First Place: Bell Tower Brewery Co.

Since 2021, Bell Tower Brewing Co. has tried to offer more than what traditional breweries have offered, Bridget Tipton, one of three co-founders, said.

As breweries became more popular, they were typically seen in industrial areas. Bell Tower is located in an old church built in 1858. 

Along with making all of their beer on site, they have a full-service scratch kitchen, meaning everything from bread to condiments is made from scratch.

Some of the establishment’s most popular menu items, Tipton said, are the steak French dip, crispy chicken sandwich and Bavarian-style soft pretzels. For drinks, the flight is its best seller, which offers five, 5-ounce pours allowing people to try more than one of the 15-18 styles of beer available on tap at any one time. Additionally, the traditional German pilsner, Schwarzbier beer and hazy American IPAs are always popular. 

With a wide variety of traditionally brewed beer, gluten-free options and menu items for those with dietary restrictions, Bell Tower works to appeal to everyone. 

“It’s easy for individuals and large groups to come and find something that works for everybody,” Tipton said. 

As April begins, Bell Tower has a new spring cocktail menu as well as a dessert and food special refresh. The core food menu will have a bigger seasonal update towards the end of the month.

Two of Bell Tower’s biggest events are also coming up in April. 

Main Street Kent’s Crafty Crawl is taking place April 19 in collaboration with Bell Tower, North Water and Laziza Craft Kitchen. People can pick up a beer or cocktail and shop from vendors selling handmade goods. 

Bell Tower’s signature event, Saison Fest, April 26, invites 30 other breweries, including North Water, to showcase the saison style. Tipton said it’s not the most popular style, so the event ensures 30 other breweries regionally have a saison on tap. 

Bell Tower and North Water often collaborate on events and last year they worked on a collaborative beer.

“The craft beer community is pretty weird in that it’s not really competitive, it’s very collaborative and cooperative,” Tipton said. 

Additionally, Tipton said they often see college students on special occasions such as graduation, parents weekend and first dates. 

 “We love seeing that; honestly, it’s so cute,” Tipton said. “Our servers are really sweet, they’re like, ‘I think they’re on a first date.’” 

Although the establishment is known as a brewery, Tipton said, as they have grown and evolved, they are trying to be a place for all different kinds of people.

“We’re kind of trying to do everything,” she said. “We’re able to do those things for different people depending on how they think about us.” 

Bell Tower Brewing is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It can be found at 310 Park Ave., or contacted at 330-663-2355.

Second Place: North Water Brewing Co.

North Water Brewing Co.’s business model is to be part of the community that it serves, Managing Partner Bob Mayfield said. 

“We want to be like that coffee shop, the barbershop where the community comes together and can talk, everybody is comfortable in the environment,” Mayfield said.  

North Water has been open for over five years and all of its beer is brewed on the premises. The brewery also offers some alcohol free beers, or wine and beer with very low alcohol. While the establishment isn’t considered a full bar, it has a rotating cocktail menu and bartenders who can make just about anything, Mayfield said. 

IPAs are the most popular style of beer, and lagers are also increasing in popularity, according to Mayfield. Another consistent best seller is the Standing Rock Red Ale, which won first place from the Ohio Craft Brewers Association during the first year of business. 

A lot of North Water’s beers are named after Kent references, such as the Silk Mill Brown Ale; a Tully’s Shandy named after author Jim Tully, who worked in Kent before writing books; and a Chimney Swift Hazy IPA named after the bird on the Kent State seal logo.

North Water hosts a range of community and charity events such as bingo on Wednesday nights, a Thursday night run club, trivia and live music. It also features a dog-friendly patio which is south-facing, offering a view of the sunset, and it’s located next to the hike and bike trail, so a great number of people bike in to grab a beer. 

Mayfield said he’s grateful for the community support over the years and that he’s proud to have a business in Kent. 

North Water Brewing is located at 101 Crain Ave., and it can be contacted at 330-778-4677. Hours are from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

Third Place: 101 Bottles

While 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall is now technically a bar, it used to be a beer store. 

Craig Hutchinson, bar manager, said the establishment still gets people stopping in, years after they stopped selling beer and wine. 

“I know the look now when people walk in, I’m like, ‘Oh, you’re here for retail, aren’t you,’” he said. 

Hutchinson said retail beer and wine is based on volume. 20 years ago, it was worth it, but as the business sold less volume, less money was made. 

“I guess college kids 20 years ago drank a lot more beer than they do now,” he said. 

About three years ago, 101 Bottles turned the retail side into indoor shuffleboard courts and the walk-in cooler into a party room with tabletop shuffleboard. The patio facing Willow Street has turf and corn hole boards. 

Without the coolers covering the windows, the space is more open, making it the right environment to hang out and grab a drink. 

Hutchinson said he’s adapted to the trend in beers, including hazy and West Coast IPAs. 

“I’m always looking to put on really good fresh beers,” he said.

101 Bottles offers sours, stouts, seasonal beers, a German lager, a wine list and a full cocktail menu. 

“We still, …have all our bar regulars that haven’t gone anywhere,” he said. “They all don’t play the shuffleboard but they still love the new vibe.” 

101 Bottles is located at 115 N Willow St., and it’s open from 3:30 to 11 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3:30 – 10 p.m. on Sunday. Contact it at 330-677-9444.

Savana Capp is a hard beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].