Marietta Brewing Company, Marietta OH

Marietta Brewing Company

by Jaclyn Boland

Walking around in downtown Marietta, the wood-rimmed vats sitting in the large front windows of the Marietta Brewing Company caught my eye. I walked inside and the high ceilings drew attention to the steel pipes above. The wooden bar sits right inside the door with locals sipping on their favorite brew. After the drive, I headed straight back for the bathroom and walked past a row of double stacked kegs of their homebrewed beer.

I picked up the menu and looked straight at the list of “handcrafted beers”. They have a master brewer, Kelly Sauber, who uses fresh ingredients to brew tasty and flavorful beers. I began salivating like Pavlov’s dog. The Raspberry Wheat caught my attention. I love raspberries and beer, what a perfect combination! The server quickly brought it over and with the first sip, my taste buds were instantly satisfied. The balance of the beer was overtaken by the fruity raspberry flavor. The microbrew wasn’t as crisp as I was expecting. It was smooth and felt more like I was drinking a juice than microbrew but that didn’t stop me from drinking the entire glass and contemplating a second.

My taste buds were satisfied, but my stomach wasn’t. The food on the menu sounded delicious. I could have eaten just about anything. The salads seemed to call to me, as I haven’t had a decent one in months. But to start I ordered a cup of the French onion soup. I am a big fan of French Onion soup mainly for the Provolone cheese. It was cheesy but I would have liked to see more.

Then came my salad. It had green beans, bib lettuce, blue cheese, almonds and a wine vinaigrette dressing. Delish. But I wasn’t fully satisfied as the waiter asked about dessert. My stomach was saying no but my taste buds egged me on. After the Chocolate Thunder arrived, I knew I was in cake heaven. It was a triple layer chocolate cake that I struggled to finish.

Overall, the Marietta Brewing Company not only offered handcrafted and tasty beers but a hearty meal. Evidence of their brewing machines act not only as decoration but demonstrate their prized skill: brewing beer.