Youngstown may be known as one of the centers of early US industry and a part of the Rust Belt with a long history of steel making, but the seventh-largest Ohio city has begun to reinvent itself in the 21st Century. Their downtown area has had a big change in the past decade, becoming a home to new bars, restaurants, and the arts.
Breweries are also starting to become a big part of the Youngstown landscape, as Noble Creature Cask House opened in 2017 in a 1920s era church downtown, and earlier this year the massive Penguin City Beer opened in the east end of downtown. There are also breweries in nearby Warren and Austintown, which are both part of the greater Youngstown area.
I recently took a trip to Youngstown to check out their craft beer scene for the first time, and I was able to record a podcast live on scene with Penguin City Beer co-owner Aspasia Lyras-Bernack as well as Hannah Ferguson, owner of DOPE Cider House & Winery, which is in the same building as Penguin City. Check out the full podcast below.
Penguin City Beer
My first stop was Penguin City Beer, where I recorded a live podcast. I also attended an MMA event from Made Men Promotions later in the evening (check out results here). My first impression of the building came before I even got there, as you can see their huge “Tough times don’t last, tough cities do” mural from the highway as soon as you enter downtown. The building, which was originally a factory that made equipment for the steel industry, is even bigger than I expected from seeing it from the outside. Straight back from the entrance is the star of the show – their 60bbl brewing system which sits up on a raised platform about halfway through the building. There’s also a large bar and plenty of room to spread out with picnic tables in the huge taproom.
The taproom just opened in the summer of 2022 and they’ve hosted a ton of events, from weddings to a boxing show and MMA event. They were also hosting a beer release of Holy Cannoli in collaboration with a local cookie company and the place was hopping even right after they opened at noon. They have focused on extremely drinkable beers to bring the wealth of domestic beer drinkers over to craft, and I had their Penguin City Light that’s a very well made light lager. They’ve also started to brew beers to help their drinkers take the next step, like John Young’s Apple Ale and Lanterman dark lager. All of the beers are great and well-made and everything just fits perfectly with their brand.
DOPE Cider
Located in the same building with a different entrance is DOPE Cider House & Winery, and owner Hannah Ferguson is the first Black female brewer in Ohio. After being an assistant brewer at another brewery, she decided to make the jump and open her cidery and winery in what is essentially an incubator space right next door. It’s a totally different vibe that reminds me of a tiny cozy taproom. There’s some comfortable couches and Hannah currently makes cider and seltzer and is in the process of adding wine. I had her Pineapple Cider and drank it on the show while I interviewed her.
Modern Methods
My next stop was about 15 miles northwest of Youngstown in Warren at Modern Methods Brewing Company. Warren is the birthplace of the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, and you actually walk down Dave Grohl Alley complete with murals and even a folk art display of him playing drums. Modern Methods definitely has one of the most unique entrances I’ve seen in a brewery. After parking at an abandoned Burger King parking lot, you walk down the alley and the only way you can tell there’s a brewery is their name on the door. It reminds me of a speakeasy. Once you enter you see their brewing system right in front of you and you go around to the bar.
Modern Methods is Warren’s first craft brewery since 1880, and the name comes from a massive sign that was place on Warren’s city hall in 1909 reading “”Opportunity? It’s here! Warren – City of Modern Methods.” Warren became an industrial city and had a Packard plant – the Modern Methods logo is based on the “goddess of speed” Packard hood ornaments. They brew a little bit of everything from light to dark, but my favorite beer ended up being their coffee lager called Percolator. I didn’t even include this on my original flight, but the bartender said it was a crowd favorite, so I got a taster (always ask your bartender for recommendations).
Biker Brewhouse
Next up was Biker Brewhouse, the only brewery in the US located inside a Harley Davidson dealership. The brewery opens right up into the showroom, where you can see Harleys and everything they could find to put the Harley name on. They have pinball machines and most of the taproom is taken up with a large bar. A lot of their beers feature motorcycle themed names, like “Blue Balls”, “High Octane”, and “Ball Bearing.”
Paladin
After Biker I went to Paladin Brewing, which was right down the street in Austintown. Paladins are legendary knights and the entire brewery has a medieval theme. You walk right in to see the bar, with the brewhouse to the left and a few tables to the right. The bar staff here was extremely friendly and helpful in describing their beers and top picks. They have a lot of European styles but also feature fun beers like a Dreamsicle cream ale and a Christmas ale called Holy Knight, a brown ale with warm apples, cinnamon, sugar, and caramel.
Noble Creature
My final stop was back downtown at Noble Creature Cask House, which is located in a 1920s church. Church breweries always seem to have awesome taprooms, and Noble Creature is no different. They’re known for wild ales and lagers, although they have a few other styles as well. I had a flight featuring a pilsner, rauchbier, schwarzbier, and a hazy IPA. They also serve food with a German flare.