Staas Brewing Company (Facebook / @staasbrewing / instagram: @staasbrewing)
31 W. Winter St. (map it!)
Delaware, OH 43015
(740) 417-4690
Open Thurs, 4-11p; Fri, 4p-12a; Sat, 3p-12a
It was kind of odd that it took me a while to get up to Staas Brewing in Delaware. I had interviewed Liz and Donald Staas twice for pieces in Columbus Monthly (here and here) before I even took a sip of their beer. So one night while Mrs. Bfast w/Nick and I had dinner at the excellent Veritas Tavern down the street, we snuck over to finally meet them and sample some beers.
Liz and Donald have joked that their brewery is like the Cheers of Delaware, and I think it’s true. It’s a small watering hole serving stellar beer, and it’s quickly become an attraction for the community. I mean, what’s not to love? A comfy bar space, friendly owners, great beer on tap.
Liz and Donald have a great story: they learned to homebrew from her dad, who had decades of experience (he was doing it before it was cool). They drew on his knowledge, joined homebrew clubs, started brewing on their own, and then opened their brewery to the public. They brew in small batches on a half-barrel system, using all grain and no extracts, and they cover a lot of styles.
Liz and Donald earn major kudos for nailing a really wide range of beer styles. They lean toward English and Belgian beers, but we’ve sampled everything from IPAs to Belgian quads to Oktoberfests to saisons to porters, and they’ve all been spot-on. You can order pints of their beer or you can try a flight, like we did on this particular visit.
Of course, you can always get growlers to go. The growler price depends on the beer, of course. But it’s well worth sampling a bunch of beers and then taking a growler home. I might just start bringing this growler with me any time I travel near Delaware. With their selection rotating often, I know I’ll always find something new to try.
BUT WAIT! Today you get two blog posts for the price of one!
Let’s talk pierogi, shall we? Like many breweries in the area, Staas has teamed up with local food trucks to pair snacks with their brews. They’ve hosted a small rotation of trucks, but Sophie’s Gourmet Pierogi has made regular appearances there.
I’m by no means a pierogi expert, but Sophie’s are easily some of the best I’ve ever had. Their pierogi are compact, grilled nicely, and loaded with flavor.
One of the real selling points are the flavored butters that come with each pierogi. We sampled butters like the smoked paprika garlic, the lemon basil, and the red chili cilantro.
Staas beers + Sophie’s pierogi = a match made in heaven.
(Follow Sophie’s on Facebook to see where they’re parked next! They’re making regular appearances at area breweries these days.)
