By Jim Cyphert, Mahoning Valley Flight Crew

A recent encounter with our friend Nick Rose of Heidelberg Distributing included a query from the Mahoning Valley Flight Crew. We asked him what’s new for spring?

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He mentioned several new offerings, but the Fridge Filler sampler pack from Great Lakes Brewing Co. out of Cleveland caught our attention.

Mahoning Valley Flight Crew members are no strangers to Great Lakes Brewing. Not only have we sampled most Great Lakes offerings, we’ve also been to the brewery in Ohio City.

Plus, I hold a special place in my heart for Great Lakes, as the brewery lays claim to the first craft beer that ever passed my lips – the award-winning Dortmunder Gold. Though I’m a Pirates fan, I drank my first Dort at "The Jake" when the Indians were kicking things into gear in the mid 90s.

Great Lakes is the first brewpub and microbrewery in the state of Ohio. The brewery has helped lead the wave of craft beer breweries in the state. Obviously, they know what they’re doing.

Here are the Flight Crew’s thoughts about the four Fridge Filler sampler pack beers, offered locally by Heidelberg.

Jason Jugenheimer
Great Lakes Lightkeeper Blonde Ale (6.6% ABV, 30 IBU)

“This ale is named for Ohio’s oldest continuously operated lighthouse, Marblehead Lighthouse, built in 1821. With its light, earthy hop profile and sweeter flavor, including banana and hints of citrus, this ale may play a more Belgian-style tune on your palate. It’s an easy drinker for sitting on the shore, ‘Watching the ships roll in.’”

Roger Gillespie
Hop by Numbers IPA (7.2% ABV, 80 IBU)

“Great Lakes Hop by Numbers IPA features an experimental hop variety with pineapple aromas. It finishes with piney Simcoe and Cascade hop flavors. It you like a piney aftertaste for your IPA like I do, then this is the beer for you.”

Joe Sanfilippo
Holy Moses White Ale (5.4% ABV, 20 IBU)

“A golden yellow pour with a nice head, this witbier-style beer was very tasty. I’ve had this one on tap and it was just as good coming from a bottle. A spice aroma with several fruit flavors, this one’s very drinkable with an ABV of 5.4%.”

David Anderson
Oats McDonald Pale Ale (5.7% ABV, 35 IBU)

“This is the time of year that I start enjoying more pale ales, so I gladly picked this one from the sampler pack. The bottle says that it “recalls the grain silos and rolling acres that line our midwestern highways and byways.” Pale ales are best in the spring and summer to me, so go ahead and pick up a Fridge Filler sampler pack before they’re gone and try this one with some friends.”

So, the Flight Crew consensus is, go grab this sampler pack to fill your fridge.