MANSFIELD — A change in Ohio’s beer law helped trigger an award-winning beer for the Phoenix Brewing Company of Mansfield.
Metamorphus, an imperial stout, won the Best of Show award Saturday at the first Big Brews in Akron beer festival. The event showcased high-alcohol beers, including barley wines.
Metamorphus topped Bernese Barley Wine Ale from the Thirsty Dog Brewing Company and Listermann Brewing Company Life in the best of show judging.
Duncan Macfarlane, head brewer and one of the owners at the Phoenix, said in 2016 that Ohio removed its 12 percent alcohol by volume cap on beers made in the state.
“Any alcoholic beverage in Ohio at or above 26 percent is controlled and sold by the state (mostly distilled spirits),” Macfarlane said.
“In anticipation of the passage of the bill in 2016, we quickly had Metamorphus Imperial Stout (14 percent abv) and Phixius Imperial IPA (12.5 percent abv) approved for sale in Ohio.
“I believe we first released the Metamorphus in early 2017 about six months after the signing of the bill,” Macfarlane said. “Metamorphus loosely means change. Change in the beer law. We came up with a different spelling for branding purposes.”
The beer is a deep roast and complex malt with raisin and stone fruit notes, Macfarlane said.
