Market Garden Brewery - Viking Pale Ale

Our final beer at the Market Garden Brewery is the Viking Pale Ale. It was a new brew, so there is no description on the beer menu. It is 5.5% ABV.


Overall average rating: 5.0/10


This is a light amber/yellow beer with citrusy hop and wheat aromas. The taste gives flavors of citrusy hop, wheat, and malt, with a side tongue bite and back of the tongue lingering.


Shawn- It's crisp and refreshing with a hop finish, which is a bit overpowering, 6/10.
Angela- It has a little too much of a hoppy bite for me personally, but I think it's crisp and refreshing as well, 5.5/10.
Chris- The only reason I'm rating this lower is because it is more of an IPA than a true pale ale. It's an excellent beer that I would drink on a hot summer day - delicious flavor!, 6.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Wallace Tavern Scotch Ale

"Tradition never tasted so good!"

Our eleventh beer is the Wallace Tavern Scotch Ale, which is 6.5% ABV.


"The Scots love their malt, whether it be in whiskey or in beer, and our Scotch Ale follows suit- with plenty of deep, caramelized malt flavor that makes this beer oh-so-smooth. Named for Cleveland's Wallace House Tavern, opened in 1809."


Overall average rating: 8.0/10


This deep red beer gives off aromas of coffee, chocolate, caramelized malt, and a little wheat. When drinking, you taste chocolate, caramel, coffee, malt, and molasses. Yum.


Shawn- This is a nice, medium-bodied beer with coffee overtones and chocolate undertones. It is very drinkable on a cold day, 8/10.
Angela- Chocolate, caramel, coffee..yum. How can you go wrong?! It reminds me of eating a dark chocolate bar, 8.5/10.
Chris- In terms of a Scotch ale, I expected it to be much maltier, but it is an excellent beer, 7.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Progress Pilsner

"crisp and clean!"

Our tenth beer from Market Garden is the Progress Pilsner, which is 5.5% ABV.


"Inspired by the Pilsners of the Rhine region, this lager is a tribute to the spicy, crisp and clean character of German noble hops and has just the right malt body to balance. Named aptly for the Cleveland slogan 'Progress & Prosperity'."


Overall average rating: 6.3/10


This straw yellow beer gives off aromas of citrus, wheat, and barley. There is a front tongue bite, with flavors wheat, barley, and a light malt in the taste.


Shawn- This is clean, refreshing, and delicious with great drinkability, 7/10.
Angela- This beer has an interesting flavor, and I think would be a good beer to drink with appetizers, 6/10.
Chris- This is a very bitey pilsner, which is not what I expected. I would drink this again cold (reminder: we were brought all 12 beers at once, so they have been getting warmer as they've sat out), 6/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Pearl Street Wheat

"highly refreshing on a beautiful fall day!"

Our ninth beer in the progression is the Pearl Street Wheat, which is 5.5% ABV.


"If you've ever spent time in a German beer garde, you know how much they love their wheat beer. Our Bavarian style Hefeweizen is a satisfying blend of sweet wheat and pale malts, clove and banana aromatics, and the zesty tang of wheat beer yeast."


Overall average rating: 5.8/10


This is a translucent yellow beer, reminiscent of lemonade or a shandy. There is a lot of wheat in the aroma, the guys detect two different kinds. The taste is a summery wheat/lemony beer.


Shawn- This reminds me of Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, but more hoppy. It's hard to rate this higher because it's a summer beer and it's snowing outside, 4/10.
Angela- This is a good summertime beer - a lawnmower beer, really. It is light and refreshing, perfect hot weather beer, 6/10.
Chris- In comparison with a German Hefeweizen, this is a really wheaty summer ale, 7.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Cluster Fuggle IPA

"for the love of hops"

Our eighth beer is the Cluster Fuggle IPA, which is 7.0% ABV.


"Pale ale's not enough? Jump into our India Pale Ale, which has more malt, more hops, more of everything. Named for two of the oldest and classic English and American hops, our IPA brings this historic beer style into the 21st century."


Overall average rating: 5.25/10


This beer is a clear straw yellow color with a hint of amber. There is A LOT of citrus hop in the aroma with a little malt. There is a side tongue bite with a back of the tongue linger. You can taste the two distinct hops - the flavors aren't muddled together.


Shawn- This reminds me of Sierra Nevada Torpedo, and I don't care for the way it develops. This is very hop forward, while I prefer fruit forward, 4/10.
Angela- I am not a fan of citrusy hops, and this is very hoppy for me. To be fair, Shawn and I both agree that this isn't a bad beer, we just aren't hoppy beer fans, 4.25/10.
Chris- This is one of the few IPAs I've had where it says there are two types of hops and I can actually taste both of them. It's fairly smooth for an IPA, 7.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Forest City Brown Ale

"vintage is new again!"

Our seventh beer is the Forest City Brown Ale, which is 5.5% ABV.


"Dark, malty and delicious- but also dangerously quaffable. This style ale began in 18th Century Britain, but died out as pale malts became more economial than their darker counterparts. We're reviving the tradition and hope you enjoy it as much as we do!"


Overall average rating: 6.3/10


This deep copper red beer is not very aromatic, but gives of hints of wheat and malt. There is a front tongue bite and a nuttiness in the flavor. To us, it's a brown ale that drinks like a lager.


Shawn- It lacks complexity, but the flavors are good, 5/10.
Angela- I get a roasty, chocolate taste from this beer, and I find it to be very drinkable. I just wish it had a little more body, 7.5/10.
Chris- It's not an impressive taste, but I like it better than the porter. My rating is based on this as a brown ale; it would be lower if I was rating this as a beer overall, 6.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Fall Porter

"a party in your mouth"

Our sixth beer from Market Garden is their Fall Porter, which is 7.0% ABV.


"Rich and roasty toasty, but also mellow at the same time. This beer is a celebration of the seasonality of beer. SOmewhere between a Brown Ale and a Stout, this Porter will provide warmth to counter the growing nip in the air."


Overall average rating: 5.6/10


It pours a translucent light brown with a reddish hue. There is not much aroma, although it reminds us of crunchy leaves outside in the fall. The taste is thin overall with flavors of caramel, molasses, and malt.


Shawn- When I hear "porter," I think of a rich, robust beer, and this isn't. I've been a bit disappointed in the progression since the first beer, 5/10.
Angela- I think this has an interesting aroma and is very drinkable, although it isn't particularly memorable or thick and rich. It is a good late fall/early winter beer, in my opinion, 6.25/10.
Chris- I would classify this as more of a brown ale than a porter. It's not bad, but I'm not greatly impressed, 5.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - St. Emeric's Stout

"a little Cleveland religion"

Our fifth beer is the St. Emeric's Stout, which is 4.0% ABV.

"Named for the church located behind us on West 24th Street. Black, roasty and dry but velvety smooth at the same time. Tis always darkest before the dawn. Contrary to most American heavy and robust stouts, our version is lighter in body with a dry finish."

Overall average rating: 6.6/10

This opaque and black beer gives off aromas of wheat, chocolate (more than in the taste), malt, and a touch of coffee. There is more coffee in the taste than in the smell, and it is thin and not coating. There is a hop finish with side and back tongue bite.

Shawn- I find this to be really thin for a stout; it reminds me somewhat of Buffalo Sweat. The flavors are crisp but don't culminate into anything, 6/10.
Angela- I get a pretty decent roasty chocolate, malty, coffee flavor. It is a very drinkable beer for me, although I wish it was a bit heavier, 7.25/10.
Chris- It's not memorable but it's not bad. It needs a lot more body, and I think it's more of a dark ale than a stout, 6.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Pearl Street P.M.

"dark wheat"

Our fourth beer of the flight was the Pearl Street P.M., which is 5.5% ABV.

"They say everything has a dark side. It's true for our Pearl Street P.M. With cherry notes, this dark wheat is still a summer favorite, but we think it's most fun to sip this after the sun goes down!"

Overall average rating: 7.3/10

The beer is a dark red amber/copper color that appears to be unfiltered. This beer is not very fragrant, although you can detect wheat, cherry, and a little barley. The taste is a woody cherry, with wheat and honey (a dull sweetness). It has a tip of the tongue bite with side and back tongue lingering. We all agree that this beer has great drinkability.

Shawn- The wheat balanced with the cherry wood develops into something new, which is smart because it shows a lot of thought. It's not what I expected, though I would rate it higher if it had more nose, 8/10.
Angela- It is kind of remniscent of Tröegs Mad Elf, but the flavor is a little off for me, 6.5/10.
Chris- There's no nose, but it has great flavor. Also important to note is that the beers are getting warm as we sit here, so that may explain why we're getting what we're getting, 7.5/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Brewzilla East Kent Goldings Ale

"brewed for the brewzilla beerfest"

Our third beer is the Brewzilla East Kent Goldings Ale, which has 48 IBUs and is 5.7% ABV.

"This ake is a collaboration among 14 local breweries all using the same basic recipe but each showcasing a different hop variety. Ours is made with East Kent Goldings, the classic hop of English ale brewing. We used the hops in the mash, multiple times in the kettle, and after boiling to really bring out the hop flavor and aroma qualities."

Overall average rating: 6.8/10

The beer is a yellow/light amber color with aromas of a lot of wheat and a little cardamom. The taste hits the back of the tongue. It is clean, but not sharp. There is a dull citrus taste, perhaps citrus oil? It finishes lightly citrus.

Shawn- It is smooth, crisp, and clean. The hops are very well-balanced, and it has good drinkability, 7/10.
Angela- I find this much more drinkable than the previous beer, and although it is still not a favorite of mine, I would drink it again, 6.5/10.
Chris- It starts well and the finish doesn't just die away; it is a really simple beer done well, 7/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Hop Soup

"Hoppiness = Happiness"

Second up on the flight is Hop Soup, which is 7% ABV.

"Brewed with 10 lbs per barrel of freshly picked Centennial hops from Yakima, along with some CTZ pellets for additional bitterness. If you trust the numbers, we've got 185 IBUs in there. We had to use our lauter tun as a hop strainer to brew this one, which made for an interesting brew day, but the results were worth it! It has a great raw, resinous hop flavor and is still highly drinkable."

Overall average rating: 6.75/10

It is a very pale amber color with a lot of lacing, which has Chris concerned. The aroma is crisp and gives off a lot of citrusy hops and wheat essences. The taste has a front tongue bite and a bitter hoppy start. The second hop hits the middle of the tongue, and there is a smoother hop finish.

Shawn- This is way too hoppy for my palate. The flavors are sharp and crisp, and it is extremely drinkable if you like hoppy beers, 6.5/10.
Angela- Considering the amount of IBUs in this, it is not the hoppiest beer I've ever had, although it is still not something I'd probably drink again, 5.75/10.
Chris- I <3 hops! I can feel the hops three different times. I'd consider it more of an Imperial IPA because it is flavorful without as much bitterness, 8/10.

Market Garden Brewery - Festivus

"a Festivus for the rest of us"

We ordered the beer sampler flight, so we were able to taste all 12 of their beers.

The first is their Festivus Ale which is 7.5% ABV.

"Smooth, spicy (allspice, ginger & cinnamon), malty with an elegant finish thanks to carmelized wort and a bit of bron sugar, this beer is sure to make the holidays brighter! According to the Seinfeld model, Festivus is celebrated each year on December 23rd. Those attending Festivus may also participate in the 'Aiting of Grievances' which is an opportunity to tell others how they have disappointed you  in the past year, followed by a Festivus dinner, and then completed by the 'Feats of Strength' where the head of the household must be pinned. What are your Festivus Traditions?"

Overall average rating: 8.0/10

The beer is a straw/light amber color, with a cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice aroma. We taste ginger, allspice, wheat, and a little barley. There is a front tongue bite although it is not too hoppy.

Shawn- I don't think this is necessarily the best beer to start a progression with, but this has great drinkability. It is a very original adaptation of a Christmas ale and it is very well done, 8/10.

Angela- This is very delicious with all of the Christmas spices. It is a great cold weather beer - in fact, I am watching it snow as I drink it. I am excited to see what's to come if this is the starter, 8/10.

Chris- This is a delicious seasonal beer, borderline Belgian, although I wish it had a touch more body, 8/10.

Market Garden Brewery, Cleveland, Ohio

Our brewery trip this month was to the Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio.

It just recently opened and is open 364 days a year. It is more specifially in Ohio City next to the West Side Market. The brewery also features Cleveland's first American brewpub.

Andy Tveekrem is the Brewmaster at the Market Garden Brewery. Andy has been a professional brewer for 20 years and prior to this venture has been the Brewmaster at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Delaware, Frederick Brewing Company in Maryland, and Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland.

The menu boasts a good amount of pub food (snacks, sandwiches, and tacos), as well as market fare (meant and cheese boards, soups and salads, and entrees). They sell wine by the glass, "large format geek beers," beers from other breweries, and beer cocktails - their brews mixed with various liquors and liqueurs to create a different perspective on the mixed drink. Check back for more!