Traveling the Expanded Columbus Ale Trail
Feeling stuck at home? Grab a passport or download an app, and set out for pints unknown.
Whether you’re homegrown or new to the area, programs such as the Columbus Ale Trail, the Coffee Trail and the Made in CBUS Trail highlight some of the things that make Central Ohio unique. They showcase small businesses while providing an enjoyable opportunity to explore the new normal.
The Ale Trail launched in 2015 and has grown in popularity each year. The official kickoff for “Volume 6” was January 1, and this year’s ending date has been extended until April 2022, recognizing that people are reluctant to get out as frequently as in years past.
You can pick up a free copy of the Columbus Ale Trail passport at any participating brewery. Participants can earn prizes for visiting a variety of craft breweries and taprooms (and buying carry-out beer counts as well).
For breweries, participation is a no-brainer. “The traction you get is undeniable,” said Joe Wilson, CEO of Homestead Beer Company in Heath. “We got a ton of traffic who may not normally want to drive 45 miles to Heath.”
Additional destinations outside of Columbus include breweries in Delaware, Lancaster, Granville, Newark, Buckeye Lake and Marysville.
One of the event’s cofounders, Cheryl Harrison, explains that since 2015 the number of participating breweries has more than doubled, from 20 to this year’s 53. “We have had over 500 people finish the trail every year—meaning they visit and spend money at every brewery—and thousands of others participate and visit as many breweries as they can.” (Two participating breweries remain closed as of press time: Columbus Brewing Company and Taft’s Brewpourium.)
Present your Columbus Ale Trail book at any participating brewery after making a purchase to receive a stamp. Prizes can be redeemed at the Ohio Taproom, 1291 W. 3rd Ave., or the Experience Columbus Visitor Center at Easton Town Center.
Prizes start with an Ale Trail patch, earned with four stamps. For all 53 stamps, the reward is a limited-edition screened print designed by local artist Timothy Brennan.
If you download the Ohio On Tap app from the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, which has a prize system of its own, you can double dip, getting credit from both the app and the passport for visiting a single brewery. The app, which has 230 listings (and more than 47,000 downloads), offers rewards such as T-shirts, koozies, hats, flags and much more.
Harrison explains, “One of the reasons we’ve stuck with a physical passport instead of a digital app for the Ale Trail is that it really fosters the community aspect. When Ale Trailers spot someone else at the bar getting their passport stamped, they often strike up a conversation, exchanging tips and must-try brews and breweries with one another.”
One of the first
Jim Ellison, who also helped to launch the Columbus Ale Trail, said the goal of the event is to “support local businesses that really need support right now. [The Ale Trail] was one of the first of its kind in the country, and it is considered to be among the best as far as local support and sustainability. Many families and small groups of friends use it as an incentive to get out of a rut and try new places.”
Homestead’s Wilson observes that Columbus is still young in terms of the craft-beer industry. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the city was home to only three breweries. By the 2000s, there were about a dozen. Even 10 years ago, there were only a handful of local craft breweries in Central Ohio.
“In Denver there are over 100 small breweries, and you can go out of business quickly because there’s so much competition,” he said. “We don’t have that cutthroat mentality. Brewers constantly trade secrets, because there’s a futility in secrecy. Nobody is in this business to make money. It’s about passion and art.”
Just how many participants hit the trail in 2020? More than 50,000 Volume 5 Columbus Ale Trail booklets were distributed, and almost 600 people completely finished the trail, even with the pandemic in effect for the last few months.
Harrison noted, “A lot of people do [the Trail] as a group social activity with their co-workers, friends or partners, but all who participate seem to appreciate discovering new taprooms and new beers.”
Find the full list of breweries participating in the Columbus Ale Trail at cbusaletrail.com. Learn about the Ohio On Tap prize program at ohiocraftbeer.org/app.
