Just a few years from now when the gap between what used to be the Short North and Campus has officially disappeared and East Fifth Avenue is no longer a bold zone to place a business, people will say that in the beginning there was the Brothers Drake: the little meadery that could.
The Brothers Drake began with little more than a dream at a time when there were less than 50 meaderies across the country. When they opened their Fifth Avenue location, after moving into the city from their former Worthington/Polaris location, they didn’t even have a permanent mead maker. When they finally hired one, Candice Griffin, she had never made mead before in her life. They had space only for a small taproom and no chairs of any kind. To walk into Brothers Drake today, one would never guess about its humble beginnings.
The space has practically tripled in size over the years and now boasts a full bar, production facility where the mead is made on the premises, gallery space that changes monthly and a stage that is graced by musicians almost every night of the week. There is plenty of seating and Griffin has more than found her footing as mead maker. She is now voted one of the top alcohol makers in Columbus and one of just a few female mead makers in the world. There are now over 150 meaderies across the country and the mead industry experienced the most growth of any other kind of alcohol this past year.
The Brothers Drake has become another success story in the north part of the Short North and a pillar of the city that they call home.
“This isn’t your typical bar,” explains April Kulcsar, in charge of booking music and events at Brother’s Drake. “It’s really about getting people excited about our city.”
“Our business model is all local,” adds Griffin. “All locally made labels, local bottles, local ingredients, local alcohol. We really try to be a pillar of the local economy and put back into it what we get out of it.”
That means that you won’t find any Jameson or Coors Light behind the bar at Brothers Drake. But you will find Watershed Bourbon and Jackie O’s Mystic Mama IPA. All Ohio cocktails, meads and brews all the time.
The space isn’t just for local alcohol: it is for local people, whatever they do. The work of local artists lines the walls. The stage showcases a local musical act almost daily. The space is available to the community for meetings, gatherings and fundraisers and, more often than not, in the case of a fundraiser a portion of bar sales for the night will be donated to the cause.
“We really do more to promote the local culture in general,” explains Kulcsar. “We really want the people of Columbus to grasp how talented our citizenry is.”
Events are key in making that happen. Every Wednesday night is “Jazz Wednesday” at Brother’s Drake and it is free of charge. “It’s free, theres local cocktails, cute young guys playing standup bass. It’s great,” Kulcsar says.
Outside of music, think of an event and it either has happened at Brothers Drake or will happen there at some point. Apple pie bakeoffs, Columbus zoo fundraisers, Astronomy night, beekeeping workshops taught by the beekeeper who supplies them with the honey to make the mead, light painting workshops taught by the artist featured on the walls that month. They do it all. The easiest way to keep track of all of these events is to follow Brothers Drake on Facebook where they post about what’s happening there on a daily basis. There is also a thorough music calendar on their website.
A visit to Brothers Drake is not complete, however, without a tour of the meadery itself. Lucky for you, two take place every Saturday at 2 pm and 4 pm. The cost is $10 and that price includes a full tour of the production facilities, in depth explanation of the mead making process and of course samples. It’s a great way to taste a few of the flavors that Brothers Drake has to offer–Wild Ohio traditional, Apple Pie made with apple cider, Hot Shot made with hot peppers–while learning a bit of history about the world’s oldest fermented beverage.
“Mead is the muse of artists and poets,” claims Kulcsar.
It is also quickly becoming the muse of the citizens of Columbus thanks to Brothers Drake.
For more information, visit www.brothersdrake.com.
Columbus Underground is kicking off the summer with Explore Columbus Week! From June 2nd to June 8th, we’ll be sharing unique places to visit and experiences to have all throughout the region, sponsored by our friends at the Gallerie Bar & Bistro. Gallerie Bar & Bistro proudly embraces Ohio’s rich agricultural heritage and remarkable craftsmanship by featuring items from local farmers and artisans who maintain sustainable practices in the creation their products. Starting July 10, on the second Thursday of each month we are offering a monthly Supper Club for our city to experience creative coursed dinners from the kitchen of Chef Bill Glover and his team matched with unique pairings of wine, spirits, and beer. For more information, or to make a reservation, visit www.galleriebarandbistro.com.
