CINCINNATI — As many businesses are working to get back to pre-pandemic operations, the brewery industry here in Ohio is making its comeback. The over $3 billion industry in the Buckeye state is showing just how valuable it is.
What You Need To Know
- Ohio's brewery industry is the 6th largest in the country, with over $3 billion in economic impact, according to the Brewers Association
- Breweries struggled in 2020, having to halt production and throw out old beer
- According to the Brewer's Association, seven of Ohio's ten largest breweries surpassed their 2019 production numbers
- Moerlein Lager House nearly beat its 2019 numbers
Quick and painless, that’s how Curtis Eulberg, the head brewer at Moerlein Lager House, describes the brewing process- which takes about 30 days from start to finish.
“It’s just an interesting job," Eulberg said. "There’s a lot of knowledge that goes into it. You have to be organized, you have to know how to fix things, be good with your hands. It’s different every day.”
The head brewer makes sure everything is in order and that each batch of beer is made of the highest quality.
That’s more important now than ever. Because of the pandemic, breweries were forced to shut down-pouring thousands of beers down the drain. But now- breweries like Moerlein have made a comeback. According to the Brewers Association, eight of the state’s ten largest breweries increased production in 2021 over 2020 and seven of them surpassed their 2019 numbers. Moerlein nearly met their 2019 numbers, something general manager Aaron Adams says is crucial to getting back on track.
“It really makes us happy to move that product at the same speed or near the same speed we were moving it in 2019," Adams said.
That is critically important because many experts believed the brewery industry wouldn’t be able to make a comeback until 2023. And for Ohio- that was crucial, with the sixth largest brewery industry in the country. At Moerlein, they take pride in sharing their local beers.
“This is what sets us apart," Adams said. "We have a lot of people ask for locally brewed beer when they come and it can’t get any more local than that.”
Adams says they even learned valuable lessons through the pandemic- which forced them to can beers for the first time, something they still do.
“We kind of pivoted as well and started canning," he said. "We didn’t can until really until that time. Up until then, you could only get a growler.”
For Eulberg, he sees the industry’s continued growth thanks to the variety across the state, which provides something for every beer lover.
“You have all different breweries of all different sizes," Eulberg said. "You have places that are a brewhouse in a garage with an overhead door, you have giant macro-breweries that have been around for 80 years.”
According to the Brewers Association, as of 2021, there are 365 breweries in Ohio, up from 339 in 2020