It’s back! Ohio Brew Week – 9 days of appreciating the best brews of local craft distilleries. This iconic Athens event was the first week-long craft brew festival in America. It’s an exciting event with countless local bars and restaurants participating yearly. For over 20 years, Ohio Brew Week has successfully revitalized the Athens brewing scene.
Whether you’re looking to enjoy the different lagers, stouts, sours, ales, or – let’s be honest – mostly IPAs, you’ll find it. And if you’re not a beer person but don’t want to miss out on all the fun and commotion, there’s plenty of spirits, ciders, and cocktails to go around, too.
There are a few places that are absolute musts to visit during Brew Week; they’re a part of local Athens’ identity, history, and even future. Every participating bar focused on keeping things local and using sustainable ingredient sourcing and brewing techniques; which is symptomatic of the keep-it-local-conscious culture of Athens.
Celebrate local libations and small-town success and plan a bike-and-brew route through these 5 fermenters:
JackieO’s Pubs & Tap Room
JackieO’s beers are so legit that people all over Ohio and even other states know the name and seek out their unique craft beers. Opened in 2005, they are the OG Athens brewery. Bonus: they also have some pretty awesome bar food at their uptown location, and a food truck at their tap room. Plus, you can buy cans and growlers at their taproom. For those who aren’t fans of hops and barley, they’ve also expanded their drink menus to include ciders, seltzers, and cocktails.
There are three ways to experience the magic of JackieO’s: their pub and brewpub uptown, and their taproom on Stimson Ave. Uptown locations are the quintessential pub vibe, and the taproom is a lively mix of outdoor hangs and modern-brewery interior.
West End Cider House & Distillery
West End has become a hub for a more grown-up bar vibe, and was voted the best place in Athens for people over 30 and the best place in Athens for cocktails. You’ve got two options with West End, who’s recently expanded their libation production to ciders and spirits.
You can get any of West End’s products at the Ciderhouse on Washington, which is a communal mix of indoor and outdoor gatherings. Or you can head down the street to the new West End Distillery, where you can try their locally-made spirits alone or in delicious craft cocktails. West End’s got something for everybody.
Little Fish Brewing
Little Fish is a big-city energy brewery and restaurant on a hill. You can get to it by car, but it’s much more fun and scenic to get to it via the bike path, which sits directly off of near the end of Union Street. The inside of Little Fish is modern and open, but we really love the rustic covered outdoor area.
Little Fish is a chill vibe, with self-serve water and the option to order via the QR codes on the tables. They also offer cocktails, and have a killer gastro-pub-style menu and their unique brews are locally-sourced and curated for a casual yet upscale feel. Plus – they’re family-friendly!
Devil’s Kettle Brewing
They’re one of Athens’ OG breweries, except micro. It was founded in 2015 by an OU alum who loved craft beer but not the prices. Out on Columbus Rd, Devil’s Kettle offers an indoor-outdoor, industrial-ish atmosphere with an array of locally-made microbrews, including beers that are hoppy, malty, sour, or barrel aged, which you can get on-draft or by the bottle.
Also, they’ve just expanded their menu to include a food truck that sits right on the edge of their outdoor patio! Cashews, fries, and artisan hotdogs and sausages are the perfect complement to complicated beers. Definitely, a must-go.
Eclipse Company Store
Alright, so Eclipse isn’t technically a brewery, but it’s something that’s such a unique Athens spot that it shouldn’t be skipped over on your brewery tour. This one’s also right off the bike trail, and a perfect starting point for any bike-and-brew trip. They’ve got ideal pre-drinking food like slow-cooked meats and salty carbs – don’t leave without ordering their mac and cheese egg rolls.
Eclipse Company Store is a historic landmark, and the only one of its kind still standing in Southeast Ohio. And they’ve kept the early-1900s vibe but added 2020s culture. Patio seating, an indoor hall, a vintage bar and the best beers on draft, stop there on Brew Week for live music, karaoke, drag shows, community events, and more.
Virtually Every Bar of Court Street
If you live uptown, you’re good to go – no bike needed. Living in a student apartment on Court Street puts you in the center of all the action. Pretty much every bar on our main drag participates in Brew Week, which means you can try all the crazy crafts that flood the city during this annual 9-day event. In fact, you can even get JackieO’s right from the source without ever leaving uptown – their pub house and brewpub are just off Court on Union. Brew-hop smart, not hard.
Plan the Perfect Athens Brewery Bike Tour for Ohio Brew Week
Brewed on the Bikeway is an organized ale trail that goes over all the iconic local breweries in Athens. This 21-mile bike trail makes it easy to go on a weekend brewery bike tour with friends: One of our favorite routes to take that keeps you on the bike trail as much as possible, hits all the prime spots, and ends right uptown is:
- Eclipse
- Devil’s Kettle
- Little Fish
- West End Cider House
- JackieO’s Taproom
- Court Street Bars
Aside from brews, you can also stop by for some food to refuel at Cajun Clucker, Casa Nueva, or Little Fish.
With everything that’s going on for Ohio Brew Week, you don’t want to miss out.
Mark your calendars! And drink responsibly!
Living Uptown? Don’t Miss Out on Ohio Brew Week
The 20th annual Ohio Brew Week this year will take place from July 11-19th, with hundreds of different beer you can try and keep track of using this list.
Brew Week is best enjoyed when you're living just steps from the action. If you're an OU student or Athens local looking for housing near Court Street, check out Kleinpenny Rentals’ off-campus apartments and houses — walkable, updated, and perfect for beer week and student living.