http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2009/08/06/ca_u_list.html

Thirsty Dog of Akron was definitely the best of the three breweries featured at the tasting. They offered a nice selection of beers to please anyone's palate. The beers available ranged from light fruity beers to hearty stouts. Of the six beers available for tasting, I had the pleasure of sampling the Whippet Wheat and the Siberian Night.
 

Whippet Wheat: This beer was certainly the best beer of the night. Whippet Wheat is a Hefeweizen that is an unfiltered yeasty wheat beer. It features a cloudy gold color from the pure German yeast. The beer also has a moderate aroma filled with clove, vanilla, and banana. What makes this beer unique is the banana flavor. This beer is perfect for summer and is great for those who want to move away from the citrus flavors that many summer beers feature.
 

Siberian Night: This Russian imperial stout features an Abv. of 9% and is full of flavor. There are strong hints of coffee in both the beer's taste and smell. Siberian Night has dominate malt that does well to wash down the slight hop flavor. This is a great choice if you are looking to try a stout other than a Guinness.

Thanks for the kind review, James!

Rick Armon of the Akron Beacon Journal recently stopped by the brewery to get background on today's piece about the craft brewing industry's performance during this long dip in the economy.

Craft beer lovers haven't let the poor economy affect their drinking habits.

Sales of craft beer hit $6.9 billion last year, climbing 10.3 percent over the previous year, according to a new annual report by the Brewers Association of Boulder, Colo.

...

''In a down economy, quality beer drinking is up,'' said John Najeway, one of the owners of Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron and head of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.

An interesting read. Be sure to flip through the seven behind-the-scenes photos of our brewery, too.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has introduced something new this year with their Beer-Tasting Trains. ... The most recent one "Brussels Comes to Cleveland" was June 12, and was my first excursion on the "Ales on the Rails."

...

Each Belgian style beer was paired with a different food. Duvel with cheese & crackers; Ommegang Witte with salad, Victory Golden Monkey with sandwich wraps, Thirsty Dog Orthus with fruit, and Thirsty Dog Cerberus with brownies.

Cameron Russell from Heidelberg Distributing was on hand in the coach car to explain the first three beers and pairings. Then John Najeway of the Thirsty Dog Brewing Company in Akron introduced us to two of their Belgian-style beers. John says that every beer-tasting train features at least one Thirsty Dog beer, and the August train will be entirely Thirsty Dog beers.

Most fellow beer train riders were not really beer connoisseurs, and some were not even beer lovers. It's a great way to try new beers and enjoy a scenic train ride with your friends. One group bought tickets in the executive car for a surprise birthday present. All I talked to said this was their first beer-tasting train experience and they would definitely do it again! If you'd like to go on the next one, call 800.468.4070 for reservations. Upcoming trains include: July 3 - "Red, White, and Blue Beers" A taste of Chimay; August 7 - "Thirsty Dog Days of Summer", October 2 - "Oktoberfest", and November 6 - "Seasonal Beers."

Why hoist one: No false advertising here: hops, hops and more hops. Bitter like a Stone Pale 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.

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.

-Jane Snow
-Featured in The Akron Beacon Journal Wednesday October 12, 2005.

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.