Here’s our annual end-of-the-year look at brewing news in Northeast Ohio for 2021 – along with a few personal favorites.Marc Bona, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The brewing industry in Northeast Ohio is just that – an industry, and a healthy one. We offer a glimpse at the year’s biggest regional beer stories - along with a few personal favorites we quaffed along the way.

What other year-end column will include Ruth Bader Ginsberg, an Irish Breakfast, dimes and an Angry Penguin?

• Some beer fests remained on hiatus as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But other programs launched, encouraging craft-beer heads to get out and visit regional breweries. The Hall of Fame Hops Craft Brew Trail covers breweries in three counties while the Medina Brewery Passport program began. Also, Progressive Field hosted its first Grand Slam Beerfest (it sold out).

• The region continued its strong showing at the annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron and JABF in Wooster each won two awards. Masthead Brewing Co. won for the third time since it opened in 2017. But the nice surprise was Eighty-Three Brewery. The two-year old Akron brewery captured its first GABF medal.

Bad Tom Smith Brewing in Cleveland closed this year.

• The current hiring challenge for restaurants seems like a persistent wave crashing ashore in a storm with no end in sight. Several breweries curtailed hours or altered days they are open as a result of high turnover or short staffing at multiple positions, including line cooks and servers.

• Bad Tom Smith Brewing in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood shut its doors just shy of four years of being opened.

• Covid continues to be a nagging Debby Downer. This month, Lock 15 Brewing Co. in Akron shut down temporarily because of positive tests among its staff. Hoping this is not a harbinger.

• Platform Beer Co. had a lot going on, from raising money for the Ohio Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, hosting a charity tailgate and releasing Muni - a beer marking the 75th anniversary of the Cleveland Browns. But the Cleveland-based brewery – with three Northeast Ohio locations - found itself in hot water when employees at its Columbus taproom quit en masse because of what they attributed to poor working conditions. A subsequent Gofundme page was set up. The brewery’s owners pledged better communication. The Columbus taproom remains closed.

Andy Tveekrem of Market Garden Brewery

Andy Tveekrem, head brewer at Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, was named president of the Master Brewers Association. It’s a technical-focused organization with one important goal: To ensure the quality of what goes in your glass. The average drinker might not know what diacetyl is, or why a beer tastes off, but Tveekrem and the non-profit group’s members work together to solve problems that can crop up in brewhouses across the world.

BrewDog recently opened in Cleveland.

Northeast Ohio is not immune to the ongoing growth pattern of breweries throughout the state. (Ohio is nearing 400 craft breweries.) Scottish-based BrewDog took the brewing world by storm after it was founded on 2007. But it really caught the attention of Ohioans several years ago when it chose Columbus as its first U.S. location. Now it has opened in Cleveland, with a cool, modern space that is respectful of its industrial past. It also went into an area – the Scranton Peninsula – that was home to colorful graffiti and overgrown weeds and not much else for years. And location is what is key here: Breweries are not opening in just one pocket of the state. Here are just a few: Tom Robbins and Elliott Pickett opened Brighten Brewing Co. in Copley in Summit County. Andrew Revy opened Immigrant Son Brewery in Lakewood. Belltower Brewing Co. in Kent is run by Jennifer Hermann. Janice and Terry DeLap opened the suburban Broadview Brewing Co. in Broadview Heights. Keith Clapper and pal Chad Riffle started Hoppy Dude Brews in Hinckley in Medina County. And the family that runs Das Schnitzel Haus in Parma ventured into the beer business with Schnitz Ale Brewery.

Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood offered a deal for proof of vaccination.David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

A fun idea at Market Garden Brewery turned into a brilliant marking move. As a way to encourage vaccinations, the Ohio City brewery offered a deal you couldn’t refuse: Sign up online, show proof that you are fully vaccinated, and get a beer - for a dime. It coincided with the Wolstein Center mass-vaccination site. It was intended for the first 2,021 people, but that went out the window when about 10,000 signed up. Imitation being the best form of flattery, the idea spread to other states in various forms. “We thought this would be a fun campaign to encourage people to do the right thing,” said Sam McNulty, one of the owners. “I’m a firm believer of carrots working better than sticks. In my mind the best carrot is a delicious craft beer.” Hat tip: Paladin Brewing Co. in Austintown held a mask burning to mark its pandemic reopening. “We just thought it would be a fun way to celebrate and act like kids again,” the brewery’s Abby Chandler said.

Penguin City Brewing is in the middle of an ambitious expansion project.

The growth of breweries continues, and in any economic climate that’s a story. But after we close out year two of a pandemic, it’s amazing. In 2020 in Ohio, 47 breweries opened and 15 closed. Breweries keep eyeing expansion and – like openings - the growth is not relegated to one area. A few deals on the horizon: Saucy Brew Works is building a brewpub and event center adjacent to TopGolf in Independence. The Brew Kettle is going into the planned entertainment complex overlooking Tom Benson Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Missing Falls Brewery in Akron recently announced it is expanding on site, adding fermenters, a canning line and event space while branching out its kitchen. Penguin City Brewing Co. is essentially moving from being a brewery that contracts with another company to make its beer to gaining a massive warehouse space in Youngstown for its equipment, bar and event space. Moral of the story: To open a business is an accomplishment. To expand it is commendable.

Several Northeast Ohio breweries marked round-number anniversaries in 2021.

In 2021, several breweries marked round-number anniversaries. Here are just a few: Hoppin’ Frog in Akron (15 years), Market Garden in Cleveland (10 years), Forest City in Cleveland (five), Sibling Revelry in Westlake (five), Blue Monkey in North Royalton (one). Also: The Summit Brew Path, a passport program to encourage brewery visits, was available for its fifth year. Coming up: In 2022, Collision Bend will celebrate five years on the Flats East Bank in Cleveland. One other notable anniversary: 20 years ago, Great Lakes Brewing Co. held its inaugural Burning River Fest. The music-beer festival serves to promote the importance and preservation of water.

Throughout the year we run monthly reviews of out-of-region beers. Store shelves continue to sag with scores of offerings. Our reviews focus on flavor profiles rather than my opinions. But at this time of year I will pour out a few of my favorites:

I had a few favorites I sipped throughout the year.

• Brighten Brewing Co., Copley: Saison – Slight black pepper, clean-tasting. This beer was right out of the gate for the newly opened brewery.

• Collision Bend Brewing Co., Cleveland: 8 Crazy Nights barrel-aged version – Aged in apple Brandy barrels, smooth and not boozy. Great sipper. I hoisted this to celebrate being fully vaccinated.

• Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland: Lemon Hefeweizen - Lemon is definitely there, not as tart as some beers in this style can be. Coriander offers a subtle and pleasing dry-spice taste.

• Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland: Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat - Sessionable ales often lose something, but this one – made with orange and lemon - doesn’t sacrifice flavor at all.

• Hop Tree Brewing, Hudson: Angry Penguin – This is brewed with pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla and Marshmallow Fluff. Yes, Marshmallow Fluff. Try this to believe it.

• Sibling Revelry Brewery’s Pecan – Brown Ale is far from my go-to style, but this one delivers. Brewed with pecans and brown sugar, it is not overly sweet and yields a fresh coffee taste.

• Unplugged Brewing Co., Elyria: Irish Breakfast – The best beer I tried all year. With cold-brewed coffee, this imperial Coffee Stout belies its 10% alcohol, is wonderfully balanced and incredibly smooth.

• BrewDog’s Pulp Patriot Blueberry Milkshake India Pale Ale: Definitely not just another fruit beer. The hops make their presence known and are followed by a dry finish.

• Left Hand Brewing Co.’s Chai Milk Stout: Different and intriguing, two words that describe what many brewers strive for. Spices lead to a pleasing burn in the back of your throat and a nice dryness in this medium-bodied ale.

• Shmaltz Brewing Co.’s She’brew RBG IPA: Clean, fresh berries, hops and tangerine pith cross the palate. It’s a hat tip to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Side note: Billed as the nation’s only Jewish brewery, the Clifton Park, New York-based Shmaltz is closing after 25 years.)

Cheers and have a great year!ASSOCIATED PRESS

I traditionally sign off this annual column by reminding folks what we drink is not as important as who we are with as we sip. Happy holidays, and here’s to a healthy 2022. And speaking of Shmaltz, my favorite toast also is found on their cans: “L’Chaim!” (“To Life!”)

Here is a look at our end-of-year beer columns:

I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.

Get a jumpstart on the weekend and sign up for Cleveland.com’s weekly “In the CLE” email newsletter, your essential guide to the top things to do in Greater Cleveland. It will arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings - an exclusive to-do list, focusing on the best of the weekend fun. Restaurants, music, movies, performing arts, family fun and more. Just click here to subscribe. All cleveland.com newsletters are free.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 5/1/2021).

© 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.