Cristie ThomasA newly-launched event during Marietta’s annual Rivers, Trails, and Ales Festival is the RTA Beer Fest. Back for its 2nd year, RTA Beer Fest will feature over 15 regional breweries, a variety of local food trucks, live music, activities for the kiddos, and much more.
The first year of RTA Beer Fest packed 300 locals and festival-goers into East Muskingum Park to taste 42 beers available from 12 regional breweries. This year, 500 ticket holders will have the opportunity to choose from over 50 beers available from 15 breweries; the growth is an indication of the level of excitement produced by those passionate about support small business, local brewers, and unique community-based events like this one.
In celebration of good beer and great fun, Clutch MOV has partnered with the Rivers, Trails and Ales Festival to spotlight the 2019 lineup of participating Beer Fest breweries.
Brewery: The Phoenix Brewing Co
Location: Mansfield, OH
Interviewer: Jeremy Stackpole, RTA Ales Director, with questions provided by Gavin Fury
Interviewee: Scott A. Cardwell, The Phoenix Brewing Co
When did the brewery open? The brewery opened in April 2014.
Your brewery seems very entrenched and invested in the local history of your community. How has that influenced the direction of your business? We are extremely proud to be a part of downtown Mansfield and the rebirth it is experiencing. To have the fortune to be located inside a 105-year-old former mortuary is a dream come true. The Mansfield area has a very rich and storied history and we as a business work to create a sense of our past while at the same time look to foster pride in the area’s future. Our tagline “Resurrecting Tradition One Batch at a Time” is a reflection of what we are attempting to create both as a brewery and as a civic partner.
You have an incredibly diverse calendar of offerings ranging from classic renditions of traditional styles to the fun yet tasteful use of adjuncts. How do you strike a balance between honoring the past and putting your own spin on things? Our production team meets regularly to discuss ideas about our beers. We have members of that team who are very creative and look for new combinations but also members who are very traditional and look to make beers true to style. As a team, then, we are very focused on keeping those balanced.
Which of your offerings are best sellers or customer favorites? Two of our flagship beers are big sellers. They are the Redemption IPA and our Ferryman Oatmeal Milk Stout. Many of our seasonals are also big favorites such as our Krampus Kandy Spiced White Stout and our Oktoberfest
Do you distribute and/or package your products? Where can people find your beer? We self distribute and most of our beer is just found in kegs. We do have some bombers of our high gravity beers. You can find our product in many different bars, restaurants and bottle shops in Northern Ohio. The furthest south we have been being Reynoldsburg and Lancaster. If you are a Browns fan and are lucky enough to be going to a game this year you can also find our very first cans. They are putting our Danger City Brown Ale in many locations inside the stadium.
What draws you as a brewery to want to participate in RTA Fest? We really have enjoyed participating in Ohio Brew Week in Athens and being down in Southeastern Ohio. RTA Fest seems to be a fantastic event. So the fact that we get a chance to be there and share our beers with a new audience in such cool riverfront city as Marietta is very exciting to us!
Do you plan to participate in any events other than the beer festival? Which ones? My wife and I are hoping to stay overnight and enjoy as much of the different activities as possible!
The 2nd annual RTA Beer Fest will take place on Saturday, August 10th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in East Muskingum Park on Front Street in downtown Marietta, OH. Tickets are now on sale! More information can be found by visiting www.rtafest.com.