Homestead Kitchen & Cocktails

August 25, 2019 at 12:00a.m.

By Jim Cyphert,

Mahoning Valley Flight Crew

If You Go

Establishment: Homestead Kitchen & Cocktails

Address: 163 Town Center Ave., Columbiana (Firestone Farms)

Website: kitchenandcocktails.com

Hours: Tues. - Sat.: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun.: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Available: Farm-to-fork dishes, specialty craft cocktails, craft beers

Everything’s craftmade at Columbiana’s popular Homestead Kitchen & Cocktails.

Its farm-to-fork dishes, its specialty cocktails, and yes, even its beers.

And that’s exactly the way the Bullen family envisioned it when the restaurant opened last year.

Dennis and Ann Bullen own the restaurant along with their son, Jarod. The couple’s son, Kyle, recently deceased, also was an owner.

We visited on a Monday evening, when the restaurant was closed to the public, so we could spend some quality time with Jarod and General Manager Shelah Mrosko.

We chatted about life, family, people, the restaurant business and, of course, craft beer.

Just as they do for every customer who walks in the door, Jarod and Shelah went out of their way to create a custom experience that we’ll remember for quite some time.

Knowing the Flight Crew’s modus operandi, it’s no secret we were most interested in checking out Homestead’s craft beer offering.

Always featured at Homestead is a specialty beer named LUK (Love U Kyle) brewed by Columbiana’s Birdfish Brewing in honor of Jarod’s late brother.

In addition to several Birdfish beers, other local breweries represented that evening included Numbers, Hoppin’ Frog and Great Lakes. There were also beers from Bell’s, Cigar City, Founders, Rhinegeist and Victory.

“LUK is always on and is a big seller,” Jarod said. “Birdfish, Numbers and Penguin City sell well, too.”

Jarod has extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, as does Shelah. Homestead employs about 60 people, as business continues to steadily grow.

Food-wise, Homestead likes to remain as self-sustaining as possible, including maintaining its own two-acre garden. The restaurant also sources as much local food as possible.

The same goes with craft beer, as there are always local beers available.

“We like to try to keep 60 to 70 percent of our beers on tap local,” Jarod said.

Homestead’s people make a big difference.

“We’re like one big family here,” Jarod said. “Our close relationships get us through the tough times.”

Good people, good food, good spirits and, especially, good beer are great reasons to give Homestead a try. Here are the beers we liked best:

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (7.0% ABV)

Jim Cyphert: I’ve never been to Kalamazoo, but I’ve enjoyed this southwestern Michigan town’s most famous export – Bell’s Two Hearted Ale – on many occasions. It’s no surprise it’s been named one of the best craft beers in the nation on many occasions. Perhaps I was drawn to it because our review occurred during the week of the beer’s 22nd birthday. Yes, Aug. 15 really is Two Hearted Ale Day. This one’s brewed with Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest and named after the Two Hearted River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s one of the most drinkable beers you can find, with hop aromas and flavors ranging from pine to grapefruit. If you haven’t tried it, I highly suggest it.

Founders Green Zebra (4.6% ABV)

Brian Long: You’ll want summer to hold out a bit longer after you taste this well-crafted German Gose. As Founders never really seems to disappoint, this is simply just an easy-drinking tart beer with a watermelon note up front, balanced out with a sweet juiciness and a salty, dry finish. So, pucker up (even if Sours or Goses aren’t your style) and find a Green Zebra before summer’s gone. Cheers!

Hoppin’ Frog Turbo Shandy (7.0% ABV)

Dave Shively: Homestead takes great pride in supporting and sourcing local ingredients when it comes to their food, and they use that same philosophy in filling out their craft-beer menu. I enjoyed Hoppin’ Frog’s ‘seasonal’ Turbo Shandy, which is created just up the road off I-76 in Akron. Last year, Hoppin’ Frog was named the best brewery and best taproom in all of Ohio by ratebeer.com. This straw-colored beer was medium bodied, and had a wonderful citrus aroma. I’m not typically a fruit-in-my-beer kind of guy, but the lemon zest profile of this beer on a hot August night was such a delicious treat. Unlike most Shandys and Radlers, this turbo-charged beer also packs a punch, coming in at a surprising seven percent ABV.

Homestead LUK (4.4% ABV)

Jason Jugenheimer: I am my brother’s keeper,’ rings true with Jarod’s commitment to his brother Kyle’s memory and vision for Homestead, which includes his desire to maintain a beer to honor Kyle. Homestead LUK (Love U Kyle) is that beer. It was brewed in collaboration with Birdfish and released on Kyle’s birthday this year. This easy-drinking, slightly hazy and slightly tart blood-orange Gose has an earthy aroma with hints of orange peel. It’s crisp, with great citrus flavor of orange, lemon and lime. It has a clean, semi-dry finish that lingers a second or two until fading away. Next time you stop in, order one and raise your glass to Kyle, as you enjoy his farm-to-fork restaurant vision.

Numbers 01 General Peach (5.0% ABV)

Roger Gillespie: Numbers Brewing Co.’s 01 General Peach started out as a basic Cream Ale. Lightly hopped, and with lactose and 100 percent peach puree, the General becomes a smooth easy-to-drink craft beer. It has a great aroma, and comes in at a little more than 5 percent ABV. If you’re looking for light and refreshing, go see the General.”

Birdfish Harvey’s Finest Red Ale (5.8% ABV)

Joe Sanfilippo: “This Harvey was named after another Harvey who was born in Columbiana more than 150 years ago – Harvey Firestone. The rubber really hits the road with this red ale brewed by Birdfish. This one’s just as smooth as the great Steve Harvey. And it pours a nice, reddish/orange color. Harvey has a balance of malts and hops with very little bitterness. It’s a perfect beer to drink any time of the year.”

Recommended Flight Pattern: Head to Homestead to find out just how crafty these folks really are.