HEY! HELLO! HOW ARE YA?
You know what? We’re not craft beer snobs or confess to knowing what goes into brewing, we’re just three regular guys who love craft beer. This is our journey into “everything” craft beer. We’ll try as many different types from as many breweries and give our honest and open opinions.
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P.S. No hard feelings if we don’t like it 😉
Joe
Day job: Senior Marketing Specialist/Creative Lead
Favorite type(s) of beer: Ambers to Stouts
Favorite place to enjoy a cold one: Masthead Brewing Company (Cleveland, OH)
Favorite beer run establishment: Erik’s Grocery Bag (North Canton, OH)
About me: Yup. Started my beer drinking career in high school grabbing whatever started with “b” and ended in “eer” and graduating to more mainstream American beers until I found the goodness that was mainstream Canada (the real stuff, not the imports we get here in the States).
My journey into craft beer started with New Castle Brown Ale years ago… that was the beginning of my love of darker beers. During our state’s Covid lockdown, I went on a personal mission to try different types of IPAs to expand my uh… horizons. Prior to this little experiment I avoided IPAs pretty much at all cost. “Oh you just haven’t had a good one… that’s why you don’t like them.” That’s what people were telling me. Damn it if they weren’t right. There ARE some really great IPAs out there. I still love my ambers and stouts, but now… I have no problem having an IPA like Rhinegeist Truth. #winning
How do I choose my beers? Oh it’s scientific. I’m a graphic designer at heart, if a beer has a kick ass label, I’m buyin’ it. The beer may be total crap… but one thing’s for sure, it’ll have a cool label.
“All night beers” are my favorite. Those are beers you can have a few (or many) while enjoying a night out with friends or at home with your favorite person.
Being an entrepreneur for 14 years I know how hard it is to “do your own thing”, I think that’s why I love craft beer brewers so much. Those people love what they do, work hard, do good things, make good things and try to make the world just a little bit better. Like in life, if you have love at work, you’ve got everything. RESPECT!
Jamie
Day job: Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Favorite type(s) of beer: Stouts, Porters, generally darker beers.
Favorite place to enjoy a cold one: My wife and I used to love going to the Geisen Haus in North Canton, but since they are no more, I like getting a cold one at The Barrel Room.
Favorite beer run establishment: I’ve been known to frequent stores like Acme, Fishers or Giant Eagle. Recently, Joe showed me Erik’s (which has changed significantly since I was last in) and I think it’s safe to say, they’re my new favorite!
About me: With a wife, two kids and a dog, I’m your average suburban dad… if your average suburban dad rocks out on the electric guitar, competes in triathlons and races sailboats. My early experiences with beer were average, anemic at best. Sips of dad’s beer were exciting as a kid, but my consumption during my college years were far from it. Hanging out with buddies who loved Coors Light. Racing on sailing teams with that one guy that would always show up to a regatta with a cold case of Blatz (no, I’m not kidding). I was exposed to a lot of crappy beer early on. Thankfully selections and tastes have changed significantly. Admittedly, after a hard day of weekend blood, sweat and tears, if it’s cold I’m happy. Craft beer is what I prefer though and they certainly check a lot of boxes for me. The beers taste better, they’re unique, with a wide variety and with few exceptions, you’re buying from a small American owned business. Supporting “local” while relaxing with a cold one? Sign me up!
Selecting beers for me is simple. I gravitate towards darker beers, but if the can, bottle or tap handle looks unique or exciting, I’m likely taking a deeper look. Except for IPAs that is. I just can’t. I also love talking with friends who’ve tried different beers, and watching others to see what they get in an effort to expand my beer vocabulary. While I try new beers often, I do have my go to beers. My all time favorite is Dragon’s Milk by New Holland Brewing Company, and my current local favorites are the Coffee Cream Stout from Shale Brewing Company and Baba Yaga from Royal Docks, but I’m always on the look out for that next great beer!
T.J.
Day job: Social Entrepreneur
Favorite type(s) of beer: Love all types, gravitate toward hoppier IPAs. I am a sucker for collaborative brews.
Favorite place to enjoy a cold one: Wherever the sun is setting, the friends are flowing and the beer is cold.
Favorite beer run establishment: Erik’s Grocery Bag, Acme (oddly enough) and any drive thru that carries Rhinegeist, my favorite brewery.
About me: My beer days started in the latter years of high school (sorry mom…not so perfect). Not sure how my friends ever acquired the beer, I do know the police asked my buddies on a few occasions if they had been in the neighbors garage refrigerator. Whether they did or did not, I know those neighbors loved Busch, Natty, Genny Cream Ale.
Married, 3 kids, and an average palate later, I still love beer! With the influx of breweries popping up everywhere and the craft beer craze, I’ve been like a kid in a candy store. I know when I try/drink true craft beer, I’m supporting a family, partnership and the American dream.
As an organizer of the North Canton Craft Beer Festival, one of the best craft beer festivals in the country, I’d become friends with so many brewers and love their sense of community. It’s not like the big guys that compete to knock each other out. The local guys collaborate and work together to support each other. This is why I support and mostly drink craft beer.
Having grown up from the high gravity beers of the past (Natural Ice/ Bud Ice), I like high gravity craft beers from the present and proudly support craft beer makers of America.
Give us a shout if you think we should try your beer. CHEERS.
3 Guys Blog
Our blog is all about adventure, exploring and trying new things. There you’ll find beers we’ve tried and rated as well as breweries and events we’ve attended and visited. Heck you may even find some things that aren’t necessarily craft beer related, but that’s alright.
Where we've been!
Of course we love craft beer and breweries. We’ve done our best to keep this map up to date. Dropping pints at breweries we’ve visited and also dropping pint for craft beers we’ve tried from across the country.
