When you travel to Maumee State Park, make sure you take time for a meal and a pint at The Maumee Bay Brew Pub.
Housed on the second floor of the historic Oliver House, this restaurant and brew pub not only offers an extensive menu and house-brewed beer, it has an interesting history. The building opened in 1859 as a hotel, and U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and James A. Garfield were said to have stayed there. It also served as a hospital during the Spanish-American War.
The Oliver House also has the distinction of being one of Ohio’s Top Ten Most Haunted Buildings, is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and is an Ohio Historical Marker.
>> Throughout the year, seven beers grace the taps at the Maumee Bay Brew Pub, including the historic Buckeye Beer. Here are a few of the pub’s standouts:
Amarillo Brillo - Columbus, Centennial, Simcoe and loads of Amarillo make this hopbomb the monster it is and the brewery’s first Double IPA.
Brewdwitch Barleywine- Aged for four months, this sit-down sipper has flavors of dark fruit and caramel with sherry-like attributes.
Buckeye Beer - The recipe for this historic hometown brew dates back to 1838. With a sparkling dry taste, it’s a fine light beer with all the qualities of a summer drinker.
Total Eclipse Breakfast Stout - Known as breakfast in a glass, this stout is brewed with copious amount of oats and lactose, then infused with espresso from the local roaster, Flying Rhino.
If there are members of your dining party who aren’t into beer, they can enjoy a glass of Maumee Bay’s handcrafted root beer, served in a frosted glass. This nostalgic beverage is caffeine-free and sweetened with cane sugar, rather than corn syrup.
>> The restaurant uses its own beer creations to flavor many of its dishes including the Smoked Cheddar Cheese Sticks in a Buckeye Beer batter, the BBQ Brisket Sliders braised in Fallen Timbers Red Ale.
For more information, check out www.oh-maumeebaybrewpub.com.
