25 Best Ohio Beers to Drink in 2026
Ohio’s beer culture has unusual range: legacy Cleveland lagers, Cincinnati flagships, Columbus hop showcases, Athens farmhouse-minded creativity, and Akron stouts all belong in the same conversation. This 2026 ranking selects 25 packaged beers that show the Buckeye State at its most distinctive.

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Ohio’s benchmark dark ale remains balanced enough for another pint.
BAR NOTES
Edmund Fitzgerald sets the standard for Ohio porter by joining deep roast, cocoa, and coffee with a clean bitterness. The body feels substantial without becoming syrupy or dessert-like.
Serve it around cellar temperature with smoked brisket, sharp cheddar, or chocolate cake. A nonic pint gives the malt aroma room while keeping the dry finish in focus.

Head Hunter IPA
Brewed by Fat Head’s Brewery
A defining Ohio IPA for drinkers who still want bitterness with their aroma.
BAR NOTES
Head Hunter delivers grapefruit, pine resin, and tropical fruit with the clarity and snap that made classic American IPA compelling. Its malt stays supportive rather than sweet.
Drink it fresh in a tulip glass beside buffalo wings, pepperoni pizza, or a strong blue cheese. The carbonation and bitterness reset the palate after every bite.

Bodhi
Brewed by Columbus Brewing Company
Bodhi combines heavyweight intensity with unusually polished drinkability.
BAR NOTES
Bodhi is Columbus Brewing’s showcase for saturated hop aroma, bringing orange, mango, and resin into a powerful yet composed double IPA. Alcohol warmth stays remarkably restrained.
Pour a fresh can into a stemmed glass and share it with spicy tacos, grilled sausage, or aged cheddar. Its strength rewards a slower pace than the soft finish suggests.

Truth IPA
Brewed by Rhinegeist Brewery
Rhinegeist’s flagship remains one of Cincinnati’s clearest calling cards.
BAR NOTES
Truth balances orange and grapefruit aromatics with a dry malt platform and a brisk resinous edge. It is expressive enough for hop fans but disciplined enough for repeat pours.
Serve it fresh with hot chicken, burgers, or tacos al pastor. A clean glass and moderate chill reveal more aroma than drinking directly from the can.

B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher
Brewed by Hoppin’ Frog Brewery
This Akron classic proves intensity can arrive with texture and control.
BAR NOTES
B.O.R.I.S. layers espresso, bittersweet chocolate, char, and dark fruit across a plush oatmeal body. The roast is forceful, yet the beer avoids collapsing into one-dimensional sweetness.
Let it warm gradually in a snifter and pair it with braised beef, blue cheese, or flourless chocolate cake. One bottle is well suited to patient sharing.

Mystic Mama
Brewed by Jackie O’s Brewery
A modernized West Coast IPA with unmistakable Athens personality.
BAR NOTES
Mystic Mama places vivid citrus and tropical hop aroma ahead of a lean malt base, then closes with an old-school bitter snap. That contrast keeps the beer lively.
Choose the freshest can available and serve it with fried chicken, spicy noodles, or a loaded sandwich. A tulip or IPA glass makes its hop aroma considerably more expressive.

Commodore Perry IPA
Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
A maltier counterpoint to today’s lean and hazy hop bombs.
BAR NOTES
Commodore Perry favors balance: floral, citrus, and lightly earthy hops cross a toasted, caramel-tinged malt foundation. The result feels substantial without losing its bitter finish.
Pair it with roast chicken, aged cheddar, or shepherd’s pie and serve slightly warmer than a modern hazy IPA. That small temperature lift exposes its malt complexity.

Teak
Brewed by Urban Artifact
Urban Artifact turns real-fruit intensity into something structured and culinary.
BAR NOTES
Teak pours with concentrated tropical character, bringing passion fruit tang, guava perfume, and ripe mango over a deliberately tart base. Its acidity keeps the fruit from tasting flat.
Serve it cold in a stemmed glass with fish tacos, soft goat cheese, or coconut dessert. The bold fruit and sourness make a smaller shared pour especially satisfying.

Dortmunder Gold
Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
A deceptively flavorful lager and one of Ohio’s most enduring beers.
BAR NOTES
Dortmunder Gold finds the middle ground between pilsner snap and helles-like malt depth. Bread crust, soft honey, floral hops, and a mineral finish arrive in careful proportion.
Pour it cold but not icy with bratwurst, schnitzel, pizza, or fried perch. A tall lager glass emphasizes the bright carbonation and polished golden color.

Bubbles
Brewed by Rhinegeist Brewery
Bubbles is a festive crossover beer that still tastes intentional.
BAR NOTES
Bubbles combines fruit-forward aromatics with brisk carbonation and a lightly tart finish, landing between beer, rosé, and sparkling cider. The profile is bright rather than sugary.
Serve it in a flute or wine glass with brunch, soft cheese, or fruit salad. Its lively acidity also makes it an effective partner for rich fried appetizers.

Who Cooks For You
Brewed by Jackie O’s Brewery
A lower-strength hazy ale that prioritizes aroma over heft.
BAR NOTES
Who Cooks For You brings the softness and saturated aroma of hazy IPA into a more approachable pale-ale frame. Citrus, melon, and tropical fruit stay buoyant.
Drink it very fresh with grilled chicken, fish tacos, or a veggie burger. A gentle pour protects its haze while allowing the hop aroma to gather above the glass.

Chomolungma
Brewed by Jackie O’s Brewery
A distinctive Ohio brown ale with depth beyond simple sweetness.
BAR NOTES
Chomolungma builds layers of toasted grain, walnut, cocoa, and caramel around a measured honey note. The finish stays tidy enough to keep its richness from becoming tiring.
Let it lose the refrigerator chill before pairing it with roasted pork, mushrooms, or pecan pie. A rounded English pint suits its malt-first aroma and silky texture.

Apple Brandy Barrel Dark Apparition
Brewed by Jackie O’s Brewery
A patient sipping beer where barrel character enhances rather than erases the stout.
BAR NOTES
This Dark Apparition variant folds baked apple, oak, vanilla, and warming spirit into a base of espresso and dark chocolate. The barrel adds dimension without hiding the roast.
Serve a small pour near cellar temperature with blue cheese, bread pudding, or dark chocolate. Give it time in the glass; the apple-brandy aromatics broaden as it warms.

Razz Wheat
Brewed by Jackie O’s Brewery
An accessible fruit beer that keeps wheat-beer drinkability intact.
BAR NOTES
Razz Wheat uses raspberry to add aroma, color, and a lightly tart edge to a soft wheat-ale foundation. The fruit reads fresh rather than candy-like.
Serve it cold with a summer salad, chèvre, or cheesecake. A weizen glass shows off the rosy haze and gives the berry aroma enough space to open.

Cheetah Lager
Brewed by Rhinegeist Brewery
Cheetah shows how much character careful brewing can put into a simple lager.
BAR NOTES
Cheetah is deliberately direct: soft grain, a touch of floral hop aroma, brisk carbonation, and a dry finish. Its precision makes the apparent simplicity convincing.
Keep it cold for ballpark food, pizza, fried chicken, or a backyard cookout. A tall glass highlights the carbonation, but the can works perfectly well outdoors.

Eliot Ness
Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
A sturdy amber lager with more structure than its smoothness suggests.
BAR NOTES
Eliot Ness layers toasted bread, caramel, and a faint fruity note over firm lager fermentation. Noble-hop bitterness trims the malt and keeps the finish composed.
Pair it with sausages, roast chicken, pretzels, or a mushroom burger. Slightly less chill than a light lager makes the toasted malt significantly more aromatic.

Burning River
Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
A Cleveland staple that captures an earlier, balanced era of American hops.