PHOTOS BY KRISTY LOCKLIN

The 3.5-hour drive from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Ohio isn’t particularly exciting. It’s all cornfields and strip malls (although there is an excellent, members-only dive bar in Wheeling, W.Va., LaLa’s Voo Doo Lounge, where I experienced my first pizza log).

Also, why would I travel 200 miles when there’s a BrewDog pub in East Liberty? (Update: On Feb. 23, 2023, BrewDog closed the local pub, which, according to the company, was an underperforming location.) To experience the overnight accommodations at the BrewDog DogHouse Columbus Hotel and Brewery.

In 2017, the Scotland-based company opened its 100,000-square-foot North American headquarters; a year later, the 32 rentable rooms debuted. The facility dominates the 42-acre property like a futuristic fortress amid the aging suburban sprawl. It churns out 4.6 million gallons annually, for distribution to markets across the country.

If you’re a beer lover who’s ever overindulged at a bar and wished you could take a little on-site snooze, this place is a dream come true.

Upon check-in, I received a complimentary beer. I selected the Hellcat, an India pale lager brewed in collaboration with British rockers Iron Maiden; it was the perfect choice for a beer geek who is also a lifelong metalhead.

BrewDog is very proud of its punk aesthetic, from its immersive decor and quirky marketing (they’ve packaged a 55% ABV beer inside of a taxidermy squirrel) to its role as the world’s first carbon-negative brewery.

You can take an employee-led brewery tour or go on a self-guided stroll through the BrewDog Beer Museum. You’ll learn about the entire history of the beverage and the 15-year-old company’s meteoric rise — although recent controversies (some employees have accused co-founder James Watt of misconduct; he denies the claims) are absent.

I stayed in one of the four BrewMaster Suites, which are equipped with king-sized beds, living rooms, wet bars, televisions, acoustic guitars to annoy sleeping roommates, record players, IPA-infused toiletries and fully stocked beer fridges — including one in the shower!

The accommodations overlook the OverWorks USA sour brewery, which is filled with 10 wooden foeders, hundreds of French oak wine barrels and four stainless steel fermenters.

While the high-end suite isn’t pet-friendly, other rooms are. Canines are a common sight at BrewDog.

Before entering the hotel, I saw a pair of Pomeranians in party hats celebrating their birthdays on the patio by the DogPark. The humans toasted to their furry companions with beers from the adjoining BrewDog DogTap Columbus.

Anchored by an enormous bar that boasts 32 drafts, the space is lined with pinball machines. Stomach growling? The menu is filled with appetizers, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, vegan options and desserts.

I’ve been a beer fan since college, so getting to hang at a brewery-hotel with my sorority sister Jen was a nice, nostalgic treat. We’re both in our 40s now, so we paced ourselves with low-ABV flights instead of keg stands.

BrewDog also has mini-apartment hotels, called Kennels, located above their pub in the Short North section of Columbus. These facilities each have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and all the amenities of DogHouse.

In the morning, I went to the lobby for a complimentary hot breakfast and beermosa. Everyone looked hungover (except for the buff dude who emerged from the fitness room).

Although dreading the boring journey back home, I decided to save sightseeing for another visit. Like a midwestern Twin Peaks, Columbus is bursting with unusual attractions such as a topiary park, The Gates of Hell (located behind a Tim Horton’s) and a bronze statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

After a howling good time at the DogHouse Beer Hotel, I didn’t want to say “Hasta la vista, baby.”

Drive Time
3½ hours

Find it
The DogHouse: brewdog.com/usa/hotels/usa/doghouse-columbus