When we are choosing what beers to serve at Cardinal Pizza, we not only look for ones that taste great but we love featuring a local brewery with a great story.

Columbus’ own Land Grant Brewing is a local brewery that fits all the boxes. It gets is name from the two founders’ alma mater – The Ohio State University, a land grant university.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln authorized an act that gave every state free land to build a university. These schools came to be known as land grant universities.

Land Grant Brewing Company co-founders Adam Benner and Walt Keys graduated from OSU in 2006. So, home-proud, Adam and Walt have built their dream of a quality local brewery.

Sadly, when land grants were implemented in the South, lands were taken from Native Americans to create some schools. Keenly aware of the injustice, Land Grant Brewing fully supports the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) in its quest to correct the wrongs of the past. Further, Land Grant Brewing strives for inclusivity in its workplace and social presence.

Their Buckeye pride doesn’t end at the name. They acquired a 1920 former factory to build the new brewery. This factory, in the historic Franklinton neighborhood, had produced equipment needed to publish newspapers, which made it an anchor business for Columbus. They also employ many Ohioans – but there are some from other cool places … even a Yankees fan.

Today, the gutted, neo-Industrial venue slams. They removed earlier renovations to get back to the classic bones of stucco and brick. The office space was an aesthetic disaster, covered in (gulp) 1970s faux-wood paneling.  Walt and Adam reclaimed an abandoned barn in Marion to implement its wood into a comfortable, all-Ohio interior.

Land Grant produces 10,000-15,000 barrels of quality brew a year. We at Cardinal proudly feature their offerings, rotating them in, as part of our awesome lineup of beers. Right now, we are highlighting the Belgian blonde (with local honey), Land Grant Spring Quarter, the crisp, citrus-y pale ale Land Grant Lemon Glow and the hoppy pale ale Needledrop.

It makes us happy to partner with Land Grant Brewing. They offer free brewery tours and a full tap room, so be sure to go to their site to see which food trucks will be there on the day of your visit. Also check out their events calendar.

Cardinal Pizza

At Cardinal Pizza, local partnerships are a core part of our mission. If you know of a great local beer you’d like to drink with us, let us know!