Where is Crooked Can?
Crooked Can Brewing is one of the newest breweries in the Columbus area, having celebrated their 1st birthday in 2021! It is the biggest vendor in the new Center Street Market, in Old Hilliard, across from Hilliard’s Station Park. In fact, it is a big reason for the Center Street Market to exist – after all, Crooked Can’s name is on the building.
Parking is easy to find with a large public lot behind the park next door.
When is it open?
Crooked Can is open right now Sunday through Thursday 11a – 11p, Friday and Saturday 11a – 1a (although be sure to double check with them – their Facebook has them closing at 11p every day, but we’re betting they’re opening back up).
Yes, you can drink there or get a crowler to go! Center Street Market has an enormous patio for sipping and enjoying the weather. Follow the brewery on Instagram (@crookedcanohio) for up-to-date information.
The Menu - What Are They Known For?
Crooked Can is bringing variety to the table as a brewery. They have a lager, hefeweizen, amber, and american IPA as their flagship beers, but also have many small-batch taps: stout, kolsch, red, imperial IPA, you name it. You can check out what’s on tap on their social media or their website.
Personally, I would recommend their daily infusion. When we visited, it was a guava-infused IPA, and let’s just say I polished off the crowler like a regular sized can.
Update for 2021: boy, do I have to update this! I stand behind everything above, but Crooked Can brought EVERYTHING to the table in the past year: barrel-aged stouts, hefeweizen, dunkelweizen, sours, shandy, saisons, seltzers, ciders, even draft cocktails made with local High Bank Distillery spirits and Simple Time mixtures.
Hungry? Not only are there awesome food options in Center Street Market, but they also host food trucks on the weekend. Check out their social media to see who is coming.
What's the space like?
As I mentioned, the space is a market – those of you locals who have been to North Market will get the same feeling, strolling through vendors, with the brewery bookending the back of the building. The place has really filled out with vendors since our first visit, with neighbors Dumplings of Fury, bakes by lo, the Cheesecake Girl, Rime Time, Serendipity, Al’s Delicious Popcorn, Meatball Mafia, Coffee Connections, Pitabilities, and Two Step Tacos.
The inside of the large brick market gives way to a very open-feeling bar area when entering Crooked Can. There is indoor seating to the left and a secondary bar. When in operation, this bar also serves a walk-up window that takes orders from the patio directly. The addition of areas to order from is a nice touch to dissipate a crowd of bar-goers who need a cold drink on a hot day!
The patio is shared across the whole market and offers lots of space for seating, with umbrella’d tables and benches on the perimeter.
Weekly Events
Monday is service industry night. If you work in the service industry, enjoy 30% off your tab.
Tuesdays are trivia night, hosted by Trivia Goodness (@triviagoodness) at 7.
Crooked Can has a running club that leaves at 6pm on Wednesday nights. You’ll have to check with the brewery – the club is popular and registration closes once it is full. The club is $25, includes a Crooked Can tank top and gets you $1 off beers from 6:30-8:30 in the taproom.
I can’t say that this is an every Friday thing, but in the past, Crooked Can has indulged the Friday day-drinkers with a tasting special: a flight of 4 for $9 or 8 for $16, 11a – 4p.
Beyond that, they are always having local music acts, even weeknights sometimes. You’ll have to check their social media to see who is coming and when.
Special Occasions
Crooked Can often has benefits for charitable causes. In the past, these have included The Jude Kraft Foundation, POEM (Perinatal Outreach and Encouragement), blood drives, and more.
They’ve also had special beer pairings. Notably, they partnered with neighbor the Cheesecake Girl for a cheesecake and beer pairing that will make your mouth water just looking at it.
When Hilliard has its Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), of course they are right in the middle of it. That’s right folks, as we’ve seen in other areas of Columbus, the DORA is where you can enjoy your drink (responsibly) around town, within the bounds the city sets.
Most recently, Crooked Can has been a part of the Saison and Sour Fest on June 5, 2021. They have all kinds of beers that bring the funk, for you gose lovers out there.
But can I bring my dog?
Of course you can! But you might want to keep your pet on the patio. Good thing they have a water station set up for dogs, and they even sell treats.
Our Experience
We stopped by in the wake of reopenings from COVID-19 shutdowns, eager to try the new place out. Crooked Can did not dissappoint, with helpful staff and quick service, I grabbed a crowler to go. (For those who aren’t familiar, a crowler = a canned-half-growler, a big 32 oz. can). As I mentioned above, the fruit infused IPA might as well have been a frilly cocktail on a hot day. It was defitnitely guava-forward, but not so much as to overshadow a very smooth IPA.
I am eager to go back and get a couple flights to sample when I can spend more time!
Other things to do in the area
If you need some pick-me-up, Coffee Connections is across the street before noon, and has a booth in the Market from 11a – 7p
Feelin’ more brews on a laid-back patio? Head east to Somewhere in Particular Brewing
Want to explore a hidden gem? Step right around the block to the Early Television Museum
A Note on Crooked Can
The Hilliard location appears to be their second brewery – the first one is all the way down in Florida! I don’t know the story behind the choice to come to Ohio, but I am glad they did. When you are looking them up, make sure you are looking at the website or social media for Crooked Can OHIO.
Questions, Comments, or Concerns?
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