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    New Brewery Commonhouse Ales Coming Soon to Brewery District

    Lenny Kolada, the veteran craft brewer behind Smokehouse Brewing Company, has spearheaded a new community-focused B Corp brewery. Commonhouse Ales is set to launch this spring in the Brewery District.

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    B corp certification occurs when a for-profit company is certified by a non-profit company for transparency, performance, and accountability of social and environmental performance, according to the official B Corporation site. If all goes well, Commonhouse Ales will be Ohio’s first Certified B Corporation Brewery. At the time of publication, their certification is still pending approval.

    The brewery’s community fund, Commonhouse Shares, is being set up via The Columbus Foundation. For every six-pack sold of the brewery’s flagship American amber, Columbus Common Ale, $1 will be donated towards their Commonhouse Shares, which will in turn benefit local community nonprofit organizations.

    Kolada co-founded Barley’s Brewing Company at 467 N. High Street in 1992, adding on Smokehouse Brewing (previously Barley’s Smokehouse and Brewpub) back in 1998. He eventually sold his stake in the Downtown brewpub to hone his focus upon the Dublin Road smokehouse.

    “Commonhouse Ales represents the culmination of my many years in a craft beer space,” said Kolada. “I know we will brew kickass beer for our community. Beer is good, but we want to use beer for good.”

    Commonhouse Ales took over the lease for 535 Short Street, the former brewery of Columbus Brewing Company, last week. CBC will relocate to a larger location at the end of January.

    “It’s so exciting to know that the brewery space and equipment we’ve been using for two decades will be going to someone who is so passionate about Columbus and craft beer,” said CBC owner Eric Bean.

    Smokehouse Brewing’s Brewmaster Sam Hickey will take on operations at Commonhouse Ales, presiding over brew operations for both companies.

    Additional beers  on Commonhouse’s future draft and distribution list will include: Summer and Winter Sesh, two seasonal session IPA’s; four seasonal ales; Hoptopus, a pale wheat ale; IBU UBME, an imperial IPA; Punkt, an imperial pumpkin porter; and Imagine, a winter warmer.

    Commonhouse hopes to have beers on the market by April, with a slated opening date for Spring 2016.

    For more information, visit www.commonhouseales.com.

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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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