For the past two years, Columbus has been witness to a craft brewery explosion, more than doubling in number. Riding that same wave are growler shops, beer-centric restaurants and bars, and an explosion of craft tap handles.
But what we don’t have is a dedicated beer store – until now. Enter Crafted Drafts, brainchild of owner Mike Troy.
“Craft beer is everywhere in Columbus these days, including on store shelves, but there aren’t many retailers that focus solely on packaged beer sales,” Troy says. This is true. The best places to buy beer – Anderson’s, Gentile’s, and so forth, have something other than beer at the core of their business. And while savvy buyers like Weiland’s Adam Roelle bring great beers to Columbus, a store that makes no compromises – in shelf space, time, money, or effort – is just what Columbus needs. Fuck groceries, I want row after row after row of beer.
Our city’s existing selection is good, but Troy aims to stand on top: “We want people to come to our store and find the best beer selection in Central Ohio.” He is aiming for 600+ varieties of beer and most importantly the largest single bottle selection in the city. (But not in the state – Jungle Jim’s in Cinci has 1000+.)
I value variety over quantity. I order flights instead of pints and buy bottles instead of sixers. Why drink the same beer six times when you can have six different ones? Troy explains, “We want people to be able to sample new beers and mix and match their favorites so everyone in the household can get what they want. We also plan to curate variety packs around seasonal releases like autumn and winter beers to make it easy for shoppers to try some of the best in a particular style or theme.” This is a great idea, and something I’ve seen done successfully at Gentile’s in the past. It is a great way for nascent beer geeks to explore different styles, and with any lucky maybe they’ll let me pick the Christmas sixer.
Crafted Drafts is located at 5245 Hamilton Rd, Columbus, Ohio and will open Friday, September 20 at noon. You can keep up with Crafted Drafts on Facebook, Twitter and crafteddrafts.com.
One Comment on "Crafted Drafts beer store opening soon"
Crafted Drafts Beer Store seems like a beer lover’s paradise with its extensive selection of craft beers from around the world. The concept of offering a wide range of rotating taps and growler fills is fantastic, as it allows customers to explore different flavors and support local breweries. I appreciate the effort of Crafted Drafts Beer Store in curating a diverse and exciting beer lineup. Thanks to the author for sharing this gem of a store with us! Cheers to great beer and great experiences!