Brewery Spotlight: Land-Grant Brewing Company in Columbus, OH
We love getting to know the breweries that make up the ever-growing craft brewing industry — which is why we started our “Brewery Spotlight” blog series.
With each post in this series, you'll get to know some of our favorite craft breweries, as well as what led them to become such a staple in the craft beer community.
This week, we chatted with Meredith Miles, Director of Communications of Land-Grant Brewing Company in Columbus, Ohio. Read on to learn all about why Land-Grant Brewing is one of our all-time favorite breweries to visit.
Work For Your Beer (WFYB): We are so happy to chat with you, Meredith. Let's get into some questions! What year did Land-Grant open?
Meredith (M): 2014.
WFYB: So, you've been around for a while... what’s the most popular beer style you sell?
M: IPA is the true answer, but Hazy Pale Ales - like Lemon Glow - have really taken off this past summer for us. We've been brewing them for a few years, but people really gravitated to that hazy, juicy profile in something a little lighter.
WFYB: What beer are you most proud of brewing?
M: We asked our head brewer, Dan, this question and he responded: The beer I'm most proud of is the one we plan to continue brewing each year — Fresh IPA. We've used fresh, whole-cone hops from the Pacific Northwest before, but it never made sense to us to ship them all the way across the country. Even with the expensive overnight shipping, they were never as fresh as what West Coast brewers were using. So last year we drove up to Michigan in a refrigerated box truck, picked up a load of freshly picked Chinook flowers, and drove back to brew with them the next day. We also used the freshly pelletized versions of those same hops to dry hop the beer. Michigan Chinook has a lovely melon and pineapple flavor that sets it apart from its piney West Coast cousins.
This was truly a team effort. From our hop partners up north to our production managers who made the trek to the brewers who figured out the logistics of getting hops and wort back into the mash tun to the packaging team who helped load the hops in addition to canning, and lastly to our creative director who absolutely crushed the label. (Plus it was utterly delicious, and I'd put it up against any other fresh-hopped IPA I've tried.)
WFYB: What a great story! Currently adding it to my Untappd wishlist! Changing directions for a moment ... what is the weirdest beer you’ve ever made (whether you sold it or not)?
M: Land-Grant co-founder, Adam, once brewed a Pimento Saison in our early days. It was a tribute to the pimento cheese sandwiches served at the Masters, and it was... interesting. He claims that one of these days he's going to take another stab at it.
WFYB: That does sound interesting, to say the least, but we love the weird beers so we would give it a shot. Now... if you had to make the *perfect* mixed six-pack, what beers would you include in it?
M: We asked this to LG co-founder and Creative Director, Walt, and he responded saying - based on this time of year (fall/winter) - he’d go with:
Lemon Glow Hazy Pale Ale - something light and a little hoppy
Molinillo Mexican Hot Chocolate Porter from Steel & Oak Brewing Company- something a little more robust, with a little bit of heat and perfect for colder days
What're You Doing Here? - a nice, classic bitter west coast IPA with a sense of humor
Son of a Mudder Brown Ale - we haven't made this in a while, so perhaps I’m feeling nostalgic, but brown ales are great this time of year
Nonna Italian Pilsner - This snappy fall pils has pulled me out of my hoppy ways
Inflatable Flamingo Watermelon Wheat - something light, fruity, and a little goofy to finish things out.
WFYB: We love learning how craft breweries help out their local communities. How would you say Land-Grant contributes to the Columbus community?
M: Part of our mission here at Land-Grant is to make sure that we are ensuring long-term community sustainability throughout our neighborhood and beyond. Each of our customers helps us work toward this by patronizing our taproom and choosing Land-Grant beers in bars, restaurants, and grocery stores. Since opening our doors in 2014, we have been committed to donating at least 1% of our gross annual revenue to local area initiatives under the pillars of Community, Sustainability, and Education. While the past two years during the pandemic have greatly impacted our business, our commitment to responsibly stewarding our resources for the greater good is stronger than ever. Throughout the year, we proudly brew several Benefit Beers in support of a wide variety of organizations and causes, and host charitable happy hours to provide exposure and proceeds to causes that matter throughout our community.
Whether it’s cheering for your favorite team, supporting local artisans, volunteering your time, or celebrating a worthy cause – we know “community” means something different to everyone. We’re proud that our Beer Garden has become a safe and welcoming meeting place for everything from blood drives and yoga classes to watch parties and outreach to those in our community experiencing homelessness. We’re committed to bringing people together to find common ground and creating memorable experiences through our beer.
WFYB: It sounds like you guys truly care about your community! Speaking of community: what brewery activities and fitness events do you host?
M: With our expansive outdoor Beer Garden and Turf Area (activity area), and offer a wide variety of activities throughout the year. In warmer months, we have weekly events in our Beer Garden that are a little less active - Movie Mondays, Trivia Tuesday, and Live Music on Thursdays and Sundays. The Turf Area of our Beer Garden is where we have games and activities, including corn hole, a putting green, ping pong, and arcade-style basketball. During the warmer months, we partner with a local yoga studio to host classes in the Turf Area each weekend, other pop-up fitness classes and have been both the start and finish line for several foot and bike races, given our close proximity to Columbus’s trails and metro parks. In colder months, we host some indoor activities - such as a Euchre league every Monday. This winter, we’re getting excited to hopefully offer outdoor ice shuffleboard that can give customers the feeling of curling but the ease of the classic bar game.
WFYB: That sounds like loads of fun! Now, how about one fact people don’t know about Land-Grant?
M: Everything we do is done by a pretty small, but highly dedicated team. People are often surprised on tours that we brew and package all of our beer here in our cramped little Franklinton brewery. Not only that but all of our design and marketing is done here in-house by a team of about 5. I think with the success we've had—both at our taproom and in grocery/retail—people just think we're a much bigger organization than we are, which we take as a big compliment Oh, and that our brewery is housed in a (one story) elevator factory that was built in 1920!
WFYB: Hmmm a one-story elevator factory is interesting.... Now, what makes Land-Grant unique? Why should someone stop by your brewery versus the many other breweries in Columbus, Ohio?
M: We live by the ethos that "We Make Beer For You" and the you in that statement could be any number of drastically different people and personalities. We take an All Welcome approach to our beer and our taproom and try to offer something for everyone. Not to say that every beer we make or every event we throw is going to be for everyone, but that everyone can come to Land-Grant and find that beer or experience that is for them. Whether it's a hop-forward IPA, a strong stout, a fruity sour, or a crisp pilsner - we want to put your new favorite beer in your hand, while giving you an unforgettable experience as you drink it. From cheering on your favorite team to listening to live music, attending a community fundraiser or tiny dog race, or simply settling into a quiet Sunday afternoon in the Beer Garden - those experiences are what will make you remember that beer long after the glass is empty.
WFYB: Unforgettable experiences are what makes this industry so special! Lastly, why do you support the #WorkForYourBeer mantra?
M: Work For Your Beer promotes a sense of community, where like-minded individuals can come together over the things they love and enjoy. At Land-Grant, our All Welcome approach aims to create a sense of community for everyone - regardless of what “community” means to them. We believe in creating incredible experiences through craft beer, and promote doing so in a community and activity-minded environment.
We also align with Work For Your Beer’s focus on education, as that is also an important pillar of our approach to craft beer. Our "We Make Beer For You" ethos, combined with our Land-Grant University programming, aim to empower people with the knowledge and understanding of beer to help guide them toward discovering new styles or hops that they enjoy.
WFYB:We couldn't agree more!
Thank you to Meredith and everyone at Land-Grant for taking the time to share their story with us here on the Work For Your Beer blog.
If you ever find yourself in Columbus and fancy yourself a drink, go check out Land-Grant and their plethora of brewery activities!
Want to be considered for an upcoming feature? Email cheers@workforyourbeer.com to set up an interview!