09/28/2026
Congrats to one of favorite brewery families and b**rs. Bummin' Beaver Brewery come on out and give it a taste. Piggy is back 10/11
🍺 NEOCBN POWER RANKINGS: 20 NORTHEAST OHIO B**RS WE’D WANT AROUND A FALL BONFIRE
Cool night. Hoodie weather. Fire crackling. What b**r are you reaching for?
We mixed regional legends with smaller-brewery gems for a Top 20 with one highly scientific criterion: how badly do we want this b**r in our hand beside a fall bonfire? Current b**rs, seasonals and one retired favorite were all eligible.
20. Festbier — HiHO Brewing Company, Cuyahoga Falls
Crisp, malty and ready for another round while somebody throws another log on the fire.
19. Shuck Yeah — The 1547 Project, Cortland
This oyster stout brought home silver at the 2026 Ohio B**r Awards.
18. Tmavé Pivo — BIRDFISH BREWING CO., Columbiana
A Czech-style dark l***r with 2026 Ohio B**r Awards hardware to back it up.
17. All the Leaves — Broadview Brewing Company, Broadview Heights
A 2026 Ohio B**r Awards silver medalist with a name made for this list.
16. Old Dick — New Berlin Brewing Company, North Canton
An 11%+ imperial stout that struck gold at the 2026 Ohio B**r Awards.
15. The Fall of the House of Butternut — Codex Brewing, North Canton
An 8% winter warmer with fireside strength and one of the best fall b**r names around.
14. 1858 — Bell Tower Brewing Co., Kent
An English porter balancing dark malt, restrained roast and just enough bitterness for a cool October night.
13. Pecan Brown Ale — Sibling Revelry Brewing, Westlake
Nutty, malty and smooth—the kind of b**r that makes you wonder why you don’t drink brown ales more often.
12. Porch Pumpkin — Red Wagon Brewing Company, Columbia Station
A pumpkin b**r from an actual family farm that’s been selling pumpkins from its front porch for decades.
11. Chai One On — Sandy Springs Brewing Company, Minerva
This 9.1% pumpkin-and-chai stout is our nostalgia pick—it hasn’t been brewed in a few years, so consider this our formal request for a comeback, Sandy Springs.
THE TOP 10
10. Vices in General — Noble Creature Wild Ales & La**rs, Youngstown
A smoked Helles bringing smoke, malt and roughly 5% ABV to the fireside. Built for settling in and staying awhile.
9. Black Hat Schwarzbier — Akronym Brewing, Akron
Roasty malt and smooth drinkability make this dark German l***r an easy fireside pick. All that dark-b**r character without the heavyweight body.
8. Spooky Tooth — Fat Head's Brewery, Middleburg Heights
One of Northeast Ohio’s heavyweight pumpkin b**rs brings big body, warming strength and plenty of fall spice. Save it for when the temperature really drops.
7. Svartalfheim — Masthead Brewing Co., Cleveland
This smooth, subtly roasty Schwarzbier won gold in Dark European La**rs at the 2026 Ohio B**r Awards. Dark b**r without heaviness is a pretty strong bonfire formula.
6. B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher — Hoppin' Frog Brewery, Akron
One of Northeast Ohio’s legendary imperial stouts deserves a slow pour and a comfortable chair. Settle in and let the fire burn down.
5. Oktoberfest — Lockport Brewery, Bolivar
This beautifully executed Märzen can stand alongside anything in the region. Toasty malt, medium body and a crisp, dry finish make it the b**r we’d happily reach for all evening. Football on the radio, hoodie on, fire going—Lockport belongs here.
4. Murder Ballads — Noble Beast Brewing Co., Cleveland
Dark, smooth and substantial, this Baltic porter feels practically engineered for a cold night beside a fire. It comes from the 2026 Ohio B**r Awards Small Brewery of the Year, but the appeal here is simple: rich malt character worth slowing down for.
3. Rauchbier — Wooly Pig Farm Brewery, Fresno
Maybe the most literal bonfire b**r on our list. Traditional l***r meets smoked malt at a farm brewery in Coshocton County, bringing campfire character before you’ve even struck a match. Some pairings practically write themselves.
2. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter — Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland
Roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and a firm bitterness make this a Northeast Ohio classic for good reason. Hand us an Edmund Fitzgerald beside a roaring fire on a 48-degree October night and we’re pretty happy. But we’re giving the crown to a much smaller brewery…
🥇 1. Punderson Porter — Bummin' Beaver Brewery, Auburn Township
Our ultimate Northeast Ohio bonfire b**r: a 6.9% American porter with pronounced chocolate and roasted character, substantial enough for a chilly night without wearing out your palate. It also won GOLD in Porter & Stout at the 2026 Ohio B**r Awards. One of the smallest breweries on this list takes the top spot over some of the region’s biggest names—and we’d gladly defend that choice around the fire.
What’s too high? What’s too low? What did we leave out?
Name the B**R, not just the brewery. Anywhere in our 23-county footprint is fair game.
Destroy our rankings.
**r **r
