They say “You can’t tell the players without a program”, and that is proving to be abundantly true for the Central Ohio brewery scene. I thought 2015 was a good year with a 30% increase in craft breweries, adding Pigskin (Gahanna), Restoration Brew Worx (Delaware), Knotty Pine (Grandview), Lineage (Clintonville), Ill Mannered (Powell) and Brew Brothers (south Columbus) to the local brewery community, but this year is simply off the charts. Only three months into 2016 and there are already almost a dozen new breweries that have opened or are in the works. In case you’re also having trouble keeping track, here’s a list of the breweries already open or slated to open this year.

NOW OPEN

Hoof Hearted Brewpub & Kitchen

The gastropub opened in Italian Village at 850 N. Fourth Street on February 11. This Marengo brewer moved into Columbus in a big way by collaborating with A&R Creative Group, the force behind The Crest and Ethyl & Tank.

Kindred Artisan Ales

(Opening next week) You might have already encountered some of their beers at local beer festivals this winter, but the grand opening for their taproom will be April 8 starting at 4 PM at 505 Morrison Road in Gahanna. Initial production includes a Wit and a Porter, but look for a wider range of beers to emerge quickly including a family of sours.

COMING SOON

2 Tones Brewing Company

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Homebrewers Anthony McKeivier and Tony Hill are taking the plunge and installing a 5 bbl. brewing system in Whitehall at 145 N. Hamilton Road. They will be self-distributing their beers and are lining up beer bars and growler shops now. Look for their flagship beers, an IPA and an Irish Red starting in June.

BrewDog

BrewDog is clearly going to be the Big Dog in town when they open their 100,000 sf brewery in Canal Winchester. Initial capacity will be 80,000 bbl. which will be bigger than all the other area craft brewers combined. In addition to the taproom at the brewery, look for a brewpub in Franklinton as well.

Combustion Brewery and Taproom

Gordon Biersch’s head brewer, Keith Jackson, is the man behind Pickerington’s first brewery. Combustion is expected to open by October at 80 W. Church Street in Pickerington.

Commonhouse Ales

Smokehouse Brewing’s Lenny Kolada is starting a new production-only B-corp brewery, Commonhouse Ales, in the Brewery District. Smokehouse brewer Sam Hickey will serve as brewer at Commonhouse as well. Their flagship beer will be Six One For Good Ale, an American Amber from which a portion of proceeds will benefit local nonprofits.

Grove City Brewing Company

A 3 bbl. brewing system is being added to the Plum Run Winery in Grove City at 3946 Broadway. Look for the brewery and gastropub to open in May with 12 taps pouring house beers under the direction of brewer Trevor Luther.

Hoster Brewing

This Columbus classic may be making a comeback. Brewer Victor Ecimovich and his partners are in the process of securing funding and the location. It is likely to end up in Franklinton, Gahanna, or Dublin, and may not start-up until next year.

Loose Rail Brewing

Coming this spring to Canal Winchester at 37 W. Waterloo Street, Loose Rail Brewing Company is the third project from husband-and-wife Nathan and Kelley Doerfler, who also own Harvest Moon Craft Kitchen and The Garden Herb Shop.

Platform Beer Company

This Cleveland brewer is expanding to Columbus with a distribution center, brewery and taproom. Expect to find their beers at retail locations around town in early May as their distribution system is inaugurated. The taproom should open by late summer at 408 N. Sixth Street with 12 – 20 house beers on tap.

Three Tigers Brewing Company

A Vietnamese inspired food truck, Mai Chau, which started in 2012, lead to a restaurant location in Granville in 2015, and now a 3.5 bbl, brewing system is being installed next door. Expect to find four house beers and eight guest beers on tap starting in about a month.