UB Files: Wolf's Ridge Brewing
Over the course of the many visits we plan on making during the next year or so, we look forward to experiencing a wide variety of brewing centric businesses. Last month we featured the “Brew-It-Yourself” business model of the North High Brewery, and this week we experienced a high end restaurant that’s trying to make everything local and from scratch, even the beer they serve.
On a snowy day in December, the down-home aesthetic of the interior of Wolf’s Ridge Brewing invited us in from the cold. With sparsely decorated walls, kitchen towels for napkins and tables positioned in a family style arrangement, the rustic appearance of the dining area attempts to shed any semblance of pretention and instill a sense of accessibility in its place. Although this seating arrangement easily lends itself to large parties, the close proximity of adjacent tables could be off-putting for those seeking a more intimate escape. Due to the limitations of the space, the tight positioning of the tables carry over into the overall floor plan of the restaurant itself.
Located in the back of the long but narrow space that Wolf’s Ridge occupies, the dining area gives way to a very small bar that overlooks the brewing area and is adjacent to the kitchen. Since the wait staff has to walk past the bar in order to fill any food or drink orders, our attempt to sit at the bar was quickly abandoned when we realized that the amount of foot traffic made it a less than ideal place to sit or stand comfortably. Fortunately, the host was able to get us a table close to the bar, where we would be able to have a perfect vantage point of the brewing equipment, as well as be able to take in the full breadth of the restaurant itself. It also provided us a nice view of the open kitchen concept that complements the rustic theme.
With a menu featuring a variety of locally produced ingredients, the plates coming out of the kitchen are visually stunning and the positive reactions from those around us appear to confirm that the dishes are not just a façade. It quickly becomes obvious to us that Wolf’s Ridge Brewing is not only a new player in the Columbus beer scene; they are also positioning themselves as a destination for fine dining. Although the price point of most of their dishes are well above the expected cost of menu items you would see from your run of the mill brewpub, this isn’t your average brewpub fare. We’re not here for the dining experience though, so let’s get to the beers.
By just viewing the 6 large sterling silver brewing containers, it’s easy to see that the brewery aspect of the restaurant has not been taken lightly. They’ve obviously invested in top quality equipment, which we hoped would translate into a quality sampling experience. Their in house beers are very reasonably priced at $5 a pint and their 5 beer sampler came in at $8 so we decided to start there. Like our experience at North High Brewing, our hopes for any introduction to the establishment or their beer menu were misplaced, as our server hastily took our drink order.
That slight was quickly forgotten however, when she produced 2 hefty sized sampler holders with each sample clearly identified on a cardboard nameplate. A glance at the Wolf's Ridge brewed stable of beers featured relatively conservative beer types and strengths, but we were pleasantly surprised by the overall flavor profile of the sampler. Almost every beer in our sampler was true to it's type, full bodied and enjoyable to drink. However, there were only a couple that really made a lasting impression.
Tasting highlights from our visit include:
"Duke's Holiday" Spiced English Brown - (6.0% ABV) If our first two posts are any indication, we will be featuring quite a few seasonal beers over the next year or so. Seasonal offerings tend to be one off beers that are either too time intensive or experimental to justify year round production, so often times these can be the most complex. In "Duke's Holiday" WRB has taken their traditional Brown Ale and added some holiday seasoning like nutmeg and cinnamon to add a very nice spice nose and finish to an already complex beer.
“Zane's Trace” Roggenbier- (4.5% ABV) Don't let the low ABV fool you, this amber hued beer is worth your time. A nicely balanced blend of malty sweet flavor with a barley finish you would expect from this beer type, this Rye beer was one of our favorites of the sampler.
Overall, our impressions of Wolf's Ridge Brewing were generally positive. However, I wouldn't identify it as a destination for beer enthusiasts. If you're out for a guys night out or just meeting up for some beers (what we did), Wolf's Ridge may not be the place for you. And after having to wait 20 minutes for our server to pick up our checks, the wait staff doesn't appear to be all that enthusiastic for drink only tables anyway. With that said, if you're meeting up with a group of friends for dinner or even going out with a significant other, the charm and aesthetics of this rustic fine dining establishment are ideal.
