Cleveland, OH
All Ohio! Our February review covers 5 beers from the Buckeye state
CLEVELAND, Ohio – We sipped five beers from four breweries throughout Ohio for our review this month.
The range of styles crosses a pretty wide palate, from a hot peppery amber ale to a Double India Pale Ale.
As usual, all should be available on local store shelves. Our photos show what the beers look like, and we note our favorite at the end.
Cheers!
Old Ohio
Twin Oast Brewing, Port Clinton, Blonde Ale, 4.7%
Clean tasting, refreshing beer. Slight lemon and a smidgen yeastiness. Does not have the tanginess that Blonde Ales sometimes do. Would be a solid summer supper. Decent body, with alcohol under 5. “Oast” refers to a kiln used for drying hops.
Cryo Cold Budded
Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, Double India Pale Ale, 8.5%
You know you are drinking a DIPA with this one. Orange is among the citrus flavors coming through. Alcohol does seep in on a lingering finish, but it’s not overwhelming.
Original Pale Ale
Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, Pale Ale, 5.6%
Orange pith inches its way through in this smooth-tasting ale. Pale Ale is a style that seems to be a forgotten stepchild at times, and it’s nice to see these land on store shelves.
Hot Honey Strings
Heart State Brewing, Carroll, Amber Ale, 5.4%
This is like drinking two beers in one. A malty brew hits your palate immediately, and then. … after a couple of seconds delay … heat. A fiery burn gets you in the back of the throat. Not for the faint of heart. Sweetness is pretty nominal in this ale, which the brewery describes as “malty, crisp, spicy, sweet.” The brewery is near Columbus.

Seeing Colors
MadTree Brewing, Cincinnati, Hazy India Pale Ale, 6.5%
Really balanced. Hazy for sure but more than that. Some orange and a bit of pine seeps in. Long finish.
This month’s favorite: Some very different beers in this lot. We’ll give a hat tip to Cryo Cold Budded.
A 12-pack of brewery news
• Great Lakes Brewing Co. is launching The Float Shoppe, its first full line of THC-infused beverages. It’s set for release in late February.
• Gandalf’s Pub & Restaurant in Valley City is having its annual wild game dinner featuring beers from Great Lakes Brewing Co. on Monday, Feb. 23.
• Winking Lizard has scheduled Beer Bottle Tuesdays for those who are signed up for the 2026 Tour of Beers. Tourists will receive two points for select bottles on Tuesdays.
• The Cleveland Brewery Passport is open with 42 breweries, all within a 30-mile radius from downtown Cleveland.
• Terrestrial Brewing Co. is moving ahead with plans for its deck, patio and event-center space.
• HiHO Brewing in Cuyahoga Falls is selling $5 pints of Touchdown Brown, an American Brown Ale at 5.6% alcohol, today – Sunday, Feb. 1.
• Blue Monkey Brewing Co. has released Mooks Chocolate Milk Stout, billed as a smooth, balanced stout to support the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. The brewery is in North Royalton.
• Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, Pennsylvania, has released Daylight Chaser, a dark IPA that joins the brewery’s lineup of seasonally rotating beers alongside Field Study, Leaf Seeker and Blizzard of Hops. It has Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra hops and is 6.3% alcohol. It’s available on draft and in 12-ounce bottles and cans.
• Stone Brewing of Escondido, California, is marking 30 years in business with sweepstakes, fan-favorite throwbacks, collaborations and limited-time packaging. The brewery kicked off the year by spotlighting its flagship Stone IPA with limited-time gold packaging.
• Von Ebert Brewing of Portland, Oregon, has launched non-beer offerings. The three non-alcoholic sparkling hop waters are called Boost, Flow and Chill. Also, hard teas, hard fruit punch and hard seltzer are in the works.
• New offerings from nitro-focused Left Hand Brewing Co. of Longmont, Colorado, include the brewery’s first new nitro seasonal, Chocolate Orange Nitro, a Milk Stout variant. Later in the year Left Hand plans to release Ginger Snap Nitro, a winter warmer featuring ginger spice.
• Coronado Brewing Co. has released Hazy Weekend IPA, the newest year-round addition to its Weekend Brand Family. It joins flagship Weekend Vibes IPA and its counterpart BIG Weekend Double IPA.
Our reviews: Most of the beers we buy come from Northeast Ohio retail shops and stores. We choose from Heinen’s, Red, Wine & Brew; Acme, Giant Eagle, Mustard Seed Market, Whole Foods and others.
Cleveland, OH
49ers defensive lineman Keion White victim of non-life-threatening shooting in San Francisco
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his ankle in an incident in San Francisco early Monday morning, police said.
“Keion White was a victim of a shooting and sustained a bullet wound to his ankle this morning in San Francisco,” the 49ers said in a release Monday afternoon. “He is currently undergoing surgery at a local hospital. We will provide further updates when appropriate.”
White, 27, sustained a gunshot wound inside a business on the 1700 block of Mission Street, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
“A preliminary investigation revealed a verbal altercation occurred between two groups inside a business,” according to a statement released by SFPD.
White underwent a “successful surgery,” a 49ers spokesman said in an update Monday night. The team is not placing a timetable on White’s recovery.
“Any violent incident in our city is unacceptable, and I’m hoping Keion recovers quickly,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wrote on social media. “I’ve spoken with SFPD and 49ers leadership—we are all grateful to our SFPD officers for their quick response. As always, I will continue working with San Francisco law enforcement to ensure our neighborhoods and our residents are safe.”
Officers responded to the call at approximately 4:06 a.m., at which time aid was rendered to White and paramedics were requested on the scene. He was transported to a local hospital for what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.
No suspect has been arrested, according to the SFPD.
“Our officers are working diligently on this investigation, and we’re following multiple leads,” said Evan Sernoffsky, the SFPD’s director of strategic communications.
The 49ers acquired White in a mid-season trade from the New England Patriots. He appeared in 11 games, including both of the 49ers’ NFC playoff games. He had 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks in nine regular-season games.
This is the second time a 49ers player has been shot in San Francisco in less than two years.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot through the chest on Aug. 31, 2024, in an apparent robbery attempt. He spent less than one day in the hospital and made a full recovery.
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Municipal Court offers Valentine’s Day marriages
CLEVELAND — Love is in session at the Cleveland Municipal Court.
To help couples celebrate Valentine’s Day, the court is offering to perform wedding ceremonies Saturday, Feb. 14.
Skip all the hassle and jump right to the “I do” at Cleveland City Hall this Saturday.
The weddings will be held at Cleveland City Hall starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and will end at 1 p.m.. Any couple interested must get their marriage license by Friday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m.
The license can be obtained at the Cuyahoga County Courthouse.
There will be a $60 fee for the license, and each couple must register and pay a $20 certificate fee to the Cleveland Clerk of Court on the second floor of the Justice Center.
Click here for more details.
Cleveland, OH
Christine Smith Obituary – Cleveland, OH (1967-2026)
Christine Smith
OBITUARY
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Christine M. Smith, affectionately known as Chrissy , who left us on February 2, 2026, at the age of 58. Born on October 1, 1967, in Cleveland, OH. Christine was a shining light in the lives of her family and friends.Chrissy will always be remembered for her warmth, humor, and creative spirit. She was an avid cook, who delighted in preparing Slovenian and Polish dishes that brought joy and comfort to those who were ready to eat a hearty meal. One of her happy places was tanning in her driveway on a sunny summer day, which she fondly referred to as “Cape Christine”. Chrissy had a love for life that was evident in her fondness for polka music and a good beer, and she celebrated every holiday with enthusiasm, ensuring that occasions were special for her loved ones. She delighted in hand tailoring children’s costumes each year at Halloween.Chrissy worked as a store manager and then district manager with Hollywood Video, receiving many awards for her store quality and efficiency. She was known to some as the “Hollywood Video Girl” during and even after the years she worked there, bringing joy to countless movie lovers.An artist at heart, Chrissy specialized in sketching, capturing the beauty of the world around her. She also had a remarkable green thumb, nurturing plants as lovingly as she cared for those in her life. She will be especially remembered for her love and enthusiasm for her Cleveland Browns and Indians.Chrissy is survived by her four loving children, Thomas W. Smith, Michael C. Smith, Rachel M. (Jeff) Saltzgaber, and Nicole E. Smith, her grandchildren, Mila and Rose, her siblings, Michael Chrosniak and Suzi Ward, her former husband, Thomas C. Smith. Chrissy was preceded in death by her loving parents, Daniel and Jackie ChrosniakTo honor Chrissy, a visitation will be held on Monday February 9, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Monreal Srnick Funerals & Cremations 35400 Curtis Blvd. Eastlake Ohio 44095. A funeral service will follow at 8:00PM at the funeral home.A Celebration of Life will be held this Spring on Saturday May 16th, 2026, beginning at 4:00 PM at North Coast Bar & Grill, Eastlake Ohio.Chrissy will be deeply missed but forever celebrated in our hearts.
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