USA, OH: Hop Tree Brewing up and running in Hudson

Hop Tree Brewing is up and running in Hudson.

The production brewery and brewpub quietly opened its doors a few weeks ago after a lengthy construction and permitting process, the Akron Beacon Journal reported on January 9.

“It has been sort of weight-lifting to get some voices in here and hear some laughter in here and get things moving,” co-founder Greg McClymont said.

As you might expect from a place called Hop Tree, a tree plays a big role in the gray and black decor.

McClymont and co-founder Cory Ross, who both live in Stow, used a mighty oak from nearby S&S Sawmill to create a rough edge bar top. They filled in some of the openings in the wood with hops and barley before the top was sealed.

The tables and window sills also are rough edge wood — not to mention the wooden tap handles being carved from the tree.

Beer flights are served on hand-crafted tree branches.

Hop Tree has 10 beers on draft now. Three are staples and will always be around:

• Golden Genesis, a golden ale.

• Cuyahoga Brown, a brown ale with cherry wood smoked malt.

• Hop Tree IPA made with Citra and Amarillo hops. The IPA has been the top seller so far.

They plan to rotate the other seven beers. Right now, the others are Bent Tree Brown coffee ale, Brotzeit hefeweizen, NZM Saison, Deutscher Dunkel, Cranberry Tart, U.K. Porter and a yet-to-be-named oatmeal-milk stout.

A black IPA is coming next.

Ross said he’s excited to start producing more beer, with the goal to always have a large variety of styles available.

In addition to serving at the brewpub, Hop Tree is distributing its draft beers.

The limited food menu features items such as a jumbo pretzel with beer cheese, salads and sandwiches, including a roasted chicken breast, Cubano and reuben.

The expansive tasting room — it’s more than 3,000 square feet — is filled with tables and some comfortable couches. There’s a popcorn machine and board games.

The 10-barrel brewing system is in another room but there are big windows so people easily can gaze upon the stainless steel equipment.

Hop Tree inscribed the wall above the windows with the phrase “Great beer is always in season,” which is the brewery’s slogan.

McClymont and Ross stressed that Hop Tree is a kid-friendly environment and the space is large enough to accommodate events and big groups.

The brewery is working on scheduling a grand opening.

“I’m just looking forward to what comes next,” McClymont said.

Hop Tree, located at 1297 Hudson Gate Drive at the end of a tree-filled industrial park, is one of 13 breweries operating in Summit County.

It is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

08 January, 2018