The Mother of All Beer Weeks

Vic Schiltz and Mark Beery (far left and far right) of Elevator Brewing Company flank Lori Wince (Weasel Boy) and Angelo Signorino (Barley's) during Meet the Brewers Night.

Midway through American Craft Beer Week, Dick Stevens was asked how the annual celebration was progressing.

“My back hurts,” muttered Stevens, owner of Elevator Brewing Company.

Elevator organized much more than a simple toast to “The Mother of All Beer Weeks,” held May 17-23 this year. In beer-drinking terms, Columbus' finest brewery filled a pint full of events, drank it down, then licked the foam off the glass. Rest assured, Stevens wasn't the only one with a sore back.

Or liver.

The festivities kicked off Monday evening with a brewery-hosted meeting of the Scioto, Olentangy & Darby Zymurgists (SODZ), featuring a tasting of the wildest creations of the Poor Richard's Ale Homebrew Celebration. Back in April, the Elevator crew passed out five gallons of free wort to any local homebrewer who wanted to enter the competition, with one simple stipulation: Bring a taste of your recipe to the SODZ meeting. More than 50 people attended, bringing with them 30 homebrew versions of Poor Richard's Ale.

Tuesday's event was a fundraiser for the Downtown Columbus Dog Park Association, which operates a canine stomping ground at Spring and 4th in downtown Columbus. More than 30 people attended Bark & Brew, featuring a tour of the Elevator Brewery. All funds benefited the dog park. (And no, the dogs did not receive a sampling flight.)

Wednesday was Meet the Brewer Night at the Elevator Restaurant. Attendees included Vic Schiltz and Mark Beery from Elevator, Angelo Signorino from Barley's Brewing Company, and Lori Wince from Weasel Boy Brewing in Zanesville. They didn't come empty-handed, either; the evening was billed as a tasting of the state's five finest wheat beers, and each brewery delivered. Elevator supplied Mogabi (American wheat) and its Heifer-Weizen; Barley's brought Hoptopus and Frambwah? Raspberry Wheatwine; and Weasel Boy offered its American Wheat, actually a refreshing hybrid of wheat and barley. Even one of the SODZ homebrewers who was unable to attend Monday's event got in on the action, bringing a sour brown recipe of Poor Richard's Ale for sampling.

Thursday night saluted the Masters of Beer Appreciation (MBA) members with a reunion barbecue. More than 60 members showed up for an evening of food, drink and merriment.

But the week's showcase was Saturday's five-course beer dinner, hosted at the brewery. Each course was prepared with Elevator beer in the recipe, then paired with a tasty brew. The menu included shrimp & pancetta sauteed in a Heifer-Weizen butter pan sauce; a mixed greens salad tossed in a Mogabi cherry vinaigrette; a soup swirling smoked tomato with Bleeding Buckeye Red Ale; pork loin simmered in a Dark Horse Lager au jus; and for dessert, bread pudding made with Procrastinator Doppelbock – paired with the final remaining bottles of Horny Goat porter. There was also a barley burger for the vegetarians, and warm spent grain nut-brown ale beer bread.

Caleb Amos, Elevator international sales rep, introduced the beers. Lee Hill, beer cicerone, discussed each food and beverage pairing and lent a touch of class to the proceedings. The evening was such a success that Stevens is already plotting an autumn dinner to launch Elevator's fall pumpkin beer.

“We wanted to hit all segments of craft beer,” Stevens explained. “We wanted to do a homebrew event, and also showcase our civic involvement. We wanted to introduce local brewers to the general public, and celebrate the MBA. The beer dinner was just the icing on the cake.”

Dick Stevens, left, addresses an adoring crowd during Saturday's five-course dinner with beer-inspired menu at Elevator Brewery.