New Ohio Official Travel Guide highlights craft breweries

In another sign that the Ohio craft beer industry is moving more into the mainstream, the 2015 Ohio Official Travel Guide features a full-page devoted to beer tourism and highlights five must-visit craft breweries in the state.

It's believed to be the first time that craft beer has been featured in the 164-page glossy magazine produced by Great Lakes Publishing Co. for TourismOhio.

"We are always looking for that new fresh thing happening in Ohio and looking for trends, and we know that craft breweries are exploding across Ohio," TourismOhio spokeswoman Tamara Brown said.

The state produced 400,000 copies of the magazine, which is available at highway rest stops, AAA offices, state parks and other places. People also can request a copy by clicking here or calling 800-282-5393.

Full disclosure, I wrote the piece after being asked to recommend five breweries to visit. It wasn't the easiest task to choose only five but my recommendations were: Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland, Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster, Father John's Brewery in Bryan and Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron. I had actually forgotten that I wrote the article until the guide showed up in my mailbox today. (April 6)