Central Ohio is slowly but surely adding more and more wonderful breweries to satiate the craft-head masses who crave tasty, local beer. And, while it seems like a handful of new faces join the brew scene every year, there are a few breweries that fit the “seasoned veteran” bill like a champ – slinging beer year after year like a bunch of tasty little engines that could. One such brewery is the Elevator Brewing Co., located in the heart of Columbus, and home to a bevy of tasty brews, many of which are bottled and found all over central Ohio for your imbibing pleasure.
With such a selection to choose from, where does one start? I asked myself the same question, and so I did the only logical action a person in my situation could do: I closed my eyes and pointed to a random bottle, hoping the gentleman beside me didn’t think I was having some kind of fit and call the paramedics. Luckily, he pretended he hadn’t noticed, and I strutted off – cool as a cucumber – with my fate-blessed beer: Elevator’s Dark Horse Lager. I couldn’t have been happier. Why? Well, in my mind Dark Horse is not only the Marvin Gaye of the Elevator Beer Family (smooth, rich, and full of sexy warmth), it’s also a tasty, straightforward beer with a focus on quality ingredients over complexity. You know in shows and movies when people walk up to a bar and say “Gimme a beer,” like there’s a tap that says “beer”? Dark Horse should be that beer. And now, that I’ve filled your heads with images of a sultry-voiced beer bottle and a room full of candles and satin sheets, let’s go drink some beer (best to keep your Marvin Gaye fantasies to yourselves).
Popping the cap reveals a rich, bready aroma of sweet cereal malts that bloom up and out of the bottle in a slow-building cloud. Imagine walking into your kitchen and finding fresh bread and Grape Nuts square dancing on top of your table. That’s what this aroma is. Additionally, some super mild hints of apples and the faintest traces of molasses creep in from the sides, barely influencing the overall bouquet, but adding just enough essence to make you turn to a friend or unwilling stranger and ask them if they smell apples as well (best to do this with friends). These two side-car ingredients add a gentle layer of sweet earthiness that seems to push the malty bloom up into your nose, where it stays and lingers like a cozy memory.
However, like all first dates, there’s always more than meets the eye, or nose in this case. The moment the first drops hit the tongue, the flavors jump out like a group of friends at a surprise party. Luckily, they’re the friends you like, not just the ones you follow on Twitter. A big bloom of full-bodied cereal malts envelops your tongue like a Grape Nut sweater. The usual mild sweetness of a malty brew is subdued a bit, replaced by a savory bread and cereal vibe, ensuring that the deep richness stays with you forever. The end of each taste features a slight hoppy bitterness that settles on the back of the tongue, where it mingles with some toasty notes of bread crust (bread is kind of a big deal with this beer). Keep in mind, the hops show up in hinted bitterness only, contributing none of the fruits or pines that you’d find in an IPA. There’s just enough bitterness to add some zest to the mix, creating a lingering flavor strength that reaches out and pulls you right back into the next drink. Over the tongue, it flows wonderfully smooth, with the smallest edge of crispness that shows up at the end before disappearing under a wave of malty richness. The flavors settle in like a hibernating bear, claiming your tongue with a mellow aftertaste of fresh bread that extends the entire drinking experience quite nicely. It’s a wonderfully refreshing, deliciously drinkable lager that casts aside any bells and whistles in favor of rich, flavorful tastiness. You really can’t expect less when the beer’s label is the horse version of Arthur Fonzarelli.
Elevator Brewing Company’s Dark Horse lager is a great example of less being more. An awesome team of malts, a dash of hops, and the suavest horse this side of Hollywood creates a big, mouth-filling brew that goes down smooth, rich, and tasty. You won’t find any cascading levels of complexity or gimmicks here – just beer, and at the end of the day, that’s just wonderful. Even better, Dark Horse can be found all over the place, including the Elevator brewpub, supermarket style stores, and in just a couple of days, on tap at the new Elevator taproom. However you decide to do it, treat yourself to a Dark Horse Lager, and save yourself from hearing my equestrian-Fonzie puns.
