Uptown Untapped celebrates Westerville's beer

Drink ’til It’s Dry: In the late 1800s, townspeople opposed the sale and consumption of alcohol so much that the businesses were actually destroyed using gunpowder, thus sparking the Westerville Whiskey War

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In the late 1800s, townspeople opposed the sale and consumption of alcohol so much that the businesses were actually destroyed using gunpowder, thus sparking the Westerville Whiskey War. Little more than 100 years ago, Westerville became known as the Dry Capital of the World when the Anti-Saloon League moved in. Now, Westerville celebrates the start of fall by drinking in the streets.

One could say Westerville has changed over the years.

On Sept. 15, Uptown Untapped takes over Uptown Westerville for the second time, celebrating all things anti-Prohibition. Join with the community to enjoy local musicians, support charitable organizations and drink like you’re in a dry district; responsibly, of course.

Last year, Uptown Westerville Inc. wrangled nine local breweries into the event. This year, Uptown Untapped will feature 20. Uptown Westerville’s executive director, Lynn Aventino, says this is pretty remarkable, considering the organization had just four weeks to set up the entire event.

“It took some time to get everybody on board that we can do this, we can do it safely and we can do it with decorum; it’s not going to be a drunken frat party,” says Aventino, laughing. “You can drink responsibly and enjoy what the local breweries have to offer.”

Because Westerville is still in a dry district, and the event is made for street drinking, Uptown Westerville can only serve beer and malt beverages. However, wine lovers are welcome to enter and exit the event as they please in order to stop into a bar for a glass, so long as they finish their drink before entering or exiting Uptown. However, with 20 breweries serving beer and food, attendees shouldn’t expect to want for anything. Last year, vendors served full pours of beer, which turned out to be too much of a good thing. This year, vendors will serve 4-ounce pours, enabling attendees to try a wider variety of beer.

“What we heard from people is that they didn’t get to taste all the beers,” says Aventino. “We want to allow people to taste all the offerings.”

Because securing the correct permits set scheduling back last year, Aventino says she and the rest of the Uptown Westerville staff didn’t expect a huge turnout. With only a few weeks’ notice and it being the event’s inaugural year, the organization expected fewer than 500 people to come through. Instead, 1,200 people showed up, and showed up thirsty. Most vendors had to shut down early because they ran out of beer.

This year, Aventino simply hopes to see growth and raise money for Uptown Westerville and Neighborhood Bridges, as well as support local businesses and showcase Westerville’s culture.

“It was such a friendly, relaxed, happy place to be. Everybody was just so happy to be on the street enjoying this type of event in Westerville,” says Aventino. “It was beautiful because it’s in that historic setting. … To bring this dream to a reality, and see the public’s reaction and how everybody was enjoying it – it was so worthwhile.”

Asterisk Strawberry Jam

Courtesy of Asterisk Supper Club. Makes 10 8-oz. jars.

Ingredients

  • 4 lb. strawberries
  • 2 lb. 10 oz. white cane sugar
  • 6 oz. lemon juice

Directions

  1. Cut stems off strawberries. If large, cut into quarters – small bite-sized pieces are desirable.
  2. In a 12-qt. copper preserving pan or wide pan, combine strawberries and sugar.
  3. Heat on medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Continue to stir but do not let it boil.
  4. As soon as the sugar is dissolved, transfer to a plastic or ceramic bowl with lid.
  5. Refrigerate overnight.
  6. Place your mixture back into the pan.
  7. Place a few spoons into the freezer on a plate (these will be used to test your jam to see if it’s finished).
  8. Heat on medium high.
  9. Add 3 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice.
  10. Heat and continually stir the mixture until it boils and reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit. It will take approximately 30-40 minutes. The bubbles will get smaller as it gets closer to being finished.
  11. Stir very often at this point to prevent burning.
  12. When it gets to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, add the remaining 3 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice.
  13. Foam will start to accumulate at the top of your mixture. Carefully skim of the top with a large spoon. Try not to leave any foam.
  14. Take your spoons from the freezer and spoon a small amount of jam onto the spoon and place back into the freezer. Once the spoon is neither warm nor cold, take your finger down the spoon. If the mixture on the sides stays and doesn’t bleed into where your finger was, it is ready. If not, keep your mixture on the heat and try again in 10 min.
  15. Start a second large pot of boiling water. This will be used to seal your cans. Be sure it is large enough to fit desired number of mason jars.
  16. Remove jam from heat.
  17. Immediately sanitize mason jars, lids and rings. This is very important to prevent bacteria. Be sure not to touch any part of the jar, ring or lid after sanitation.
  18. Use a canning kit funnel, ladle into the mason jars. Fill to just below the lip. Be sure not to get foam into the jars.
  19. Use the magnet stick from the canning kit to place the lid onto the jar. This will allow you to place on the jar without touching it.
  20. Tighten with the ring.
  21. Carefully put your jars into the pot of boiling water. Be sure they are completely submerged.
  22. Boil for 30 min.
  23. The lids should not move when you push down on them. This is how you know they have sealed.
  24. Store at room temperature in a cool, dry area. Jam will be good for one year.

Amanda DePerro is an editor. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.