Oskar Blues Brewery pioneered the process of canning craft beer. You’ll start to seeing their distinctive cans in Columbus bars and carry outs in the coming weeks, as Oskar Blues enters the Columbus market.

Oskar Blues Brewery first opened in Lyons, Colorado in 1997, and they’ve since grown to be one of the most respected craft breweries in the nation. The original brewpub still stands in Lyons, and the brewery is now based in Longmont, Colorado, along with the “Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids” restaurant.

In 2002 Oskar Blues became the first American craft brewery to can its own beer, and by 2012 the brewery was up to 100,000 barrels in its production facility. The brewers chose to can their beer as it’s better for the environment, for the beer and for the beer drinker, and their decision to can has led to hundreds of American craft breweries canning their beer as well.

Oskar Blues’ flagship beer Dale’s Pale Ale is considered to be the most popular pale ale in Colorado and is described as having an assertive, hoppy aroma with a well-balanced character. Dale’s Pale Ale has won multiple awards, including being named the best Pale Ale by the New York Times. Other Oskar Blues Brewery beers have taken home championships as the Great American Beer Festival, and as of today they feature seven beers and a root beer, which includes the following:

Dale’s Pale Ale

Old Chub Scottish Style Ale

G’Knight Imperial Red/Double IPA

Mama’s Little Yella Pils Traditional Pilsner

Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Gubna Imperial IPA

Deviant Dale’s India Pale Ale

B. Stiff and Sons’ Root Beer

The brewery is able to move into new markets thanks to a new production facility in Brevard, North Carolina. The spokesman for Oskar Blues said the decision to move into Ohio was easy as it’s proven to be a strong and growing market for craft beers. Oskar Blues Brewery entered the Chicago market several months ago to much fanfare, and the same enthusiasm is expected from Columbus beer lovers.

Oskar Blues will be distributed locally by Superior Beverage starting next week, and you can celebrate its entrance to the Columbus area on Monday, October 22 at Woodlands Tavern with a tap takeover. Woodlands will be featuring six Oskar Blues Brewery beers on draft, including Dale’s Pale Ale, Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Old Chub, Deviant Dale’s, G’Knight and Ten Fidy.

Creative Commons Photo Credit: Speed-Light