College is a wonderful time for learning how to read supply-and-demand curves, do laundry, write a five-page paper in 30 minutes and, of course, how to develop a taste for beer at diverse campus bars.
Fourth Street Bar and Grill
At Ohio State, there is a great variety of bars that cater to those seasoned with knowledge of craft beers and those who have no problem settling for an ice-cold domestic. Fourth Street Bar and Grill is the best of both worlds.
“We have 58 taps and we cycle beer weekly,” said Kyle Butson, a manager at Fourth Street. “This is what makes us unique compared to many other campus bars.”
Among Bud Light and Shocktop, Butson says Elevator Big Vic is one of Fourth Street’s best sellers. This imperial wheat IPA powerhouse weighs in at 8.6 alcohol by volume. Big Vic is malty-tasting with sweet hints of fruits.
Also on draft right now is Abita Purple Haze, a wheat ale brewed in Los Angeles. This one is comparable to Blue Moon with its fruity notes and easy drinkability.
Fourth Street offers specials every day of the week, including a five for $15 deal on import or craft beer buckets on Mondays and $2.50 import and craft bottles on Wednesdays.
Fourth Street is conveniently located at the corner of 16th Avenue and Fourth Street. Students can get half off all drinks during the week between 3 and 9 p.m.
Too’s Spirits Under High
Toward the southeast is a little place called Too’s Spirits Under High.
Too’s is located in the heart of the area being demolished in Campus Partners’ High Street renovation, but that has not slowed the morale of the employees.
If your night doesn’t call for a costly bar tab, Too’s is the dive for you.
On Tuesday nights, Too’s serves up $1 domestic bottled beer. This day has been adopted as “Toosday” by the bar staff and its dedicated social media followers.
And with your $1 beer comes a dose of live local music.
Too’s is closed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, but is open after 9 p.m. every other night for customers looking to spend some time in a dark, crowded basement while getting an affordable buzz.
World of Beer
Just a short hike southward in the Gateway Film Center is World of Beer. WOB has 40 rotating taps and 500 beers in bottles and cans. It carries beers from several countries and are currently featuring four pumpkin ales, just in time for fall.
WOB serves more than 60 different kinds of beer. Ciders are among the most popular with females and IPAs with the males, said the Gateway WOB’s product manager Christina Coneff.
“We always try to keep four local brews on draft for the locals,” Coneff said.
One of WOB’s signature drinks is a fruity beer shot called the Red Monk shot. It is made with St. Bernardus Abt 12 and Lindemans Framboise.
WOB welcomes OSU students on Tuesdays for 25 percent off select draft beers.
These three bars are just a small peek inside the OSU bar scene, but a short stroll off campus is sure to satisfy students’ needs, whether their palate calls for Rolling Rock or Columbus Brewing Company.