies Ohio’s favorite esoteric style: pale, light-bodied coffee beers. Also, their Oktoberfest is quietly one of the best in the state.

It’s too bad this brewery can’t bring their entire property on the shore of Lake Erie with them, because it’s one of the most beautiful brewery locations you’ll ever see. Don’t be too disappointed though because their beers are just as lovely. Their Apricatawba Blonde ale brewed with their own estate-grown apricots is an unexpected treat, as is their Strawberry Gose-Rita aged in Mezcal barrels. If nostalgic comforts are more your speed, Legitimate Swells is a wonderful Midwest-style IPA, and Ship Burner is a very good American Porter.

You can get your hop fix with DankHouse DDH Couch Kush’n Hazy DIPA, or check out Ohio High Hazy Pale Ale from Ohio newcomers Forbidden Root Columbus, brewed with all-Ohio malt and hops.

If you want to try something roasty and hearty, The Brew Kettle Kitka Milk Stout brewed with chocolate and coconut is a silky smooth treat. Perk up with Immigrant Son Brewery Even in the Morning Coffee Porter made with Brazilian coffee or Narrow Path Brewing Brews Traveler, a Vietnamese Coffee Stout.

Narrow Path also makes some elegant Belgian-style beers with Golden Bear, a Witbier with orange peel, vanilla and bourbon reduction aged in Maker’s Mark barrels, and Saison du Grail. Speaking of Witbier, you can try 2020 bronze-winner Lock 27 Wolk in the Heavy Medal taproom.

If you want to indulge in some seasonal treats, try Brink Brewing Father G’s Bees, a Brown Ale with brewed with monastery honey that won gold in the honey beer category at last year’s GABF. You can also check out Great Lakes Christmas Ale, one of the most revered spiced Christmas beers in the country, and Wolf’s Ridge Slice, a subdued and cozy Pumpkin Beer

Need a break from the heavier stuff? Check out Immigrant Son Brewery Common Ale, the rare Mild Ale on the festival floor, or The Brew Kettle Headland Pils, a Pilsner with all-Ohio ingredients.

And, of course, Boston Beer’s production facility in Cincinnati will be on-hand, and they’re pouring Utopias. Enough Said.

Boston Beer (Cincinnati) Just the Haze – NA Hazy IPA Octoberfest – Oktoberfest Boston Lager – Vienna Lager Oyster Stout – Oyster Stout Peach KMF Gose – Gose brewed with peach blended with oak-aged Belgian Ale Utopias – Strong Ale Wicked Double IPA – DIPA Wicked Hazy – Hazy IPA Wicked Tropical IPA – Hazy IPA

DankHouse Brewing DDH Couch Kush’n – Hazy DIPA Pils Dispenser – German Pils Plumb Stoned – Sour aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with plums and vanilla* Stay Puffed: Grape Cherry – Sour with concord grapes, cherries and marshmallow Super Fantastic – American IPA

Fat Heads Brewery Bone Head – Imperial Red Ale Goggle Fogger – Hefeweizen Hop Juju – Double IPA Klein Und Krispy – German Pils Pumpkin Chucker – Stout with pumpkins, chocolate and spices

Forbidden Root Columbus Distant Chanting – Double IPA Double Abstract – Double IPA Full Retail – American Porter with Madagascar Vanilla, Fijian cacao, almonds and coconut Hello Sunshine – Munich Helles Make Out Party – Double IPA Ohio High – Hazy Pale Ale

Immigrant Son Brewery American Pilsner – American Lager Common Ale – Mild Ale Even in the Morning Coffee Porter – Porter with Brazilian coffee Hungarian Pearl Kolsch – Kolsch ISB IPA – American IPA

JAFB Wooster Brewery Hefeweizen – Hefeweizen Isolated IPA – American IPA JAF IPA – American IPA Red Ale – Red Ale Wayne County Cream Ale – Cream Ale

Municipal Brew Works Approachable Blonde – Blonde Ale Midnight Cut Porter – American Porter Orange Agave Blonde – Blonde Ale with orange zest and blue agave

Narrow Path Brewing Brews Traveler – Vietnamese coffee Stout Double Barrel Heavy Riff Golden Bear – Witbier with orange peel, vanilla and bourbon reduction, aged in Maker’s Mark barrels Peach Gose – Gose with peaches Restless Seas Gose – Gose Saison du Grail – Saison

Paradigm Shift Brewing Herbstbier – Marzen Hot Brenda – Blonde Ale with Jalapeno peppers Little Big City – Kolsch Neighbor Girl – Belgian Tripel Peanut Butter Goat Roper – American Porter with coffee and peanut butter

Schnitz Ale Brewery Boozendorf Hazy IPA – Hazy IPA Foe Hammer – Weizenbock Pearl Road Gold – Vienna Lager Schnitz Classic – Kolsch Schnitzing at the Beach

Sonder Brewing Hefeweizen – Hefeweizen Kato – Kolsch with Ethiopian coffee Mella – Sour with passionfruit Oktoberfest – Marzen Voss – Kolsch

The Brew Kettle Balloon City – Hazy IPA BBA Tunguska – Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout Headland Pils – Pilsner with all Ohio ingredients Jack Hammer Barley Wine – English Barleywine Kitka – Milk Stout with chocolate and coconut Oktofest – Marzen Prima Vera – Margarita sour ale Saison – Saison Skin in the Game – Cold IPA Triggerlicious – Hazy IPA

Third Eye Brewing Higher Purpose – Milk Stout Kelly’s Private Stash Barrel Aged Barley Wine – Bourbon barrel-aged English Barleywine Pumpkin P-Eye – Pumpkin ale brewed with pumpkin spices, vanilla and graham cracker Space Toast Continuum – Imperial Stout with maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla Untapped Potential – Kolsch

Twin Oast Brewing Apricatawba – Blonde ale with apricots Kelleys Island Pilsner – German Pilsner Legitimate Swells – American IPA Lil Splash – Session IPA Oasteweizen – Hefeweizen Proast – Marzen Rutherford B Haze – Hazy IPA Ship Burner – American Porter Strawberry Gose-rita – Gose with strawberries aged in mezcal barrels Two Legit – Double IPA

Working Class Brewery Clock Out Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout – Stout with chocolate and peanut butter Cucumber Aviator IPA – American IPA with cucumber Lifeguard Mango Blonde Ale – Blonde ale with mango Minuteman Hazy IPA – Hazy IPA

Heavy Medal Taproom Brink Brewing Father G’s Bees – Brown Ale with Honey Lock 27 Wolk – Witbier

Collaboration Nation Wolf’s Ridge/Streetside Chocolate Dire Gorgon – Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with vanilla and cacao nibs

Wish We Were Here Fifty West Vienermobile – Märzen Great Lakes Christmas Ale – Spiced Christmas Ale Lock 27 Brewing Colin Barnhart Streetside Sofa King – Red IPA Wolf’s Ridge Hinoki Lager – Japanese Rice Lager Wolf’s Ridge Slice – Pumpkin beer

All photos by David Nilsen.

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