NEO's Best Craft Brewery finalist: Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Hoppin' Frog Brewery announces the release of the first of two charity ales. And the Akron brewery is one of three Ohio breweries garnering ratebeer.com honors.

(David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com)

AKRON, Ohio - Hoppin' Frog once again has garnered ratebeer.com honors, and will cap the week with the release of the first of its two charity auction ales.

The Akron brewery received a mention in ratebeer's top 100 breweries in the world as well as getting a nod for its barrel-aged D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer as best beer in Ohio for 2015.

Fat Head's Brewery in North Olmsted and Middleburg Heights and Jackie O's in Athens also made the beer-rating site's list. Overall, 79 of the breweries on the list are American.

In awards by state, Hoppin' Frog's Barrel Aged D.O.R.I.S. earned top beer honors. Jackie O's was tabbed as top brewer, and Little Fish Brewing Co. - also in Athens - received the best new brewer award.

"I was really hoping to get rated because it would be nine years running, and we're open nine years," Hoppin' Frog owner Fred Karm said. "And it's getting harder and harder with all the breweries opening."

In November, two people bid and won the chance to brew at Hoppin' Frog as part of the American Cancer Society Cattle Baron's Ball. The first of the two releases is 3-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at the tasting room.

"Each donated nearly three thousand dollars to brew with us," Karm said. "I was blown away they were willing to do that."

The first ale is an American Double IPA called "Good For What Ales You" patterned after the brewery's Mean Manalishi, a seasonal ale at 8.2 percent alcohol and an astounding 168 International Bitterness Units.

"Doctors won (the auction), so it kind of made sense," Karm said.

Limited-edition bomber bottles will be $10.99. Karm said the brewery will donate $1 from each bottle sold in 30 days to the American Cancer Society.

Karm said the second beer will be released in four to six weeks. The imperial American Brown Ale will be called American Hop Surgeon.

Hoppin' Frog is at 1680 East Waterloo Road, Akron.