Fat Head's Brewery

Last updated
Fat Head's Brewery
Fat Head Brewery Logo.png
Opened2009
Key people
  • Matt Cole
  • Glenn Benigni
Active beers
NameType
Goggle Fogger German-Style Hefe-Weizen
Güdenhoppy German-Style Pilsner
Head Hunter India Pale Ale
Starlight Helles Lager
Sunshine Daydream Session IPA
Trail Head Pale Ale
Seasonal beers
NameType
AlpenGlow Weizenbock
Battle Axe Baltic Porter
Bean Me Up Imperial Coffee Stout
Black Knight Schwarzbier
Bone Head Imperial Red Ale
The Boogaloo Belgian Blonde
Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale
Head Trip Belgian-Style Tripel
Hippy Sippy Imperial Stout
Holly Jolly Christmas Ale
Hop Juju Imperial IPA
Hop Stalker Fresh Hop IPA
Kohlminator German-Style Smoked Bock
Oompa Loompa Chocolate Cream Stout
Pimp My Sleigh Belgian-Style Christmas Ale
Prohibition Pauly Robust Porter
Sorcerer Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale
Shakedown Imperial American Stout
Spooky Tooth Pumpkin Ale
Up In Smoke Smoked Porter
Zeus Juice Belgian Strong Golden Ale
Other beers
NameType
Duke of Lager Lager
Pseudo Pils Pilsner
Rocket Man Red Ale
Ultra Pils North German-Stlyle Pilsner
Zoobomb Dortmunder Dortmunder Export

Brewmaster Matt Cole partnered with Glenn Benigni, owner of Fat Head's Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to open Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in Cleveland, Ohio in 2009, [1] with Cole supplying beer to the Pittsburgh location. A production brewery opened in Middleburg Heights, Ohio in March 2012 [2] and another brewpub location opened in Portland, Oregon in November 2014, which has since closed. [3] Fat Head's is known for their signature beers Head Hunter IPA and Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale.

Contents

Background

Fat Head's Saloon opened in the historic South Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1992 and grew to be known for its selection of craft beer and large sandwiches, called "headwiches." [1]

Brewer Matt Cole apprenticed at Baltimore Brewing Co., then worked at Penn Brewery and Great Lakes Brewing Company before joining Rocky River Brewing Company. Cole spent more than a decade there, winning several awards at both Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. [1] [4]

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon opened in North Olmsted, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, on April 7, 2009. The brewpub has a 35-seat bar and a 200-seat dining room. There are 30 rotating tap handles that serve beers from Fat Head's as well as guest breweries. There is also a game room with a video games, a vintage bowling machine, pool tables, and dart boards. Derek Wilson, formerly of Great Lakes Brewing Company, heads the kitchen. In addition to the signature headwiches, a staple at the Pittsburgh Saloon, Wilson added stone oven pizzas, smoke house wings, and pulled pork to the menu. [5] [6]

Fat Head's Brewery opened in March, 2012 in a warehouse in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The production brewery supplies beer for the Fat Head's restaurants in Pittsburgh and North Olmsted, as well as bottles and kegs for distributes. As of 2013, the brewery has a BrauKon brewhouse that was purchased from Tröegs Brewing Company. A tasting room and retail shop opened on October 18, 2013. [2] [7]

Fat Head's Portland

Fat Head's Brewery in Portland Portland July 2017 49 (Fat Head's Brewery).jpg
Fat Head's Brewery in Portland

Fat Head's opened in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon on November 3, 2014. In 2018, the location changed owners and became Von Ebert Brewing, a Portland-based company. The brewpub had 278 seats throughout the bar and dining room and 42 rotating tap hands that served beers from Fat Head's as well as guest breweries. The brewery featured a 10-barrel JVNW brewhouse with 13 fermentors and 12 bright tanks. Matt Cole was the brewmaster, with Eric Van Tassel who served as the head brewer. They served Fat Head's signature beers, including Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale and Head Hunter IPA, as well as some of their own creations, including Zoobomb Dortmunder and Ultra Pils North German-Stlyle Pilsner. [3] [8] [9]

Awards

YearBeer NameAwardCategoryCompetition
2009Head Hunter IPAGoldAmerican-Style India Pale AleWest Coast IPA Fest [10]
2009Up In SmokeSilverSmoked BeerGreat American Beer Festival [11]
2010Head Hunter IPASilverAmerican-Style India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival [12]
2010Head Hunter IPAGrand ChampionAmerican-Style India Pale AleNational IPA Challenge [13]
2011Battle Axe Baltic PorterGoldBaltic-Style PorterGreat American Beer Festival [14]
2011Head Hunter IPAGoldAmerican-Style India Pale AleDenver International Beer Fest [15]
2011Head Hunter IPABronzeAmerican-Style India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival [14]
2012AlpenglowSilverGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival [16]
2012Battle Axe Baltic PorterSilverBaltic-Style PorterWorld Beer Cup [17]
2012Head Hunter IPAGoldAmerican-Style India Pale AleWest Coast IPA Fest [10]
2012Head Hunter IPAGrand ChampionAmerican-Style India Pale AleNational IPA Challenge [18]
2012Head Hunter IPASilverAmerican-Style India Pale AleWorld Beer Cup [17]
2013Black KnightSilverGerman-Style SchwarzbierGreat American Beer Festival [19]
2013Hop JuJuGoldImperial India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival [19]
2013Trail HeadSilverFresh Hop AleGreat American Beer Festival [19]
2014AlpenGlowGoldGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival [20]
2014Battle Axe Baltic PorterSilverBaltic-Style PorterDenver International Beer Fest [21]
2014Black KnightGoldGerman-Style SchwarzbierDenver International Beer Fest [21]
2014Bone Head Imperial Red AleSilverImperial Red AleWorld Beer Cup [22]
2014Head Hunter IPASilverAmerican-Style India Pale AleWorld Beer Cup [22]
2015Black KnightSilverGerman-Style SchwarzbierGreat American Beer Festival [23]
2015Hop JujuGoldImperial India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival [23]
2015Bone Head RedGoldDouble Red AleGreat American Beer Festival [23]
2015Midnight MoonlightGoldAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival [23]
2015Blitzkrieg Bock (Portland)GoldRye BeerGreat American Beer Festival [23]
2016Hop JujuGoldImperial India Pale AleWorld Beer Cup [24]
2016Midnight MoonlightBronzeAmerican-Style Black AleWorld Beer Cup [24]
2016Hop JujuBronzeImperial India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival [25]
2016IBUsive IPABronzeFresh or Wet Hop AleGreat American Beer Festival [25]
2016Black Muddy River Imperial Black IPASilverOther Strong BeerGreat American Beer Festival [25]
2016Midnight Moonlight Black IPASilverAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival [25]
2016AlpenglowGoldGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival [25]
2017Sunshine Daydream Session IPAGrand ChampionSession IPANational Session IPA Challenge [26]
2017AlpenglowGoldGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival
2017Midnight MoonlightBronzeAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival
2018AlpenglowGoldSouth German-Style WeizenbockWorld Beer Cup
2018Midnight MoonlightSilverAmerican-Style Black AleWorld Beer Cup
2018Midnight MoonlightBronzeAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 Susan Ketchum (15 February 2013). "Fat Heads in Middleburg Heights to open tasting room". Sun News. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 Rick Armon (20 October 2014). "Fat Head's announces Nov. 3 opening for Portland brewpub" . Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  4. Marc Bona (27 August 2011). "Matt Cole of Fat Head's Brewery in North Olmsted heads to England for special brewing collaboration". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  5. "Opening day for Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon". Facebook . Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  6. Douglas Trattner (3 June 2009). "TRUCE? Even Browns fans will love Pittsburgh import Fat Head's Saloon". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  7. Rick Armon (18 October 2013). "Fat Head's opens tasting room today in Middleburg Heights" . Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  8. John Foyston (28 October 2014). "Fat Head's Brewery, a big new restaurant/pub, will soon join Portland's thriving beer scene". The Oregonian. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  9. Sam Allard (24 September 2014). "The New Fat Head's Brewery is about to Open ... in Portland". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
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