Don’t forget about Gordon Biersch

With the constantly growing number of beer-related businesses springing up around Columbus – from new breweries to corner store growler fills to bars with local brews on tap – one can sometimes forget about the locations that have been up and running for some time. One such establishment is the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in the Arena District, oft overlooked as a purveyor of local craft brew because of its “restaurant chain” status.

For those of you who don’t know what Gordon Biersch is, it’s a brewery and restaurant chain with locations all across the country. There’s also the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, which bottles and sells GB brew at stores nationwide. For those who did know about Columbus’ Gordon Biersch, but didn’t realize there was a real brewery inside, well, there is – but don’t feel bad. According to Keith Jackson, head brewer and all-around awesome dude, quite a few people don’t realize that all of the Gordon Biersch beer on tap at the Arena District location is brewed on site. In fact, it never leaves the site, flowing straight into the taps from the brewery itself. That’s like eating an egg straight from the chicken, except in a much cleaner setting, and without the stigma of having to kidnap a chicken’s baby right in front of her eyes. Every Gordon Biersch beer is made within 50 feet of your table, under the wise and gentle care of Mr. Jackson.

“But Paul, aren’t they all just that – Gordon Biersch beers? That’s not local.” I’m glad you brought that up, my imaginary counter-argument friend! The short and sweet answer is: all the GB beer is brewed on site. The long answer is: using the basic guidelines that the Elder Sanctum of Gordon Biersch has set forth, Keith Jackson brews all GB beers onsite. As the head brewer himself told me, one could go to each and every location across the country, order the same beer, and never taste the same flavors from location to location. Each brewer works his own magic into each and every batch – which is the true heart of craft beer itself. One guy performing libational alchemy (libalchemy?) with a tank of hot water, some grains, and a hop or three.

Keith was awesome enough to show me around his “office”, which looked exactly like what the setting to the gritty reboot of the Wonka franchise should be (it should be called Crafty Wonka, and instead of a chocolate factory, it’s a craft beer brewery. And it’s golden growlers instead of golden tickets. And maybe there’s a murder mystery or something. Your move, Hollywood!) Everything one could possibly need to make craft beer was at his fingertips. A grain silo, an industrial sized scale to weigh out ingredients, computer assisted cooling systems, massive boiling and fermenting tanks. All busy at work, brewing up good times in liquid form. Oh, and the walls are lined with windows, so if you find yourself walking around down there, peek in and wave.

Now, about the beer itself, all I can say is that Keith’s the man. Ok, that’s not all I’m going to say. But he is the man. The beers that I tried were as deliciously crafty as anything I’d had before, including Keith’s Brewer’s Select creation; Brewer’s Select is a limited release beer series at all Gordon Biersch locations, where each brewer is given the freedom to use their creativity and create their own beer.

Keith’s Brewer’s Select beer is an American Brown Ale. He told me he wanted to brew up a beer that would match the fall season – a beer that he would want to drink before an afternoon of raking leaves. He nailed it. Big, mouth-filling malts imparted a rich and bready flavor that brought a touch of warmth and a subtle sweetness with each taste. Some mild, hoppy bitterness rode along underneath to keep things balanced out, before ending with a lingering malty mellowness that is the beer equivalent of comfort. Not too strong and complex, but with enough oomph to keep you warm and glowing as temperatures fall like leaves, Keith’s American Brown Ale was like the Goldilocks of fall beers – just right.

Next up was the Czech Pilsner, a traditional-style pils that would probably earn an approving nod from an old-timey Bohemian brewmaster. A moderate amount of biscuity maltage laid down a base of warmth, but the major flavor is all about the Saaz hops. Crisp and refreshing, each taste washes over your tongue as a spicy wave of mild sweetness and big, hoppy flavor. There is an underlying hop bitterness throughout, but it plays nice with every other flavor and remains well controlled. The result is that classic true-pilsner taste – savory with a touch of sweetness, crisp and superbly drinkable. If you visited the Cleveland Oktoberfest this past September, you might recognize the beer – it won 1^st place in the German Light Lager category.

I was also lucky enough to try their Schwarzbier, which literally uses the power of the Schwarz to somehow create a black beer that’s as dark and roasty as a stout, while remaining incredibly light on the tongue. Roasted smoke and bold coffee fills the mouth for an instant, before simply fading away and patiently awaiting your next drink. Keith uses this beer to convert people over to the craft side – drawing on its big coffee flavor and super light finish to start new craft heads down the path of enlightenment.

I’d wholeheartedly suggest everyone head on down to the Arena District this weekend and stop by Gordon Biersch. In addition to their scrumptious edibles, the beer is as tasty and craft-brew fresh as any other local brewery. Bring your friends, make a day of it! Show up however you can – skydive, rickshaw, TARDIS, pack mule – how you arrive doesn’t matter, because you’ll have a great time regardless. You might even see Beer Maestro Keith Jackson working his magic through the brewery windows. If you like what you’re drinking, give your compliments to the head brewer. Who knows, he may even come out and have a beer with you.