Flag planted on Pearl Road in Medina. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
👋 Sam here. I found myself in Medina last weekend and made a spontaneous pit stop at a barn house brewery I'd never heard of.
State of play: Planted Flag Brewing, located at 3594 Pearl Road, opened in 2020, the same week Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a statewide shutdown.
Between the lines: Brewmaster and founder Aaron Wirtz has tried to distinguish his operation by using predominantly local ingredients, including 100% Ohio malts and local hops when possible.
Vibe check: Country brewpub chic, with a visible brewing operation and a bustling intergenerational clientele.
On Saturday afternoon, every table in the dining room was occupied.
What I drank: "Tillie's Lunch Run," the flagship German lager.
The beer is named for Wirtz' grandma, who used to make lunch for her father and run it across West 25th Street in Cleveland to deliver it to him at work.
The bottom line: If you're in the neighborhood and have a hankering for an IPA, farmhouse ale or German lager, don't sleep on this family-owned gem.
