USA, OH: Taft’s Brewing Company to open Columbus location

Cincinnati brewery Taft’s Brewing Company will take its award-winning beer, New Haven-style pizza and entertaining vibe to a sizable indoor/outdoor space to Gravity—an ethos-driven community of apartments, offices, retailers and more rising in Columbus neighborhood Franklinton, Brewbound reported on April 19.

Taft’s Brewpourium will occupy 5,800 square feet and an extensive outdoor patio just outside of Downtown, serving up hand-crafted Cincinnati-brewed beers and coal-fired, New Haven-style pizza noted for a thin crust that’s crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and sparely topped. Taft’s plans to include a game room and a stage for music, comedy nights and more in the casual and light-filled space. It hopes to open in November 2019.

“We love that Franklinton is an up-and-coming area. And we love the neighborhood’s arts culture, which really fits the roots of our brand.We think it’s going to be a home run,” said Taft’s managing partner David Kassling. “Columbus, like Cincinnati, has a great population of beer drinkers, and they’ve shown us in our bar and grocery business that there’s a demand for our beer. It’s truly an honor for our whole team to have the opportunity to take the leap to another great Ohio city.”

Based in Cincinnati, Taft’s Brewing Company operates a three-story brewery and restaurant in a renovated church in the Over-The-Rhine district, plus a brewery and tap room, Taft’s Brewpourium, in Spring Grove Village. Its beer, including popular staples Gavel Banger IPA and Nellie’s Key Lime Caribbean Ale, is sold regionally in bars, restaurants and groceries.

Taft’s Gavel Banger IPA was recently crowned Cincinnati’s Favorite Beer by The Cincinnati Enquirer. The newspaper created a March Madness beer bracket to allow voters to determine the city’s best beer. After nearly 80,000 votes, the field was whittled from 220 to one.T aft’s Gavel Banger beat out its sister beer—Taft’s Nellie’s Key Lime Caribbean Ale—to win the title.

“Taft’s has really impressed us with what they’ve done in Cincinnati. It’s a great brand with great values, great beer, and great pizza in a great environment,” said Gravity founder Brett Kaufman. “It will provide a wonderful place for people to gather, connect and just enjoy life.We’re thrilled to welcome them to Columbus and to Gravity.”

Taft’s will join other tenants at Gravity that include BARK (22,000 square feet), Cova Cowork (7,100 square feet), Pelotonia (4,500 square feet), The Roosevelt Coffeehouse (1,800 square feet) and more to come.

Gravity’s mission is to offer a physical space and programming to help people live intentional lives pursuing purpose and engagement that positively affect the world. Its first phase will include 234 apartments, 50,000 square feet of offices and 30,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and more. Architects, designers and artists from across the city and world have teamed to execute Gravity’s vibrant vision, which includes more than 14,000 square feet of murals—90 percent by local artists. Gravity’s second phase, planned for a city block across from the first phase, also will feature thoughtfully designed mixed-use space, including green space, residential space, commercial space, retail space, restaurants, an art walk and more.

Gravity is currently leasing space to business and residential tenants. Residents and tenants will begin moving in this spring.

22 April, 2019