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    Combustion Brewery & Taproom Opening in Pickerington this Fall

    Pickerington will soon be welcoming a new brewery, spearheaded by a soon-to-be veteran of Gordon Biersch. Combustion Brewery and Taproom is slated for a mid-fall opening in the heart of Olde Pickerington Village.

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    Combustion Owner Keith Jackson got his start in the beer biz early on. The Ohio University grad began homebrewing in Athens while studying for his geography degree. Jackson moved to Seattle with his current wife in 2006, right as the craft beer scene hit full swing.

    “I really enjoyed it,” said Jackson. “I like the history of beer, the culture of beer and whatnot.”

    He found himself increasingly interested in brewing, and began working for Columbus Brewing Company when they moved back to Columbus in 2009. He moved up quickly, taking the position of head brewer at Gordon Biersch in 2012.

    Jackson recently acquired the lower level of the old Pickerington Creamery at 80 W. Church Street. The 6,100 square-foot space is very open, with plenty of room for a production brewery. The ten-barrel brewery will take up around 2,000 square feet, with the adjacent taproom filling the remainder.

    Jackson isn’t planning to do large-scale production all over the state, or even the city – most business is meant to be through the taproom. He wants it to become a place the Pickerington community can identify with – a place where they can take ownership and pride.

    “It’s a tight-knit community, and I think that’s important for the style of space I’m going to create, which is more of neighborhood taproom-style brewery,” he said.

    As far a beer stylings go, Combustion’s selection will kick off with a range of traditional varieties.

    “I’m not planning on doing any super unique styles right off the bat. American ales, German-style lagers, Belgian styles,” said Jackson.

    Aside from beer, there are tentative plans to serve fresh breads and local cheese pairings, though nothing is finalized yet.

    Jackson will be brewing part-time with Gordon Biersch until mid-summer, when he’ll take the helm of Combustion full-time. Renovations haven’t begun yet, but plans should be finalized within the next three weeks.

    “Combustion is something I’ve been working on for a long time. I can’t wait to get off the ground and get open,” said Jackson. “I’m looking forward to being able to focus on Combustion 100 percent.”

    Combustion’s slated opening date is tentatively set for October 2016.

    For more information, visit www.combustionbrewing.com.

    All renderings by Tower Pinkster Architects.

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    Rebecca Wagner
    Rebecca Wagnerhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Rebecca Wagner is a former staff writer at Columbus Underground who reported on local food and restaurant news. She's a graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
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