Maumee Bay Brewing Company, Toledo OH

I’ve been to Maumee Bay a couple of times, several years ago, so I knew what I was getting in for. The surprise on this visit was that I think they were short several waitstaff – there were lots of empty tables, but to get a table was a 30-minute wait, so I sat at one of the two bars.

They’re located in an old factory mill building on a brick street.

They have both downstairs and upstairs rooms; I went upstairs as I think that space is just way more interesting (and I loved the “stairway to nowhere” … actually, to an air duct, obviously retrofitted to the building).

Because I’d already had a flight of six at Earnest Brew Works, I ordered a pint and a pizza.

This is an unusual one that I’m both glad I tried and sad that I did:

Ballgame (5%) – This is a golden-style Kölsch with salted caramel and roasted peanuts. The peanut flavor was very prominent; I didn’t get any caramel coming across, but it was probably there just adding complexity. It was good, but different.

One of the reasons I love Maumee Bay is for their wood-fired pizzas and there are a lot of options if you do a build-your-own. This is the house crust, house red sauce, mozzarella and provolone, and sausage, spinach, and mushrooms. Delicious!

I finished off with a pint of their Glasshopper, a 7% West Coast IPA that is well-balanced and very pleasing to drink. It was the perfect accompaniment to the pizza.

Maumee Bay is a winner if you ever find yourself in the Toledo area. Check them out!