There was nothing obviously out of the ordinary about the middle-aged man sitting near me in the hotel breakfast area, except for the beverages he chose to supplement his morning coffee: a flight of beers.
Well, maybe it wasn't that unusual, considering that I was breakfasting just outside of Columbus, Ohio, at the new DogHouse, whose Scottish owners claim is the world's first crowdfunded craft beer hotel.
The man drinking beer for breakfast might just be a sign of the times for the Ohio capital, where the craft beer scene is hopping; the number of breweries in the greater Columbus region has more than doubled over the past three years. The first post-Prohibition microbrewery to open in the city was Columbus Brewing Co. in 1988. By 2015 there were 20, then 43 in 2018.
The recent speedy growth is clear to see, but what's more difficult to pinpoint is how Columbus stacks up against other noted U.S. beer towns like San Diego, the Portlands — both Oregon and Maine — and Asheville, N.C. Regardless of where Columbus ranks, what sets it apart is that this area is the place that the outrageous Scottish brand BrewDog (brewdog.com/usa) chose as its U.S. home base and the location for its DogHouse hotel.
The 32-room DogHouse opened in August, inviting guests into its playful, barlike lobby and industrial-chic spaces filled with neon signs and beer quotes. But this is no smelly beer hangout for foggy-brained fraternity bros, that is, unless they have pretty deep pockets. My suite on opening day, a Monday night, cost $284. On the Tuesday when I saw the guy with the breakfast beer flight, it seemed that most of the people staying at the hotel were some kind of beer nerds: industry people in town for the opening, brewers from neighboring states, home brewers or locals who are big beer fans.
Hotel for BrewDogs
DogHouse is a part of BrewDog's 42-acre Ohio complex in Canal Winchester, about 15 miles southeast of downtown Columbus. In addition to the brewery itself, there is a taproom with a full menu serving dishes like chili chorizo pizza and cauliflower wings; extensive outdoor space with fire pits and picnic tables, and the BrewDog Beer Museum, a 6,000-square-foot ode to the brewing process, beer's long history, and BrewDog's place in that narrative. At the hotel, the four rooms that are set aside for customers with dogs give easy access to outdoor space designed for canines.
Rooms have mini-fridges stocked with canned beer. My room had two, with one of them inside the bathroom for guests who want to pop open a cold one while taking a shower. Columbus' Glenn Avenue Soap Co. (glennavesoap.com) developed shampoo and other personal care items with a scent that mimics the aroma of BrewDog's Elvis Juice, a grapefruit-infused IPA. Each room also comes equipped with a beer tap. Guests pick the draft beer they want for the growler in their room and pay for it at checkout. My growler with Punk IPA, BrewDog's signature beer, cost $16.
Guest rooms overlook the soon-to-open sour beer facility, filled with wooden kegs and large foeders, or casks used for aging the sour beers. Some rooms have large windows facing the hallway that opens to the brewing area below. Others, like my suite, have an overhead garage door that can be raised to better take in the brewing experience.
