The 2 Tones, Anthony and Tony, developed a passion for drinking craft beer as college roommates while attending The Ohio State University in 2008. Their passion for consumption transformed into a passion for creation over time. In 2009, the 2 Tones brewed their first batch of homebrew, a 10% ABV oatmeal imperial stout! It was an ambitious first brew, but the start of something special. Since then, they’ve crafted many beer styles ranging from Kölsch to Double IPA to Coffee Stout to Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. Over the years, two flagship beers were developed by 2 Tones: the Irish Red Ale and the India Pale Ale.
Uncle Joe’s Irish Red Ale was developed in memory of Anthony’s Uncle Joe, who was a truly remarkable Irishman. He had a fond love for Gin. But, craft beer? Not so much! So this recipe was developed to incorporate a component of his favorite alcoholic beverage and add it to a classic beer style from his homeland of Ireland: the Irish Red Ale. The sharp, piney and citrus flavors of juniper berries give Gin its character. Uncle Joe’s Irish Red incorporates juniper berries as well, as they are crushed and added at the end of the boil process. The juniper flavor help create a balance in the Irish red, which normally leans to the sweet and malty side. It’s an easy drinking dark ale that is sure to satisfy.
The India Pale Ale was created purely out of the 2 Tones’ love for IPAs, as well as the rest of the craft beer drinking world. Widely considered the most popular style of craft beer, the IPA is meant to showcase the exquisite flavors and aromas of the hop flower. While many breweries at the time were focusing on how balanced or how bitter to make their IPA, 2 Tones was focused on how to achieve the perfect hop character. So they kept the malt bill simple and let the hops do most of the work. After many renditions and tinkering with hopping techniques and hop schedules, the 2 Tones IPA was developed. Low to moderate bitterness was achieved, at the same time bursting with tropical, citrus, and floral hop flavors and aromas. A crisp, clean, dry but perceptibly sweet beer was born. A new age IPA that will leave hop-lovers gratified. This beer went on to win Best in Show at Barley’s Brewing Company’s annual homebrew competition in 2013.
This is where the business plan began. Three years later, in 2016, 2 Tones Brewing Co settled in a small industrial space in Whitehall and started brewing beer commercially. After three years of self-distributing beer to local bars and restaurants, 2 Tones opened their first taproom at 4539 E Broad St in Whitehall. And the story continues on…