One of the things we are passionate about here at Ravenwood Castle and The Malted Meeple is craft beer. We pride ourselves on having an excellent assortment of craft beers for the enjoyment of our guests. In our monthly blog feature, the Brewer’s Spotlight, we raise our pints to the men and women who dedicate themselves to the brewing craft.
In April we raise a pint to our friends from MadTree Brewing, based in nearby Cincinnati, Ohio.
MadTree was founded in 2013 on the principal that “beer builds community and community builds beer.” The brewery was the first to can craft beer in Ohio, and opened their new production brewery and taproom in February of 2017!
So where does MadTree get its name from? Well, the “mad” comes from the brewing process itself. “Just like a mad scientist, when developing a beer, we only change one ingredient at a time, batch over batch, until we get it right.” The “tree “comes from the sense of community that developed along with the company before they even first opened their doors. “In 2012, when we were physically building out the brewery, people in the community would stop in to see what we were building. Before we knew it, people were pitching in to help us along.” The brewery never forgot their Cincinnati roots and maintains strong ties to the local community and many local charities.
MadTree’s mission statement is simple: “Stay focused on brewing great beer and keep the employees and the community always at the top of mind.” MadTree Brewing has the largest and most advanced quality lab for a brewery of their size in the nation. In fact, they are so meticulous with the brewing of their beers that they even had the Cincinnati water analyzed to better understand how to get their IPAs to be brewed just the way they wanted them. They admit that they became a little psycho in the process, and thus PsycHOPathy was born!
During the month of April, we will proudly be featuring several of MadTree’s beers, including:
PsycHOPathy: MadTree’s number one bestselling beer! A 6.9% ABV IPA with a blend of citrus, bright, and floral aromas. Additional citrus notes follow alongside a smooth bitterness, finishing with a medium body and a slightly sweet, malty backbone.
Lift: At 4.7% ABV, this Kolsch is a crisp and refreshing beer that is easy drinking; subtle orange notes come through in the flavor and aroma from the use of pacific hops.
Rubus Cacao: A 7% ABV Chocolate Raspberry Stout. Sweet chocolate notes lead as a raspberry tartness follows in unison, resembling a perfectly executed dance. The result is a blend of flavors even more spectacular together than apart. It’s love at first sip.
The Malted Meeple is also proud to participate in MadTree’s Arbor Day Tree Giveaway. On Friday April 27th, a free sapling will be included with the purchase of a pint of MadTree’s PsycHOPathy!
We will also have a limited-edition Arbor Day Pale Ale available while supplies last. The Arbor Day Pale is a new twist on MadTree’s famous PSA Pale Ale. An aggressive late-addition hopped pale ale that presents a tropical grapefruit note with dank, earthy juniper and cedar flavors and aromas to taper the hop profile. This leads to a soft and full mouthfeel for a low 4.5% ABV beer.
A representative from MadTree Brewing will be joining us Friday, April 27th for an evening of beer, trees, fun, and games! Be sure to stop out and join the fun!
Karington Hess is a lifelong gamer whose passions for hospitality and all things game-related led him to Ravenwood Castle, where he served as an Innkeeper before joining The Malted Meeple. When not pouring beers, crafting milkshakes, or teaching boardgames, Karington can be found behind the DM’s screen, weaving intricate stories for his fellow gamers.