Columbus Brewing Company will release its Creeper Imperial IPA next Thursday, March 5 at nearly two dozen bars across Columbus.

“Instead of hosting a release party at one bar, we thought it’d be great to do a ‘Simultap’ at locations spread all over Columbus and its suburbs,” said Columbus Brewing Company’s Tony Corder. “This way, no matter where you live in Central Ohio, you wouldn’t have to travel far to be among the first to taste this batch.”

Creeper is deceptively balanced and smooth for its 10.5% ABV, and absolutely loaded with hop flavor and aroma.

Creeper will be released on March 5 at 101 Beer Kitchen, Bob’s Bar, Bodega, The Crest, The Daily Growler (Upper Arlington & Powell), Grain+Grape, Local Bar, Local Cantina (Grandview & Gahanna), Matt the Miller’s Polaris, Olde Towne Tavern, Oldfield’s North Fourth Tavern, Park Street Tavern, The Pint Room, St. James Tavern, Studio 35, World of Beer (Brewery District & Easton), Yellow Brick Pizza and Zeno’s.

These locations will be tapping the first kegs of Creeper since it won the Gold Medal in the Imperial India Pale Ale category at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival.

“This award was announced minutes after Bodhi was announced as a Bronze medal winner in the American IPA category,” Corder said. “I was actually waiting in line to climb the stage to accept the Bodhi medal while the medal winners were announced for Imperial IPA. I was standing there clapping as they announced the bronze — Russian River Pliny the Elder — and silver — Port Brewing Hop 15 — medal winners for Imperial IPA. I know folks from both of those breweries and both of those beers are iconic in our world. I was super excited to see them both medal yet again. It was at this time they announced Creeper as the Gold winner and I was just stunned. It took me a minute to realize that they were intentionally having me wait to go on the stage for Bodhi, as they wanted to give us Bodhi and Creeper medals at the same time. A very surreal experience.”

Creeper will be distributed to additional bars the following week.

Personally, Creeper is my favorite beer from CBC. I think it’s – gasp – better than Bodhi!

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full disclosure: Superior Beverage, CBC’s distributor, is a client