Every decent road trip requires at least one worthy pause–and we didn’t have one on the way out to Iowa from Maryland for Christmas 2019, because of certain circumstances. So we needed a good one for the trip back.
I’d bought a share in BrewDog a couple of years ago during the second Equity For Punks event as a statement–of what I am not entirely sure–and to register my appreciation for the good work they do in spreading the homebrewing gospel. I’m a realist when it comes to commerce, and I don’t expect absolute purity of purpose, so my concern over who owns a stake in the BrewDog venture is limited only to the overall “good works” of the company. In that, at least for now, I’m satisfied.
All lit up for the holidays, the taproom bar at BrewDog 
Where the beer gets made at BrewDog’s DogTap
Our Southern Route home took us directly through Columbus. So the only choice, if I wanted to check in on my “investment,” was to determine if we’d visit the original taproom in Short North, or Franklinton, or go to the BrewDog DogTap brewery outpost south of the metro area, where you can also find the DogHouse hotel. We *had* to check that out–in the interest of knowing whether we would want to make a return trip and spend the night.
The answer to that question: Yes.
Couldn’t take a flight because of the drive ahead, but we lusted after our neighbors’ 
Neon sign putting it on the line at BrewDog
The BrewDog installation is in a suburb called Canal Winchester, and it houses a beer museum, a retail store with stacks of cold BrewDog to go, and a massive taproom next to the working brewery. Because I still had some driving ahead of me, I limited myself to a Pom Pulp Patriot–oh what joyous brew–and a Nanny State, which came up a bit lifeless after the bold, fruity beauty of the PPP. I look forward to trying BrewDog’s other AF (alcohol free) beers for a richer flavor. Along with the rest of the lineup… we also had a fine hot dog (S) and tacos (me).
We checked out the DogHouse, and we briefly contemplated checking in. But our own pack awaited at home, so we loaded up the Sube with a couple of cases of Pulp Patriot, Aloha, Cocoa Libre, Elvis Juice, Clockwork Tangerine, and, of course, a couple of cans of the Punk IPA that started it all for us.
A fly-out is in the works for 2020! All images by Stephen Yeates.
A view to the tank room at BrewDog 
An artistic row of kegs at BrewDog