Hoppus Maximus - American Amber Ale from Independence-based Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. Bronze-medal winner this year in the Great American Beer Festival, and it has captures silver and bronze medals at previous festivals. Why hoist one: No false advertising here: hops, hops and more hops. Bitter like a Stone Plae Ale, but a better balance between hops and caramel mailts give Hoppus Maximus a complex - and satisfying - flavor. Pleasant amber color and a firm white head make for an appealing glass. Not as citrusy as many pale ales. Very satisfying brew. Find it: Specialty beverage stores and some Northeast Ohio supermarket chains carry Thirsty Dog beers. We found ours at Giant Eagle, 75 Graham Road, Cuyahoga Falls. You'll pay: About $8 or $9 a six-pack. -Scott Stephens -Featured in The Plain Dealer newspaper, Wednesday, December 7, 2005. Each week, Scott Stephens spotlights a brew from anywhere around the world that's worth trying. Availability will vary, and so will prices. Siberian Night Russian Imperial Stout - Very popular and successful entry from the highly regarded, Independence-based Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. Gold Medal winner at this year's Great American Beer Festival in Denver - one of two Thirsty Dog brews to capture a medal and one of only four beers from Ohio brewers to take home hardware this year. Why hoist one: Is this the best stout brewed in the United States? The long list of medals and honors - as well as enthusiastic word-of-mouth - certainly make that case. Creamy, black brew with a light brown head gives way to intense, smoky flavors that suggest chocolate and coffee. Extraordinarily smooth for its 9 percent alcohol content. Find it: Specialty beverage stores and some Northeast Ohio supermarkets. We found ours at North Coast Wine & Beer, 1630 West 117th St., Cleveland. You'll pay: About $8 or $9 a six-pack. -Scott Stephens -Featured in The Plain Dealer newspaper, Wednesday, November 9, 2005. Two beers from Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. won medals October 1 at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The area Brewery won a gold medal for its rich, dark Siberian Night Russian Impial Stout and a bronze for its Hoppus Maximus, an American –style amber ale. The competition is the largest in the country for craft brewers. -Jane Snow -Featured in The Akron Beacon Journal Wednesday October 12, 2005. Ohio breweries captured four medals - including two golds - at the Great American Beer Festival last week in Denver. Rocky River Brewing Co. received a gold medal in the experimental beer category for Mexicali Smoke, a version of the brewery's Kohlminator Smoked Bock spiked with chipotle peppers. The brewery also received a silver medal in the specialty beer category for Neptune's Nemesis. The Independence-based Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. received a gold medal in the imperial stout category for its Siberian Night. The stout captured a bronze during the 2003 festival. Thirsty Dog also received a bronze medal in the American-style amber/red ale category for Hoppus Maximus. The beer captured silver and bronze medals at previous festivals. Nine Ohio craft breweries competed in the competition, which ended Saturday. In all, U.S. breweries placed 2,335 beers and ales in 69 categories, earning 206 medals. A record 29,500 people attended this year's festival. -Scott Stephens -Featured in The Plain Dealer newspaper, Wednesday, October 5, 2005.