Craft beer, smoked meats, delicious pies and arcade games will pack the warehouse on Feb. 7 at 945 W. Burrell Ave.
That’s when the Grandview Craft Beer Alliance hosts the second High Gravity Hullabaloo. The event runs 6-10 p.m.
Craft beer connoisseurs Laura Oldham, Doug Oldham and Jamie Gentry formed the coalition in October 2013.
The Hullabaloo was inspired in part by the alliance leaders’ experience at the Grandview Digfest. While they enjoyed Digfest and its offerings of local craft beer, wine and liquor, they wanted to put on an event that was just craft beer.
“The three of us are beer drinkers, and we wanted to put on an event that truly showcased the great beers coming out of central Ohio,” says Laura.
Gentry and the Oldhams see the event as a celebration of central Ohio beer culture, and that means it has to have more than just beer. Thus the smoked meats, provided by ManBQue Columbus; the pies and other baked goods from Honeykiss Bakery; the appetizers brought in by Matt the Miller’s Tavern; and the classic arcade games, courtesy of Arcade Super Awesome.
Nineteen local breweries have signed on to provide their potent potables. All the beers are on the high side in terms of alcohol content – think double or triple IPAs, imperial stouts, and Belgian dubbels or tripels – and many are among the breweries’ lesser-known offerings.
Tickets can be purchased at www.grandviewcraftbeer.com. Prices start at $20 for a designated driver ticket, and $60 for beer drinkers.
“We didn't want the type of event where you wait around in lines forever,” says Laura. “We wanted an event where you get your beer and enjoy it. That’s what it’s all about.”
A ticket also buys a collectible tulip glass that can be used for all the beer samples a budding connoisseur can bear.
The complimentary cup is just part of what sets the Hullabaloo apart from the next beer festival, Laura says.
“So often, you go to a beer fest and you get a really bad tasting cup,” she says. “We wanted to come up with something unique.”
A ticket option for designated drivers offers endless play at the arcade games and a collectible pint glass.
To correct parking problems that cropped up last year, parking will be available at nearby buildings as well as the warehouse.
Guests who want to make the festival into an all-night affair and don’t want to worry about parking or arranging a designated driver for the event can book a night at Hyatt Place Grandview at a discount with a code available at the alliance’s website.
Kyle Banfill is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
