Jackie O’s On Fourth charms Columbus

Jackie O’s Brewery has a real gem in its Columbus brewery taproom. Called Jackie O’s On Fourth, if you haven’t had a chance to visit yet, put it on your list. 

With this location, Jackie O’s Brewery demonstrates how it will take one of the Appalachian region’s best breweries and make it more accessible to Ohio’s largest urban area. While the brewery will remain true to it’s Appalachian roots in Athens, Ohio, and maintain it’s primary focus on the production facilities there, we think the Columbus taproom is a game-changer.

From when the plans were first announced a couple year’s back, it took Jackie O’s a good while to completely remodel the Columbus building and outdoor space it purchased. They wanted to make sure it was done right before opening last May. Well, it was worth the wait. Columbus craft beer fans have flocked to the location ever since and have packed the place well beyond the brewery owner’s expectations.

The downtown building was formerly home to Elevator Brewing Co., so it had some craft beer history attached to it. But the magic Jackie O’s performed on the space transformed it into some of the hippest and most friendly-vibed drinking spaces that you’ll find anywhere. It’s welcoming, comfortable, and visually interesting.

The main barroom

High top tables fill the main barroom floor and are augmented by table booths along the walls. The bar itself seats around 10 additional people. The taproom is bar-only service, but they always have plenty of bartenders on hand so the wait for beer is never long. 

An expansive space

The high ceiling downstairs includes a sizable opening over the bar to the second floor, giving the space a more open feel. It’s a great visual touch.

Speaking of the beer: the bar usually has 25 taps pouring. You’ll find all of Jackie O’s popular stuff, along with the current seasonal offerings. To extend their beer reach, they also offer a selection of bottled beers.

The barroom doubles as a take-out bottle sales area, with the front end of the room having a one side wall of shelves for mostly specialty bottles and the opposite wall housing a large, multi-door cooler for the canned six packs.

Drinking al fresco

You’ll find a variety of good looking outdoor spaces — some covered and others more open air. Also an upper deck/patio with nice views of the city. The large rear area has outdoor fire pits which help extend the space’s use into the colder months. In the warmer seasons and weekends, expect to also find service bars open in the outdoor area. 

Food service is handled by the Goood Friends restaurant, which works out of a space at the rear of the property. It features a menu of sandwiches, sides, and sweets — all with a Midwestern cuisine theme.

The outdoor and indoor spaces together have a total capacity of around 400 people. The location is enhanced by the fact it offers onsite parking.

Private event space too

The second floor is normally reserved as a private event space. Filled with tables and chairs, it offers plenty of space for buffet-style food service options. The rear of the room opens out to a balcony from which you can access the two levels of patios. The second floor also has its own toilets, making it more convenient for group events. 

More brewing coming

When they announced the Columbus project, Jackie O’s folks said it would include actual brewing operations. So far they have only tested out brewing a beer or two there. 

Seth Morton, director of brewing operations for Jackie O’s, says they are still considering what might work best for full time brewing in Columbus. The property has Elevator’s old 15 bbl system, which could be put into service again. What seems more likely to happen is them installing a smaller pub system that would make a series of unique, Columbus-taproom-only beers.

One possibility Seth discussed was using a smaller brewing system at which employees from the bar could participate with the pub brewer in recipe development and actual brewing. In this way the brewing equipment would not only produce unique beers for the property, but also could help build camaraderie and beer knowledge among employees. We like that idea.

Open 7 day a week. Hours of operation listed on their website. 

---

Jackie O’s On Fourth
171 North 4th Street, Columbus OH 43215

Contact: fourth@jackieos.com