One of Ohio’s oldest breweries is building out its first taproom. Columbus Brewing Company (CBC), founded in 1988 and taken over by Eric and Beth Bean in 2012, will open a taproom at their brewery on Harrison Road this summer.
“It’s always been our intention to get something in place, but we’ve been focused on making more and more beer each year,” says Eric Bean. “We finally got everything together to make this happen.”
The Beans have put out nearly 30 brews since they took over CBC seven years ago, most of which can be found at stores all over Ohio. Their lineup runs the gamut from IPAs and double IPAs, to blonde pale ales and golden ales, to stouts and lagers. At the taproom, they’ll host 24 taps for their core brews and some seasonal styles, alongside beers from other local breweries.
To create the taproom, CBC has taken over the offices adjacent to the existing brewery, expanding their space to nearly 5,000 square feet and allowing enough room for up to 99 imbibers. Located inside a concrete building with concrete floors, Bean imagines maintaining its industrial feel, accenting the space with steel and tile. The taproom will remain focused on pouring the beer, while food trucks will provide dining options for taproom patrons.
CBC’s taproom near the Hilltop will be one of two to open in the next year. Plans are still moving forward for a CBC taproom at the Trolley Barn site on the Near East Side. Bean says that the goal is to have that location built out by next spring.
Bean says the goal for CBC since he and his wife took it over has been steady growth, with a laser focus on putting out new beers. Bean came on as brewmaster when CBC was under former owner Suzie Edwards. Once the couple bought in, “We just decided to put our head down, build our brand — our identity — on the beers we were making,” he says.
Bean says they’re ready to be face-to-face with the people enjoying their beers.
“The big thing for us is have that direct consumer relationship,” says Bean. “We’ve been fortunate to build our brand without it — we do it at beer festivals and events — but to have it on a daily basis, we’re really looking forward to it.”
CBC is located at 2555 Harrison Rd. For more information, visit columbusbrewing.com.