Columbus has always had a serious brewery culture.
The problem in this town isn’t finding a good beer, it’s deciding on where to go. Personally, my recommendation would be all of the breweries. But for the sake of time (and my liver), this list had to be narrowed down.
| Brewery | Where | Food | Go for |
| Elevator Brewery | Downtown | Full restaurant | Lunch and a lager in an 1897 building |
| Gemüt Biergarten | Olde Towne East | German kitchen | Lagers and schnitzel |
| Endeavor Brewing & Spirits | W 5th Ave | Snacks from local vendors | Beer and spirits under one roof |
| Parsons North Brewing | Parsons Ave | Kitchen | Cocktails for the non-beer friend |
| Jackie O’s On Fourth | Downtown | Goood Friends sandwiches | The two-story patio |
| Land-Grant Brewing | Franklinton | Food trucks | The beer garden and the free Saturday tour |
| Thunderwing Brewing | West Side | Food trucks | A quiet neighborhood taproom |
| Rockmill Brewery | Lancaster | Backcountry BBQ | Farmhouse ales on a horse farm |
| Seventh Son Brewing | Italian Village | Food trucks | The patio |
| BrewDog USA | Canal Winchester | Restaurant | Hotel, museum and games |
| Zaftig Brewing | Worthington | Food trucks or bring your own | Juicy Lucy |
| Wolf’s Ridge Brewing | Downtown | Full restaurant | Date night |
| Columbus Brewing Company | West Side | Beer Hall on site | Bodhi at the source |
| Hoof Hearted | E 5th Ave | Gatto’s Pizza | Pizza and a Konkey Dong |
| Antiques on High | Brewery District | Pizza Box truck | Sours and the rooftop |
Alright, that’s enough chatting. It’s beer time.
Elevator Brewery
The Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus is a micro brewery located in the Columbia building, a gorgeous historic building in downtown Columbus. The building dates back to 1897, but Elevator Brewery hasn’t been there quite that long.
Elevator may be known for the delicious beer they’ve been brewing onsite since 2000, but they’ve also got an incredible food menu, as well as house made draft cocktails and sodas.
What to order: Mogabi, the American wheat, or Dark Force if you want the lager.
Location: 161 N High St, Downtown
Website: elevatorbrewing.com
Gemüt Biergarten
It’s not hard to convince me to tag along to any brewery, but when someone tells you that this particular one has a bunch of stained glass windows inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, well let’s just say it would literally be impossible to keep me out.
Over the years, craft beer has too often become synonymous with a hoppy beer. But sometimes, the day calls for a simple lager with your pals. Gemüt’s German-style beer lineup is the perfect place to go on that kind of day. In addition to the amazing beer and atmosphere, they also have the most incredible schnitzel. Talk about having your kuchen and eating it too.
What to order: Helheim Helles or Golem Czech Pils. This is a lager house.
Location: 734 Oak St, Olde Towne East
Website: gemutbiergarten.com
Endeavor Brewing & Spirits
If you’ve never been to the city’s first “brewstillery” then you are in for a treat. Offering a wide variety of beer styles and select clear and wood aged spirits, Endeavor Brewing & Spirits is a one-stop shop.
Hit up the tap room to enjoy fresh beer on tap, seasonal craft cocktails, and artisan snacks from local vendors.
Location: 909 W 5th Ave, Columbus
Website: endeavorbrewing.com
Parsons North Brewing
Parsons North Brewing is one of those magical breweries that just ticks every single box. Looking for good vibes? They’ve got ’em. Thoughtfully crafted brews? You know it! Incredible cocktails for your friend who refuses to try delicious beer? YUP.
Seriously, the brewery has it all, from traditional brews to beers that push you out of your comfort zone. They also frequently host a Pups on the Patio event, so that’s the adorable cherry on top of this sundae.
Location: 685 Parsons Ave, Columbus
Website: parsonsnorth.com
Jackie O’s On Fourth
Athens’ best-known brewery bought Elevator’s old production brewery on Fourth Street in 2020 and opened its Columbus taproom in 2023. The building came with a working brewhouse, so the beer is made right there, not trucked up Route 33.
Around 25 Jackie O’s beers pour at a time, there’s a full cocktail list, and Goood Friends runs the food window with oversized Midwest-style sandwiches for dinner and weekend brunch. The two-story patio is dog-friendly and is one of the best outdoor drinking spots downtown.
Location: 171 N 4th St, Downtown
Website: jackieos.com
Land-Grant Brewing
Land-Grant’s massive brewery space in Franklinton used to build elevators and track-systems for newspaper production facilities, now it crafts some of the best beer in the city. The brewery got a jump start on others in Columbus by canning their own beer and after more than a decade in the space, the experts at Land-Grant have it down to an art. Plus, they have the best beer garden in the city.
One of my favorite things about Land-Grant (besides how happy a Stiff-Arm IPA makes my husband) is that they offer brewery tours. I love seeing how things work and how they are made. Free tours of the brewery are available on Saturdays at 3pm. You don’t need to reserve tickets, just pop into the tap room around 2:45 on Saturdays.
What to order: Stiff-Arm IPA is the flagship. Glory and Greenskeeper are the year-round alternatives.
Location: 424 W Town St, Franklinton
Website: landgrantbrewing.com
Thunderwing Brewing
This West Side taproom used to be Sideswipe Brewing, which poured its last pint in July 2023 after ten years. Longtime homebrewer Jason Wing bought the space and the brewhouse and reopened it as Thunderwing that October, and the place kept the same easygoing neighborhood feel.
The tap list swings from light lagers to big dark ales, with plenty of hoppy stuff in between and a few styles you don’t see much around Columbus. There’s still no kitchen, so food trucks rotate through, and the taproom is only open Wednesday through Saturday.
Location: 2419 Scioto Harper Dr, West Side
Website: thunderwingbrewing.com
Rockmill Brewery
So just before anyone decides to point it out, I am fully aware that Rockmill Brewery isn’t technically in Columbus. But the truth is that it’s just too good not to include on this list, and Lancaster isn’t that far away anyway! Especially when the reward for the journey is enjoying a delightful brew in a beautiful, rural setting.
The brewery nearly went under before a couple who got married on the property bought it at auction in 2024, and it’s pouring again with Backcountry BBQ serving during open hours. Farmhouse ales are still the specialty. One heads up: the taproom keeps a short week, so check the hours before you make the drive.
Location: 5705 Lithopolis Rd NW, Lancaster
Website: rockmillbrewery.com
Seventh Son Brewing
Seventh Son has been serving up amazing craft beer in Italian Village since 2013. It’s always my go to suggestion when someone is unsure of whether or not they like craft beer because you can count on Seventh Son to turn them into a believer.
They serve a variety of beers, from hoppy to malty, and that’s especially true once you visit one of their sister breweries, Getaway Brewing and Antiques on High.
Location: 1101 N 4th St, Italian Village
Website: seventhsonbrewing.com
BrewDog USA
A visit to BrewDog’s massive brewing facility in Canal Winchester feels more like stepping into a beer theme park than a brewery. While you’re sipping on some of this Scottish-born brewery’s most famous beers, you can grab a bite to eat, play some games, or enjoy the sunshine in the massive outdoor area.
There’s a hotel and beer museum on site, so you can even turn your visit into a mini beer-themed vacation. One change worth knowing: BrewDog’s US business, this brewery included, was sold to Tilray Brands in a deal announced in March 2026, and everything in Canal Winchester stayed open through the handover.
Location: 96 Gender Rd, Canal Winchester
Website: usa.brewdog.com
Zaftig Brewing Co.
Just north of Columbus, you’ll find Worthington’s only production brewery: Zaftig Brewing. Their name comes from the Yiddish word zaftik, which literally means “juicy”, and it’s a very apt description of my favorite Zaftig beer, Juicy Lucy.
The Italian Village brewpub closed in 2023, so Worthington is the one place to get it from the source. The taproom doesn’t have a kitchen, but there are regular food trucks on-site, or you can bring your own grub!
What to order: Juicy Lucy, still the one, or Hazy Miss Daisy.
Location: 7020 Huntley Rd, Worthington
Website: drinkzaftig.com
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Company
Wolf’s Ridge, like many breweries, is a project full of passion and love. This family-owned joint has been knocking it out of the park ever since it opened back in 2013.
The beer is excellent and they’ve got the awards to prove it. But quality craft beer is only half of what Wolf’s Ridge does. It’s about combining the experience of craft brewing and exceptional dining. It’s the perfect date night or special occasion brewery restaurant where you can eat the best food and drink the best beer, all in the same place. And since spring 2026 there’s a second option: Wolf’s Ridge reopened the historic Worthington Inn in Uptown Worthington, a landmark that had been dark since 2018.
Location: 215 N 4th St, Downtown
Website: wolfsridgebrewing.com
Columbus Brewing Company
Without Columbus Brewing Company, I shudder to think what the craft beer scene would be here in Columbus. They are the oldest craft brewery here in the city, even though it pains me to use that moniker since CBC and I were both born in the glorious year of 1988.
A lot has changed since then. Columbus Brewing Company was at the forefront of bringing IPAs to this city, and it’s hard to imagine what it would be like here now if Bodhi hadn’t taken this city by storm.
What to order: Bodhi or Columbus IPA. Both are on the sign out front for a reason.
Location: 2555 Harrison Rd, West Side
Website: columbusbrewing.com
Hoof Hearted
The Marengo-based craft brewer Hoof Hearted served up its unique beer in Italian Village from 2016 until that spot closed, and the brand now pours from a taproom on E 5th Ave. Since August 2026 the kitchen belongs to Gatto’s Pizza, the Clintonville shop that has been making Columbus-style pies since 1952. What keeps people coming back is simple. They make incredible beer.
The brewery doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s part of the charm. It’s a fun atmosphere, full of color and quirks, and on top of all of that, the beer is phenomenal.
Location: 26 E 5th Ave, Columbus
Website: hoofheartedbrewing.com
Antiques on High
Seventh Son’s Brewery District spin-off handles the tart and wild-fermented side of the family, plus hazy IPAs and a cocktail list that’s better than a brewery has any right to have. The room has a retro vibe, and the big fireplace makes it a winter spot too.
The rooftop patio is worth the climb even in cold weather. Pizza comes from The Pizza Box, and there’s a charcuterie vending machine if you’d rather not wait.
Location: 714 S High St, Brewery District
Website: antiquesonhigh.com
